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At first Ugento allied with Rome, then it allied with Carthage against Rome. Its harbour, Torre San Giovanni (Tower St. John), was used by Hannibal’s fleet, in fact many tombs of Carthagian soldiers were brought to light in this area. After the defeat of Carthage, Ugento was Romanized and became Municipium. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of a county.
The Cathedral, with its elegant neoclassic façade, was rebuilt in 1700 on the one destroyed by the Turks in 1537; the 17th and 18th century paintings that adorn the baroque altars are noteworthy; the bell-tower is imposing. The castle dominates the whole town. It probably dates back to the 10th century and underwent various readaptations; it has the shape of an irregular trapezium with towers in the corners, inside there are wonderful halls completely frescoed. The museum, placed in an old convent recently restored, keeps prehistoric materials of Salento, Messapic inscriptions, Greek and Roman finds. In the historic centre the architectural motif of the arch is largely used.
Over the last few years Ugento had a remarkable tourist development, especially towards the coast Torre San Giovanni (Tower St. John): here the landscape becomes very suggestive thanks to the thick pinewood that stretches out until the beach with white and fine sand. The sea is particularly transparent and crystalline cause of its sandy depths. There are very good and numerous campsites and villages frequented by international tourists.
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