City of Patù
It is the smallest village in Lecce.It was
founded during IX century, when the Salento
was invaded by the Saracen people.It was
a time of great suffering for local people:
the name itself of the village refers to
that suffering as it comes from the Greek
word "pathos", meaning "tension",
"pain".
Le Centopietre
Originally it was a sepulchral monument
(heroon), made up of one hundred big square
blocks of stone (hence its name) coming
from the ruins of the ancient city of
Vereto; the monument was built to bury
General Geminiano's relics,which were
afterwards moved to his native country,
France.
The small temple is quadrangular and measures
7,20 x 5,50 mt and it is 2,60 mt tall
in its highest point.It has a two-pitch
roof.On the wall opposite the main entrance
you can see a fresco portraying thirteen
Saints of Eastern origins,standing in
frontal position. That is a proof that
during the Middle Ages the small temple
was changed into an early Christian Church.
In 1873 Centopietre was classified as
"Second-class National Monument".
The Church of S. John The Baptist
It is just opposite the Centopietre monument.
It was built in order to remind the bloody
battle in the year 877 between Christian
people and Moor people, where General
Geminiano died.The church is in Romanesque-Apulian
style: its facade has a wide rose window;
it is a church with nave and two aisles;
inside the church you can see Byzantine
frescoes.
