| The Parco dei Guerrieri (Warriors' Park) is a large piece of land between the towns of Vaste and the slopes of Poggiardo, where the ancient Messapian town of Basta once stood. The Park is an interesting example of environmental salvaging of an area where there are visible archaeological and monumental traces which date back to the 8th century B.C. and the 8th century A.D.
Some artificial dunes have been set along the path the walls took around the Messapian town. At the top of the dunes you can see the outline of the five metal warriors made by the sculptor Ferruccio Zilli.
You can also see some sections of the original 4th century B.C. Walls, made up of two lines of large limestone blocks, filled in with earth in the middle. There are two entrances in the wall to ancient Basta and from a wooden watch tower, a reproduction of an orginal Messapian tower, you can look out over the surrounding countryside.
In the area called Fondo Sant’Antonio there is a reproduction of a Japigian hut from the 8th century B.C. , made as part of an experimental archaeology project for young people. The hut is a detailed replica of an ancient habitation, including details of the domestic life that went on within its walls.
A visit to the funerary-religious site in Località Fondo Giuliano is well worth your while, on the slopes around Vaste. It includes a Paleo-Christian Basilica, of which the foundations remain, and a vast necropolis carved out of the rock. The itinerary ends with a visit to the Crypt of the Saint Stephens and the Archaeological museum, housed in the rooms of the palazzo Baronale or stately home of Vaste.
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