The first settlements in Lizzano certainly date back to the Neolithic, as witnessed by several remains of Neolithic villages in the area and there are also many archaeological findings thereabout.

There aren’t many available sources on the origin of the “casale”, but the most likely one places Lizzano as home to some colons of the numerous monastic settlements existing on the territory. These sources show that the first settlements date back to IX and X century, and the ancient church “Annunziata” with its hypogeum grave and Sant’Angelo grave are the living proof. Lizzano then might have been founded in the Greek-Roman age.

Many other sources testify that Lizzano was founded in 1208 by the Norman King Tancredi’s daughter countess Albiria.. It is said that Norman King William Malo destroyed Lecce, then called Rudiae, in 1147. After being rebuilt the nobles of Rudiae were welcomed in town while the poor people were rejected. Countess Albiria decided to assign a piece of land near Pulsano to these people where in 1208 some of the new “lizzanesi” settled down. The rest stayed near Lecce and founded Lizzanello. The connection between Lizzano and Lecce is evident, they both share the same symbol, tree of holm, a type of oak typical of both these places.