Vereto, Archaeological site in Patù, Lecce Province, Italy

Vereto is an ancient Messapian city on the hill of the same name near Patù, in the province of Lecce. The acropolis of the Messapian, Roman and medieval city occupied the site of the small church of the Madonna di Vereto, and monumental remains of the city survive there.

Vereto was a Messapian town on its hill, trading with Greece and Magna Graecia, and later became a Roman municipium. In the 9th century the Saracens razed it to the ground. The site of the church of the Madonna di Vereto is identified as its acropolis, and from its ruins the town of Patù arose.

The place reveals traces of people who lived and traded here across many centuries. The remains show its role as a Mediterranean trading center, visible in the artifacts found and the settlement's strategic location.

The site lies a short distance east of Patu town and is easy to reach. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the terrain is hilly and partly uneven in places.

The hill of Vereto gave birth to Patù: the present town grew out of the ruins of the ancient city, which lies a short distance away. All scholars agree that the spot now occupied by the small church of the Madonna di Vereto was the acropolis, first of the Messapian and then of the Roman and medieval town.