칼리메라‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪13‬개의 천연기념물

I don't know if they are actually ancient shelters for monks. They are certainly very ancient underground structures a few meters from the singletrack. It seems that they are the remains of a larger rock village partly present in the adjacent Masseria San Pietro

Splendid example of rock archaeology. Their use is not clear

One of the two dolmens of Melendugno: the Dolmen Placa

The grooves present on the Dolmen Placa and the small hole at the center of the covering slab of the Dolmen Gurgulante (located a few meters in the direction of Melendugno), immediately make one think of a place dedicated to ritual sacrifices, rather than a burial place as has often been hypothesized.

The name of the Menhir derives from the griko and means "Big Cross". In 1880 Cosimo De Giorgi described it with larger dimensions than its current one. It was demolished several times due to an ancient legend linked to a treasure hidden at the foot of the monolith.

The Menhir was discovered by Oreste Caroppo in 1993. The monolith is distinguished from other Menhirs by two quite evident characteristics, its bicuspid top and a square cavity on one of the main facades. Height: 1.25 meters

Inserted in the collection https://www.komoot.com/it-it/collection/2431081/-pietre-del-salento - Located in the center of a non-accessible private farm, it is still visible from afar from the edge of the road. It's fragile, better not to touch it and enjoy it from afar.

Inserted in the collection https://www.komoot.com/it-it/collection/2431081/-pietre-del-salento - Located in the middle of the intersection, it is easily visible and accessible by bike.