![\"Carpignano_mappa_ridimensionata\"](\"https:\/\/trevoltebelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Carpignano_mappa_ridimensionata-300x217.jpg\")
The territory was part of the Roman Empire; in fact, Carpignano is located along what used to be the Traiana Calabra road. Following the Byzantine domination, Carpignano belonged to the Longobardian Theme founded in the 892. The Byzantine church of Santa Cristina, with paintings dating back to the X century, is what remains from that time.\nDuring the Middle Age and the Modern Age, since the XII century, Carpignano was ruled by the Normans (XI-XII century), the Suebi (XII-XIII century), the House of Anjou (XIII-XV century), the Crown of Aragon (XV century) and, eventually, the Spanish (XVI-XVIII century).
\nBy the end of the XIII century, Carpignano was included in the County of Lecce, at which point a limited number of powerful families start to control the territory. The first one was the Balzo-Orsini family, whose progenitor Giovanni Antonio controlled the County of Lecce and Carpignano until 1436, when he died. The stemma of the Balzo-Orsini family appears on the dovecote located in Cacorzo, within the territory of Carpignano.
\nWhen, at the beginning of the XVI century, Southern Italy passed under the Spanish domination, King Ferdinando ceded Carpignano to Federico Uries, a noble with Spanish origins. In 1574, a descendant of Federico, Ugo Uries, sold the territory to Niccolo Persone. For 30 yers (1574-1604), the Persone family were ruling the territory, until Carpignano was sold by Camillo Persone to Fabrizio Lanario, Count of Sacco.
\nAfter the Lanario, Carpignano was ruled by the Matuda de Azzevedo and in the 1620s and 1630s by the Ghezzi family, originally from Orvieto. Carlo Ant. Ghezzi was the first Duke of Carpignano.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"