ITALY #6 ~ DISCOVERING PUGLIA (THE END): LECCE AND OTRANTO CITIES

Today, the last leg of our discovery of Puglia, will include a visit to Lecce  that,  due to its prevailing Baroque architecture, is commonly nicknamed "The Florence of the South" and, after lunch, we will go to Otranto, the easternmost city in Italy. 
On our heading south, just one-minute stop to take a photo of.. 

Locorotondo city, now a historical centre, known for its circular structure, from which its name that means 'Round Place', derives.
We have a pretty long drive to reach Lecce. We'll start our city tour at the main square, the site of a Roman amphitheatre, half buried now below the modern city.

Lecce is completely unexpected and seems oddly out of place and the answer to it is the stone – a type of limestone that is soft enough to be worked easily with a chisel. This famed material allowed the builders of sixteenth century  to indulge themselves in their Baroque fantasies and so ornate is the masonry work that it is difficult to gauge where architecture ends and decoration begins...

After visiting the Cathedral (photo above), we are walking into the side streets of the Duomo Square and make our way to the Basilica di Santa Croce...

This is said to be the most beautiful church in the city and it may well have been... We can't go inside it. Visits are not allowed. The front is covered in scaffolding.

No problem, let's go ahead with our walk and look at so many fantasies all carved with great care. 

Shall we step into the atelier of an artisan of papier-mâché (a craft that is unique to Lecce) and watch him demonstrating his skill? 

Our discovery of Puglia ends with a visit to Otranto, whose story is best told in its amazing cathedral where the bones of 813 martyrs are displayed in a glass case behind the altar... Don't you find it a macabre reliquary? I do...

Perhaps you hadn't expected our discovery of Puglia to have had such a macabre end... it hasn't had it at all...if you give a look at the images of the slideshow you will see how different it has been... Rome, where we will arrive soon, is waiting for us...

I hope you have enjoyed the discovery of Puglia as much as I have... 
Can I expect you to follow me during my stay in Rome? I do hope so...

Thanks for the time spent with me and best wishes for a wonderful week...

~~ See you soon! ~~

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ITALY #3 ~ DISCOVERING PUGLIA ~ GROTTAGLIE (THE CITY OF THE CERAMICS) AND THE PIANELLE NATURAL RESERVE

I'm very fond of clay-related goods, therefore I could not miss a visit to Grottaglie that, since the Middle Age, has been known for the production of Italian pottery and especially for its functional ceramics: large jars, pitchers, urns and pots to carry or store water, wine, oil, vinegar and food supplies. 

Over the centuries, the ceramics have evolved and ornamental objects, like holy water fonts and Pumi (photo below), have been adding to the fame of Grottaglie pottery.

Different Pumi adorning the roof of a craftsman's atelier

Yes, the Pumi! I was very much intrigued by the rounded ceramic objects that adorned the balconies and the terraces of the houses. I noticed that they were invariably placed in pairs at both ends of every balcony, no matter if the house was old and shabby or newly restored, simply built or richly adorned.

I learned from a craftsman that a pumo was a popular symbol of good luck in Grottaglie and more in general in the region of Puglia. Every family celebration and important event was sanctified by the gift of a ceramic pumo, rigorously handmade. They were on sale in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. I brought home a small one that I placed in my living room as a decorative accent piece ... We all need good luck, don't we?

I was interested in walking in a wood. Before leaving Lisbon and when I was searching every detail about Puglia, I learned that there was a nature reserve not far from my 'headquarter'. So, one day I walked for several hours in it, always guided by a friendly dog that at the end seemed to be more tired than me.

The area was good to walk around, and the various trails were clearly marked, so there was no risk of being lost. For a while, I had the feel I was in Portugal as I saw a strawberry tree, the fruit of which we use to make a sort of brandy. Perhaps I was not on a lucky day... I had no idea where the birds were hidden, probably playing attending a summit meeting... I presume the end of Summer had brought the low season to the Reserve...

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ITALY #1 ~ DISCOVERING PUGLIA: MARTINA FRANCA

The curiosity to see in person the whitewashed and whimsical trulli that are built of dry limestone slabs in a style that dates back to prehistoric times, made my way down to the heel of Italy's boot, more precisely to the picturesque and elegant baroque city of Martina Franca (Puglia Region), my single base in the Region that is fantastic to explore. This made the most sense for me rather than spending all my time getting to relatively remote destinations. The food in Puglia might be the best in Italy and seafood dishes in particular were incredible.

Whenever I saw the unique dwelling structures with cone-shaped roofs, the image of characters of fairy tales came into my mind playing hide and seek or perhaps crossing over the threshold in order to see what the weather was like...

In the evening, when I returned back to the photogenic Martina Franca, I had the feel that I was stepping into home. Stores closed at 9:00 pm. This allowed me to roam around the charming centre as the sun set and with it the baroque details were etched against the sky

 Pls look at the image below and see the beautiful details of the stone artwork that embellished the main door of the palazzo, which housed the headquarters of the local Labour Union!!!

Don't you think that the door knocker below looks very elegant and delicate, despite being made out of a heavy metal?

I loved the oldest part of the city where I could still see the pointed-roof buildings which are a local tradition. I loved it at any time of the day...

I noticed a large number of aged people. Many of them seemed to be embracing solitude with their eyes open...

On the bottom left photo, you see an old man praying to Our Lady. My first time to stumble upon such a street scene. You see religious figurines everywhere: placed on a shelf inside stores, restaurants, halls of apartment buildings... Evidence of a strong devotion or just a tradition???

 I met cheerful children, a stark contrast to the old people. The photo below confirms my words. They were three friends who were playing together on the street. As they saw me with a camera, they asked me to take a photo of them. When they saw it, their eyes immediately looked brighter... 

Every Wednesday, there was a market at a square and surrounding streets. Evidently, I didn't miss the opportunity to enjoy the profusion of exuberant colours. Puglia supplies much of Italy and northern Europe with an extraordinary array of fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish and just about anything else you can imagine, so the weekly market was the best place to appreciate the bounty.

My days spent in this city will long be remembered for its many moments of elegance and refinement immersed in the gracious, warm hospitality of its population, regardless age, sex or education background...

Would you give me the pleasure of sharing my time of discovery???

~~ Thank You! ~~

~~ Have a wonderful start of the week ~~

Let's meet soon...