Family Fixing a Toilet Uncovered Ancient Rooms and Tomb Beneath

60-year-old Lucian Faggiano of Lecce, purchased a building at 56 Via Ascanio Grandi in hopes of opening a ttratoria - an Italian eatery. He immediately began renovations, and in order to repair a blocked toilet, he and his sons decided to dig a trench and isolate the problematic pipe. They expected to fix the toilet up in a week's time.

This was over eight years ago. Faggiano has still not been able to open his eatery because instead of isolating the offending pipe, they found underground corridors and rooms beneath the property.

As they were digging the trench to find the toilet plumbing they suddenly found an ancient stone floor covering a Messapian burial tomb.

Following downward through cracks and holes, the family also discovered a Roman grain storage room and remains of a Franciscan convent. They discovered the ancient town of Sybar.

Faggiano kept his discoveries secret, even from his wife, in fear that any problems would delay the completion of his trattoria.

Investigators did discover the amateur work being done and informed Faggiano that without officials recording the contents of the site he must cease work.

A year later the proper officials had been put into place, and the digging resumed.

Giovanni Giangreco, one of the officials assigned to the dig, remarked, “The Faggiano house has layers that are representative of almost all of the city’s history.

From the Messapians to the Romans, from the medieval to the Byzantine time.”

Roman pottery, jewelry, and even wall carvings believed to be the work of the Knights Templar have been found.

The family was interested in the layers of history beneath the building, but they were expected to come up with the costs for the dig.

They were able to rent out some of the rooms to keep financially stable, but the pressure of the situation caused Faggiano to almost give up.

Instead, they turned the building into Museum Faggiano, and installed staircases to allow visitors access to the many layers of ancient civilization.

Faggiano still intends to open his trattoria, but wants to find a location without quite so much history attached. He and his sons did eventually find the plumbing problem, which was repaired before the museum opened its doors to the public.