Piazza Orsini del Balzo

The splendid Piazza Orsini del Balzo, also known as Piazza del Principe, offers a suggestive viewpoint in the very heart of Mesagne's historic centre, with all the town's most significant monuments.

Dedicated to the Orsini family, in power between 1380 and 1463, the square underwent its first transformation on the initiative of the De Angelis family, who had their baronial palace built on the remains of the original feudal estate. Later, the architect Francesco Capodieci completed the design of the area. This lead to the important structural modifications of the entire town, with the demolition of the surrounding walls, the transformation of the medieval buildings into stately palaces and the construction of roads and houses, as part of a general plan to renew the urban fabric and character of the town.
Walking around the square, you can feel the pulse of its glorious past in the façades of the buildings that face it. The most important of these are the mighty Norman-Swabian castle, a reminder of the town's feudal origins; the church of Sant'Anna, a treasure trove of Baroque splendour; and the austere Palazzo Cavaliere, a former military barracks that still retains its martial character, though softened by late Baroque decorations on the portal and balustrade of the façade.
Today the square is the venue for musical performances and important cultural events.