Ugento celebrates archaeological ties to Taranto with Zeus Prize

The 15th edition of the Zeus Prize in Ugento is scheduled for September 12 in Piazza San Vincenzo. The event highlights the historical and cultural connections between ancient Messapic Ugento and Magna Graecia-era Taranto.

The prize follows the recent return to Italy of the Zeus of Ugento, a late archaic bronze masterpiece dating to approximately 530 BCE. The figurine, which was discovered in Ugento in 1961, was recently exhibited at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Historical analysis suggests the piece may have been crafted in a Taranto workshop using the lost-wax technique.

The initiative represents a collaboration between the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto and the municipality of Ugento, aiming to use archaeology as a tool for territorial valorization and cultural research.