Montescaglioso

Sister cities

• Tricarico

History

The first settlements in the area date from the 7th century BC, belonging to the Apuli Italic tribe. The original nucleus of Montescaglioso grew substantially in the following centuries, thanks to trade with the nearby Greek town of Metaponto. When the latter decayed in Roman times, Montescaglioso further increased in importance. Archaeological findings include a large tuff wall dating from the 3rd century BC. After the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Montescaglioso is mentioned first only in early medieval times. A Byzantine stronghold, it was captured by the Normans after the year 1000, and housed an important Benedictine community. Under the Angevin and Aragonese dynasties of the Kingdom of Naples, it belonged in sequence to the D'Avalos, Orsini, Loffredo, Grillo and Cattaneo feudal families.