MANDURIA

manduria, a city of apulia, italy, in the province of lecce, from which it is 27 m. w. by road (22 m. e. of taranto), 270 ft. above sea-level, and 8 m. n. of the coast. pop. (1901), 12,199 (town); 13,190 (commune). it is close to the site of the ancient manduria, considerable remains of the defences of which can still be seen; they consisted of a double line of wall built of rectangular blocks of stone, without mortar, and with a broad ditch in front. some tombs with gold ornaments were found in 1886 (l. viola in _notizie degli scavi_, 1886, 100). it was an important stronghold of the messapii against tarentum, and archidamus iii., king of sparta, fell beneath its walls in 338 b.c., while leading the army of the latter (plut., _agis_, 3, calls the place mandonion: see s.v. archidamus). it revolted to hannibal, but was stormed by the romans in 209 b.c. pliny mentions a spring here which never changed its level, and may still be seen. the town was destroyed by the saracens in the 10th century; the inhabitants settled themselves on the site of the present town, at first called casalnuovo, which resumed the old name in 1700. (t. as.)