Tiggiano

The first historical account of Tiggiano dates back to 1270, the period when the center became a part of the County of Alessano under the feudal lords D’Alneto. In 1309, Tiggiano fell under the control of the Arcella family of Otranto and later under the noble families of the Orsini del Balzo, Gonzaga, Brayda, Trane and the Gallone of Tricase, who, in 1640 sold the estate to the doctor and philosopher Angelo Serafini from Morciano. The year after, the Serafini obtained the title of barons and governed the municipality until 1806.   The town is dominated by the Palazzo Baronale Serafini–Sauli, in Piazza Castello, built in the mid-17th century, at the behest of Angelo Serafini eager to settle in the town of Tiggiano, to closely follow the fate of his property. The structure, now the seat of the Municipal Hall, includes a central building with towers dating back to the sixteenth century, a large rear garden and a forest. Linked to the strong devotion that the people of Tiggiano have for their patron saint is the Church dedicated to St Ippazio dating from the XVIII century. also of great value is the Oratory of St. Michael, of the late sixteenth century with a fresco depicting the Archangel. The territory of Tiggiano includes a stretch of high rocky coast of the Parco Naturale Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase, wherein the sixteenth-century Torre Nasparo is located.