The landscape of the Lower Salento is modelled according to forms that can be considered peculiar from a geomorphological point of view. It has, like the whole of Apulia, a relatively recent origin in relation to the geological history of Italy. Consisting of powerful Mesozoic formations, which in turn support land from the Miocene to the Eocene, the entire Salento landscape only acquired its physiognomy at the beginning of the Quaternary, the geological era we are currently living through. The existing reliefs are made up of small hills called Serre or Murge salentine, which do not exceed about 200 metres above sea level. These rises follow a morphology that develops from the south of Lecce along the longitudinal course of Salento peninsula in a north, north-west/south, south-east direction. The most prominent ones are located in the south-western part, where the most elaborate and elevated reliefs are to be found, such as the Serra di S. Eleuterio, which reaches 195 metres above sea level in the Matino area; other notable heights for the territory can be found in the median area as far as Gagliano del Capo, which almost merge into a single body, and these are the Serra Mucurone, the Serre dei Peccatori, the Serra dei Cianci, etc.
List:
1 – Serra Iannuzzi – Nardò/Arneo/Boncore
2 – Serra Degli Angeli – Nardò/Arneo/Boncore
3 – Serra Cicora – Nardò
4 – Serra Campilatini – Sannicola/Galatone/Seclì
5 – Monte Fiusco – Tuglie
6 – Serra di Neviano – Neviano
7 – Serra dell’Altolido – Sannicola/Gallipoli
8 – La Serra – Collepasso/Parabita/Supersano
9 – Monte S. Eleuterio – Matino
10 – Serre di Martignano – Martignano
11 – Serra di Monte Vergine – Palmariggi
12 – Monte S. Angelo – Otranto/Uggiano la Chiesa
13 – Serra di Poggiardo – Poggiardo
14 – Serra la Motta – Nociglia
15 – Monte Mattia – Castro
16 – Serra di Castelforte – Taviano/Mancaversa
17 – Madonna Della Serra – Supersano
18 – Serra del Rio – Andrano
19 – Monte Rotondo – Taurisano/Ruffano
20 – Serra Mucorone – Cutrofiano/Ruffano/Miggiano
21 – Serra di Monte Li Specchi – Racale
22 – Serra dell’Alto – Alliste
23 – Serra Calaturo – Felline
24 – Serra Potenza – Masseria Terenzano/Felline
25 – Serra Fontane – Ugento
26 – Serra del Mito – Andrano/Depressa
27 – Serra Magnone – Cardigliano/Specchia
28 – Specchia Silvia – Taurisano/Specchia
29 – Serra dei Peccatori – Lucugnano
30 – Serra dei Cianci – Specchia/Presicce/Alessano
31 – Serra Fontane – Torre S. Giovanni
32 – Serra di Casavecchia – Gemini
33 – Serra Pozzomauro – Acquarica del capo/Presicce
34 – Serra Bianca – Acquarica del capo
35 – Serra di Montesardo/San Dana – Alessano
36 – Serra di San Dana – San Dana
37 – Serra Spigolizzi – Salve
38 – Serra Falitte – Patù/Giuliano/Morciano di Leuca
39 – Serra di Vereto – Vereto/Castrignano
40 – Serra Murga – Corigliano/Soleto
The districts
Geologically speaking, the entire landscape of the Serre can be divided into three large areas; the first can be divided between Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca and is characterised by outcrops of limestone, formed in the Cretaceous period, which are grouped into three extended strips and run parallel to each other; the extension goes from the territories west of Alliste, following the coastline, to Punta Ristola (Capo di Leuca), passing through Melissano and Ugento. The first of these strips, running in a north, north-west/south, south-east direction, includes the Serra di Castelforte and that of Calaturo; the second strip encompasses the territories of Masseria Torre Vecchia and Gemini; the third, running along the same axis, passes by Masseria Varano, Serra Bianca, Serra Pozzomauro and Salve.
The second district encloses the territories between Galatone and Gagliano del Capo and constitutes the heart of the Murge Salentine; it is composed of an alignment of Serre all made up of calcareous sediments of the Mesozoic age and can be considered the most extensive district, but at the same time it is also the most disturbed in the region. Geologically, it has the characteristics of what one would call a Horst, i.e. a portion of the earth’s crust raised by a system of faults, approximately 45 km long and 7 km wide, in the area between Galatone, Casarano and Collepasso; this Horst is delimited towards east by faults that represent the most common tectonic element often delineated by escarpments.
The third area includes the landscape between Collepasso and Carpignano Salentino and to the south of this alignment, between the Tertiary and Quaternary periods, the flaps present near Tiggiano and along a good stretch of the Ionian coast were generated; to the north of this area, still on the coast, are the Mesozoic limestones of Santa Cesarea Terme, Serra di Poggiardo and Porto Badisco. Other corrugations go from Minervino to Carpignano and even touch Palmariggi, at Monte Vergine.
To learn more:
S. Calò, Paesaggio di Pietra. Archeologia del rupestre nelle serre salentine, Roma 2024.