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FRAZIONE
OF THE COMMUNE OF POGGIARDO
Vaste it is the only
small village under the administration of Poggiardo, and it has ancient origins. It was an important
Messapian town and the
rests of the ancient walls date back to the III century B.C. It was invaded by
the Goths, the Longobards and the Saracens. In 1147 it was completely razed to
the ground by Guglielmo il Malo and then it was rebuilt. In the XII century the
Norman king Tancredi of Altavilla gave this feud to Alexander of the Goths and
later it was annexed to the Principality of Taranto and governed by the Orsini
Del Balzos. The Guarinis were the last vassals and governed Vaste until the
abolition of the feudal system. One of the most interesting monuments the
visitor can see is the Baronial Palace, an imposing and elegant building where
there is the Archaeological Museum, famous for its Messapian, Roman and
Byzantine archaeological finds. Near Vaste, after the excavations (between 1991
and 1993) an early Christian necropolis. In the historical centre there is a
beautiful XVI-century tower that was an important lookout post. The Mother
Church was built in the XVIII century, and it has elegant decorations in baroque
style. Outside the urban centre you can visit a XII-century Byzantine Crypt ,
where there are the rests of ancient frescos.
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