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Seafarers
Usually, the trappitari (oil mill workers) consisted of four or five people plus their boss, called a "nachiro," from the Greek "naùkleros." Interestingly, minor tasks such as fetching water, cooking, cleaning, caring for the animals, and running small errands were entrusted to a young boy.

The trappitari were seasonal workers who alternated between land and sea: in the summer, they worked as sailors; in the cold season, they locked themselves away in these caves until the end of winter.

Accustomed to living in seclusion and with little inclination to socialize, they were subjected to work shifts both during the night and during the day, without returning home, but instead resting inside the mill itself, where there was always a fireplace for cooking and a bed to sleep on.

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The long underground journey between hell and heaven

​Even the farmers who had to deliver their olives for milling were forbidden from entering the mill to prevent theft of both olives and oil. The olives were delivered for milling from outside, where they were quickly transported through a system of underground chimneys connecting the interior and exterior, into the so-called "sciave" (small tanks) inside the mill, where they remained awaiting processing.

Grinded in the central vat, powered by the power of a mule, the resulting olive paste was placed on the fisculi (small baskets), which, inserted one above the other in the press called the "mammareddha," underwent the first pressing. For the second, they were placed in another press, the "lu conzu," with a single central screw held up by a large wooden beam called the "Santu Tunatu."

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The oil thus obtained, through channels located at the foot of the presses (the "derfinu") and under the floor, first went into a container dug into the ground and plastered called the "ancilu," and then ended up in a larger cistern called the "nfiernu." This underground channeling system ensured the separation of the oil from impurities, the pomace, which, flowing into the larger cistern—unlike the oil that remained in the smaller one (the ancilu)—collected with the "criscula" and "lu nappu" (the "little basket"), produced heat, hence the name "nfiernu" (hell).

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Graffiti: crosses, hands, and oriental games.

In the hypogeum, various graffiti are engraved on the soft Lecce stone: on the side wall at the entrance, inside, and in particular on a large slab that was originally placed horizontally, as if it were a support base. The carvings of hands, dates, crosses, and phrases are still visible on the slab, and a particularly striking feature is a square-framed grid. What at first glance might seem like a geometric design designed to pass the time opens the door to a centuries-old interplay of distant cultures and worlds, found today as they were, across the sea.

This is, in fact, the game of Alquerque or Quirkat, the ancestor of checkers. It is an ancient abstract board game, likely originating in the Middle East, brought to Spain by the Arabs, who called it "el-qirkat" (it is mentioned in the "Libro de Juegos" by Alfonso the Wise, dated 1283). In its most common form, Alquerque has a board made up of a grid of squares connected by diagonal lines, thus creating 25 intersections. Each player has 12 tokens, either black or white, and must place them on a diagonal half of the board, leaving the center square free.

From workspace to museum

The complete restoration of the hypogeum dates back to 2008, with funding from the Local Action Group of Capo di S. Maria di Leuca - Leader Plus community program and with funding from the Municipality of Giuggianello, and was inaugurated on October 18 of the same year.

The project to restore and enhance the site's spectacularity involved, among others, architect Antonella Lifonso and director Edoardo Winspeare.

 

In December 2017, the Cultural Center, with its own funding, partly derived from funds raised through the 5xmille tax return, contributed to the restoration and improvement of the hypogeum's internal and external lighting and entertainment system, managed by the company Marsilio Impianti.

 

Visiting the Hypogeum Oil Museum

The oil mill can be visited by reservation (click here) and on opening days organized by the Cultural Center.

The Hypogeum Oil Museum is owned by the Giuggianello Onlus Cultural Center.

 

Entrance to the Museum is subject to a small entrance fee of €2.00. Admission is free for children aged 6 and under, and a 50% discount is available for children aged 7 to 16.

A discount is available for organized groups and school groups. Request it from here ​

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