The civic coat of arms of Alliste consists of a pair of wings on a blue background. in the upper part there is a capital ‘A’. We can advance two hypotheses on the origins of the village. It was probably founded by the Greeks and its name could derive from the Greek “kallistes”, ‘beautiful town’. Otherwise the village was only a place where the farmers used to grow vineyards. In the 9^th or 10^th century the near town of Felline was destroyed by the Saracens and its fugitive went to Alliste.  The legend says that those people were guided by an angel whose wings appear also on the civic coat of arms. The name of the village changed in Alisti, Liste, Alitzai and finally Alliste. When the Normans came, the King Tancredi gave this village to Guglielmo Bonsecolo. In the countryside around Alliste there were many marshes but they were reclaimed by the Bonsecolo and the tireless Basilian Monks. The village was also ruled by the Pisanellis, the Senis, the Tolomeis, the Guevaras, the Pignatellis, the D’Amores, the  Olivas and finally the Scategnas. Among the famous people of Alliste we remember: Francesco Basurto belongd to a wealthy family. He lived in the 19^th century and became lawyer and then had a chair of Jurisprudence. He was also a good poet and a literary man. Quintino Mastroleo lived between the 17th and the 18th century. He became Abbot and since he was also a good literary man he became the example for all his students in the Seminary of Nardò. Quintino Napoli was born in 1850 and became the editor of  “La Gazzetta di Puglia” and died in 1923. Giuseppe Vito Venneri was born in 1736 and became a philosopher and surgeon, he died in 1823. Salvatore Ferilli lived in the 19th century and was an appreciated physician and surgeon, he was even chosen as the doctor of the court.