Guagnano was originally part of a group of villages, and at the end of the 13th century the region belonged to the feud of the count of Lecce.

According to historian Giacomo Arditi, however, the name comes from the word guadagno which refers to the fertility of the land and the meadows and to lucrative activities of the region.

The territory of Guagnano, 24 km northwest of Lecce and bordering on the Province of Brindisi, sits 44 m above sea level and covers 37 km².

The western part of the territory falls in the zone of the Terra d'Arneo, the area of Salento on the Ionian coast between San Pietro in Bevagna and Torre dell'Inserraglio.

It has a large Baroque facade divided into two orders, characterized by an entrance above which is located a sculpture of the Assumption, and flanked by two smaller doors with refined decoration.

The Salentino dialect was influenced by the various linguistic groups that established themselves in this area including: Messapi, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Lombards, Normans, Albanians, French, and Spaniards.