The name Taurisano is variously explained by the researchers, from "taurus sanus", referring to a hypothetical breeding and trading of the bulls in the age messapica and Roman, theory that then in the coat of arms of the county (G. Marciano, G.C. Infantino, J.A. Ferrari, G. Colosso) from Taurisius or Taurisianus, derived from the Roman Taurus, the name of an equally hypothetical Roman centurion who have colonized this area by setting up a Villa rustica (L.Tasselli, G. Rohofs) from root preindoeuropean Taur, meaning hill (E. Panarese, G. Colella, L. Graziuso), etymology more likely considered the features of the land, on which stand the cords hillside of the Serre Salentine, with most areas with rocky crags.

The presence on the territory of several megalithic monuments and the discovery of artifacts of the industry suggest that neo-Eneolithic, the territory can be considered taurisanese occurred between the second and first millennium BC, this area is, in fact, one of the most rich Specchie of Salento, generally perched on the top of the Serre acting as look-out, to defend against attackers and monuments.

Until the late nineteenth century existed six, all visually connected to each other: Galia, Serra, Saglietti, Monterotondo, S. Teresa and Silva. Of them remain today the  Specchia Silva and the base of  Specchia Saglietti, near which in 1985 was found crocesigned  menhir, megalith that in the Neolithic era marked the site of the burial of a hero or chieftain, made a memorable war, which was part of the divine or phallic symbols, which was used as a sundial or a guidepost. Another menhir the S. Maria, on the way to Ugento, was demolished in the early twentieth century. Other evidence of the presence of Neolithic (fragments of human bones and Bos primigenius, polished flint) came to light in the sixties of the twentieth century in the districts of S.Giovanni and Varano.

The messapico and Roman settlement is documented in the localities Ortenzano and Varano, where until the eleventh and fourteenth centuries amounted homonyms houses. At the sites of these ancient settlements in the first decades of the twentieth century, have been found in tombs with funerary furnishings, fragments of pottery with geometric decorations, tear, necklaces of glass, silver coins, traces of streets of the Republican and Imperial. He followed the Byzantine territory that taurisanese left important traces: the Pyrgoi (defense tower) built on the site of the Roman "villa", churches of rite greek named after S. Donato (secc.X-XI), S. Maria of the road (XIII-XIV), S. Stefano, with adjoining crypt (secc.XI-XV), the Byzantine settlement in the district Conca, places of worship and the market for the people of the hamlets of Varano, Cardigliano, Paterno and Ortenzano, where there was another church in the Byzantine rite dedicated to S. Michele Arcangel (eleventh century).

 [www.comune.taurisano.le.it]