The civic coat of arms of Melendugno is a beehive situated on the trunk of a pine. Indeed, Melendugno was called the honey village, and it was the main producer in the province of Lecce. The apiculture was interrupted by the middle of the XX century, when the bees and the beehives were completely destroyed during the disinfestations. As far as the origins of Melendugno are concerned some historians maintain that the centre was founded during the XI century after the arrival of the Normans, nonetheless the presence of two dolmens, the "Placa" and the "Gargulante" testify the presence of people during the Prehistoric Age. The Cave of the Poetry and the Messapian walls near Rocavecchia ( Melendugno) were built during the Messapian Age. The feudal circumstances of Melendugno are documented and similar to those of the neighbouring villages. The first vassal was Berardo Paladini who died in 1448; he was succeeded by his son (until 1472 )who died very young. The dynasty of the Paladini barons finished with the ninth baron: Giorgio Antonio Paladini. After the Paladinis Melendugno was governed by the D'Afflittos who gave the feud to the family D'Amelj in 1732 because of the several debts. The D'Amelj reigned at Melendugno until 1806 when the feudal system was suppressed. Among the most illustrious native characters there are Pietro Paolo Elia (a very well known physician), Edoardo Macchia (a satirical draftsman and painter, he drew the first caricature of the Duce ), Antonio Macchia (a good lawyer), Clemente Boccardo and Brizio Elia.