Menhir di Melpignano

Melpignano preserves a group of standing stones known as menhirs within and around the town. Named examples include Minonna, Candelora, Lama and Scineo, each with a distinctive form and setting.

Why it matters

The stones belong to Salento's wider megalithic landscape. Their precise dates and original purposes remain debated, making them evidence of a long tradition of upright stone monuments rather than a fully explained prehistoric system.

What to notice

Squared shafts, tapering profiles and differently shaped upper ends distinguish individual examples. Menhir Lama rises to more than four metres, while the smaller stones have different proportions. Their relationship with later walls and buildings shows how the town grew around older monuments.

Context and history

The menhirs attracted antiquarian attention, including that of Cosimo De Giorgi in the nineteenth century. Ritual, territorial and other functions have been proposed, but no single interpretation explains every stone. Later reuse and relocation form further chapters in their history.