Santa Maria al Bagno

Sancta Maria de Balneo or Sancta Maria ad Balneum (how it was called before) has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by numerous archaeological findings dating from prehistoric times (arrowheads, blades, shards of pottery ..) found in the “Grotta del Fico “. Probably developed initially as a small fishing village, inhabited later by Messapi and Romans. To Messapian are attributable the numerous rock-cut tombs, discovered in the hills just outside the town. In 272 BC Santa Maria fell, like the rest of the Salento, under the control of the Romans, who constructed their port “Nauna Emporium”, and buildings with hot tubs for bathing. In the twelfth century Santa Maria was the home of the Teutonic Knights.

For this reason the town was an important stopping place for pilgrims coming from the famous crusades. In the Middle Ages after numerous repeated attacks and looting by pirates and Saracens, it was progressively abandoned. The Saracens, unfortunately, destroyed buildings, the church, the thermal baths and pools. Even the Venetians after the fall of Gallipoli in 1484, raged on the town, so the surviving inhabitants took refuge in the inland villages. As anticipated, in the 16th century, Charles V, in the context of coastal defence program, built the Torre del Fiume di Galatena, to protect the sources of fresh water of Santa Maria (source of supply for the dreaded pirates).

After centuries of complete abandonment Santa Maria al Bagno, a few hundred meters from the sea, began to rise and shine, mostly used as summer residences by the noble families. The real rebuilding begun only at the end of the nineteenth century, by some citizens from the nearby Nardò (of which it was a fraction), who decided to equip it as a seaside and holiday resort. To be remembered, in the humanitarian field: between 1943 and 1947, the Allied army, decided to host in Santa Maria al Bagno and in its vicinity, over one hundred thousand Jews who had survived the Nazi death camps and were traveling to the nascent state of Israel. Some buildings on site, were “converted” to accommodate the new requirements, then in a house in the square (now Piccadilly Bar) was housed the synagogue. Among the many guests, were also the names of Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir and Dov Shilansky. For the great hospitality shown, January 27, 2005, the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has rightly given to the city of Nardò, the Gold Medal of Civil Merit.

As evidence of that period are still visible three remaining murals created by some prisoners, and particularly by Zivi Miller. This has inspired the creation of the Museum of Memory and Hospitality, which was inaugurated January 14, 2009, where in addition to the murals all the historical material of the period coming from the historical archives of the APM – Association Pro Murals Ebrici of Santa Maria al Bagno and the City of Nardo, with adjoining library, newspaper library and visual, and multimedia documentation can be found. Recently the town is firmly inhabited, even in winter.