Museo del Territorio Ugo Granafei di Mesagne

The Ugo Granafei Civic Museum was established in 1935 with a private donation from the Granafei family that was part of the Popular Library of the same name. It was later enriched by the donations of other materials, accidental discoveries and excavations that, since the ’70s have brought to light important sites outside the city wall such as Muro Maurizio, Malvindi e Muro Tenente. At first, the museum was housed in the Town Hall, then since 1999 has been located in a wing on the ground floor of the Norman-Swabian castle at the headquarters of the Ugo Granafei library. The castle probably existed in the Byzantine era ( 11th century) but the construction of a Castrum Medianum was first documented in 1062, the year of the Norman invasion. In 1195 the Castrum of Mesa was donated to the Teutonic Knights. In the sixteenth century the oldest part of the castle, which was unsafe, was demolished and replaced by the still existing tower, which preserves part of the defence works and is equipped with a drawbridge. The remaining core of the castle is more recent. After a period of almost complete darkness and abandonment, it was purchased in 1973 by the Town Council and following a lengthy restoration, is back to being the centre of tourist and cultural attraction