The Underground Museum in Latiano was founded in 1977 by Pietro Parenzan, a distinguished naturalist and university professor; after his death (1992), the management of the institution was entrusted to Dr. Michele Camassa from Latiano, and the Museum was transferred in 1993 to the premises of the 16th-century former Abbey of Santa Margherita in Latiano. Since 2003, the museum has become municipal property. There are no testimonies regarding the foundation of the convent, but some archival documents record the activity of the preaching fathers of Latiano already in the 16th century. The complex still retains the very ancient Church of the Holy Rosary; although the exact time of construction has never been established, it is known that in 1520 the Dominican Fathers owned it. During the reign of Philip II, King of Naples, the church along with the convent was named the “Abbey of Santa Margherita.” In 1806, when Napoleon ordered the closure of convents, the structure became municipal property and was later reassigned to the Capuchin Fathers who held it until 1866, the year religious orders were suppressed. On May 1, 1867, the buildings returned to municipal ownership, which converted the convent premises into offices and schools and handed over the church to the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary.
Information about Latiano Underground Museum
Via Santa Margherita, 91
72022 Latiano (Brindisi)
0831729465
isbios@libero.it
https://isbios.webjump.com
Source: MIBACT
