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At
just 4 km from Adriatic sea, Tricase is rounded
by Serra dei Cianci and by Serra di San Mito (here,
from up above, there's one of the widest and lightest
landscape of the region).
Regarding the origins of Tricase, there are different
versions, but the most effective ones are those by Antonio
Micetti from Tricase and by Capuchin father Luigi
Tasselli from Casarano. It's told that, between the
X and XI century, there were build up three farmhouses
and the first dwelling-places raised right through the
joining of them: here the name of Tricase.
But more probably, the name of the town hall should
be related to "inter casas" that means
"town coming up among different farmhouses".
That is a centre raised among other farmhouses, which
ones would had mingled together, bringing to the birth
of a new town. It's worthy the opinion that the unification
of the three farmhouses came from the need of a powerful
force, because these towns were actually small villages
and so weak and armless against barbarian invasions
and raids or against peoples coming from near towns.
Anyway Tricase ancient name was "Treccase",
then "Trecase", further "Tricasi"
or "Tricasium" and in the end it took
what is still the nowadays name.
Right
in the middle of the town, the Sixteenth Century
Castle raises and it's one of the best kept castle
of the Province of Lecce, built up again after Turkey
invasion and its almost destruction in 1480. But only
two squared towers still stay of the first four towers
and they are placed in the front of the castle where
there's the entrance, with above the star of the feudatories,
the Gallone. In the inner part, there are wide
halls and a large central courtyard.
In the outlying ward of Depressa and Tutino
there are other two wonderful castles, respectively
of 1300 and 1400.
Very important it's the Chiesa Matrice (the main
church in Tricase), dedicated to Santa Maria del Foggiano
that dates back to XVII century, with a refined eighteenth-century
pulpit, finely carved. Chiesa di Sant'Angelo,
instead, goes back to the first years of the 1600 (on
the face it shows an elegant portal).
Along
the way that from Tricase leads to the harbour it's
placed the enormous Quercia Vallonea with its
thick leafage: it's got further than 700 years of life
and it's one of the last existing example in all Mediterranean
sea basin.
The seashore, Tricase Porto, is a natural inlet
placed at the feet of a hill with a thick vegetation.
In the first years of '900 it was classed as a first
class harbour and became a compelled stop for steamships
that went from Bari to Messina. Nowadays it's above
all a tourist and fishing place.
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