The human presence on the territory of Parabita has ancient origins (approximately 80,000 BC).

In 1966, in fact, in a cave later called The Venuses Cave, were found some artifacts in part dating back to the Middle Paleolithic, belonged to the Neanderthalensis Homo Sapiens (Neanderthal) and partly to the Upper Palaeolithic (35,000-10,000 BC), which belonged to Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Cro-Magnon), two headless skeletons (Cro-Magnon 35,000 BC) and two figurines (12000-10000 BC) carved in a horse bone of 9.6 cm. height one and 6.7 cm. the other, reproducing pregnant women.

The Cave of Venuses is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Salento area, following the discovery of which, it was possible to be sure of the presence of Neanderthal man in the Mediterranean Basin.

The Neanderthals became extinct, perhaps overcome by a greater evolution of the Sapiens- Sapiens (Cro-Magnon) that probably forced him into more and more periphery areas and then destroying it.

The secure humanising of the cave by the Cro-Magnon man went on and on until 3000 BC (Copper Age), when the evolution of the individual led to a greater sociability, to a growing need to get together, and finally to the concept of tribe. The population of the cave was increased, so its inhabitants moved a short distance from it (about 300 m) to the south-west and founded a village in the Neolithic period.

On the north-south axis by digging the rocks, they placed a row of large holes in the middle and smaller ones on both sides, there secured some poles inside and, on them, they layed a coverage of reeds and built huts. Still today, in the archaeological area of the village, the signs of this archaic system of construction are visible; the cave remained as a place of worship.

The urban and social development of the village came up to the year 1000 BC (Bronze Age), when located in a valley to the west of it, Baubota or Bavota was founded, a strong Messapic city that underwent a process of Greek colonization around 800 BC (Iron Age).

After that, the Messapians, people inclined to be peaceful, had to engage a war against Taranto and then, allied with them, against Rome. Bavota was defeated and subjected (272 BC - 400 AD), but thanks to its importance, Rome left them some autonomy, so that they could make their own coins. One of these was found in the mid-twentieth century in the countryside between Parabita and Tuglie, where the city was. The Romans included it on the route of the Via Appia-Traiana.

Bavota was influenced by Byzantine thanks to the Basilian Monks arrived in Salento after the year 726 DC when Leo III, Emperor of the East, gave the way to iconoclasm (hate and destruction of sacred images).

In 927 AD, although it was strong and towered, the city could not escape the destruction by Turks.

The survivors moved further south and founded the new village by the name of Parabita, on the etymology of which various assumptions were made. The choice of the location was not accidental; they built the first buildings on the axis that goes from the current Piazza della Vittoria (or district Montella or Munteddhra) to Piazza Immacolata because there were Basilian caves, sign of previous human settlement of the area. The inhabitants were so bound and nostalgic of the old city that reproduced the type of construction of which there has been an example in Via S. Nicholas, dated back to 1200, behind the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

The new city had a strong wall on which The door Lecce was located on the northern part, the door Gallipoli on the Western side (the place is today familiarly called "ssutta 'a porta"); on the south a third door, which memory of the name has been lost; to the east the False door. The latter was so called because it was arched with the size of the other but was achieved with a smaller opening to allow passage of the farmers to the fields and not the passage of massive vehicles. This was because in the walls, for safety reasons,  were realized the fewest number of openings.

Parabita's Civic Coat of Arms has two towers with two cypress trees, connected by a bridge, the whole thing is dominated by an angel holding a sword in his hand. Although this seems like a reminiscence of the old Bavota, since the same effigy stood on one side of its coins with the only difference that there is a bird instead of the angel.

Monuments of interest:

The Parish Church: dating back to the XIIIth century, with a 500 century portal, and within an admirable presbytery and various paintings and statues. It houses, since 1855, a precious relic: the body of St. Vincent Martyr and a phial of his blood.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Culture: in Romanesque-Gothic style (it is, however, a modern imitation) carved in a precious style greek fresco, representing the Virgin with the Child in her arms and dating back to the XIIth century;

The following Palaces - Alfonso, Vinci, Ardito and the Castle of Castriota.