Monte Saraceno

Monte Saraceno is a rocky headland above Mattinata, with a prehistoric necropolis cut into its limestone ridge. The Gargano National Park records more than 500 tombs and identifies archaeological remains alongside the site's coastal landscape.

Why it matters

The ridge preserves an extensive burial landscape on a defensible coastal promontory. Park sources describe crouched burials and finds including fibulae, amber objects and glass-paste beads, evidence of the material culture associated with the necropolis.

What to notice

The tombs are cut horizontally into the limestone crest. Their setting combines rocky ground and Mediterranean vegetation with views across Mattinata's bay and the Manfredonia coast. The park attributes the name “Saraceno” to a later folk belief that the tombs belonged to a Saracen cemetery.

Context and history

The necropolis occupies a headland about 260 metres high. The park records a defensive ditch and describes the area as a burial site of more than 500 tombs. Finds from Monte Saraceno, including approximately twenty sculpted stone heads, are held by the Civic Museum of Mattinata. The hill also bears traces of military installations from the twentieth century, including gun positions, tunnels and a casemate.