Parco dei Messapi di Muro Tenente: un progetto di sviluppo sostenibile

The Parco dei Messapi di Muro Tenente is a recent initiative of the Italian municipalities of Latiano and Mesagne (Brindisi, Italy), implemented in collaboration with VU University Amsterdam, the Università degli Studi del Salento and the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Brindisi, Lecce e Taranto. The installation of the park is deeply linked to the gradual reshaping of the cultural landscape between the municipalities of Mesagne and Latiano, and, in particular, to the exploration and valorization of the archaeological site of Muro Tenente. The ruins of this 52 ha Messapian fortified site represent more than 3,000 years of local history and include monumental fortifications, cemeteries, and dwellings, all buried under extensive vineyards, olive groves, and uncultivated fields. The Parco dei Messapi di Muro Tenente aims to coordinate public activities to foster increased local understanding and awareness of the cultural significance of the site’s intangible and tangible heritage. It is increasingly taking on the features of a 'metaluogo', an ideal space for experimentation and socio-cultural meetings, a catalyst for pro- moting continuous debate on place, heritage, and identity.