The underground oil presses, or mills, of Salento, give another interesting insight into the story of the civilisation of this region through the millennia. A dramatic history of man and beast and of a labour that was almost insupportable but essential to the regions economy and to the quality of the oil produced itself. Like the olive and the countryside of Salento, the underground presses were an indispensable part of the economic and social structure of Salento. The presses, gave the vast majority of the population, the hope of passing the winter months with less hardship and rewards for toiling and harvesting the groves of olives. These presses were a hard life in often almost untenable conditions for the workers; the ‘trappitori’, the’anichirio’ and the ‘ciuccia’ were closely linked to the local popular poetry and songs performed and written in local dialects and still around today. These underground mills speak today of the fortitude and ingenuity of the men who carved them from the rock and worked in them with their half-light and silence, save for the working of the presses. These presses were family-owned and passed on from generation to generation, by fathers who sought to improve the lot of their children. As they are a wonder of architectural delight, any restoration or renovation today, is strictly guided by the need to preserve the original features. Why underground? The prime reason was the need for a constant hot temperature to produce the oil from the olives, and the heat produced by the men and beasts that worked the presses remained underground heating the chambers. There were other economic considerations, such as the cost of maintaining a steady temperature was almost prohibitive, and there were relatively no construction costs at all. The presses themselves also allowed the direct emptying of the olives into the underground cellars where they could be stored and pressed in order. The caves also maintained the quality of the oil itself, once produced, and the natural fissures and cracks in the rock absorbed all the debris and unusable remains of the process. With the advent of the 19th century and the industrial age, presses were increasingly used and refinements made until it was possible to have an above ground press. However, this move led to the decay of the original presses and with them much of the history of the peoples. Today, many of these are being restored with their machines and tools as a reminder of what was, and as a testimony to man’s ingenuity.