A few kilometers from Taranto, on the edge of the Tarantine Murgia, stands Statte, the latest addition to the municipalities of the Ionian province. In fact, it achieved administrative autonomy in 1993. Since then, a new phase of growth, progress and redemption of the community has begun, committed to the recovery of its historical and cultural identity, its traditions and the valorisation of its archaeological and environmental heritage. Point of union between the hill and the sea, Statte stands on an area rich in history which in ancient times was totally covered by the sea which dug with its erosive force the first caves where animals first found shelter and finally man who he transformed the environment by adapting it to his own living needs. In the Sant'Angelo cave, recent studies have made it possible to identify the remains of prehistoric fauna and, in particular, the "felis spelea", a large lion that lived in this region. Flint and bone tools were found. In the Accept Piccola area and in the Leucaspide ravine you can spot dolmens, mysterious examples of megalithic culture. Further Neolithic finds were found at the beginning of the century in the site called "Piazza del Lupo", on the slopes of Monte Sant'Angelo, the highest point of Statte. But it was in the Greek/Roman era that the territory took on great importance. The fundamental element of human presence is water, at that time, probably, the harnessing of the waters of the Triglio took place, an example of Roman hydraulic wisdom. For many centuries the water coming from the Triglio has constituted a fundamental water resource for the nearby city. The Great/Greek period also left traces, especially in toponyms. The Gravina of Leucaspide, for example, should mean white shields perhaps due to the presence of garrisons armed with shields or due to the legendary clash between the Romans and Taranto which strewn the ravine with corpses and therefore with shields. The rock churches of Sant'Onofrio and San Giuliano are interesting, in which a small metal cross of Lombard origin was found. In the Middle Ages and up to the present day, there was a fiefdom of Statte, which passed through numerous feudal lords, most recently the Blasi (1730), who were the founders of modern Statte. They provided for the repopulation, attracting new inhabitants from nearby towns. Tradition also speaks of an ancient castle on the edge of the Zingara Canal, a blade that cuts the center of the town in half.