Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce

If you are planning a visit to Lecce, one of the unmissable stops is undoubtedly the Basilica of Santa Croce, the first Baroque masterpiece of the city. The Basilica is located in via Umberto I, right in the historic center and next to another important structure: the former Celestine convent or Palazzo dei Celestini.

Some historical notes

The construction of this church began in 1353, but the works were interrupted almost immediately due to the death of the first client, and then resumed only in 1549 at the request of the Celestine fathers.

The architects who took care of its rebirth were Cesare Penna, Gabriele Riccardi and Giuseppe Zimbalo, that is, the most important in the area with the help of master stonecutters and carvers from the Lecce area. It was finally completed in 1689, bringing with it passages from various eras such as the Renaissance and the Baroque.

A masterpiece of Lecce Baroque

The element that makes the Basilica of Santa Croce truly special is the use of Lecce stone, a local limestone that, with its softness, allows for the creation of incredibly detailed and scenographic decorations.

Just think of the façade, where there are caryatids, a series of thirteen embracing cherubs, two statues representing Charity and Faith and a very valuable baroque rose window.

But it is inside that the Basilica reveals all its splendor. The ceiling is richly decorated, and every corner tells a story, while the side chapels are adorned with stucco and frescoes that narrate biblical episodes. There is no shortage of works of the highest value such as the pulpit in Lecce stone, which fascinates with its elegance and fine details. The apse contains several scenes, including the Adoration of the Shepherds, the Annunciation of Mary, Mary and Elizabeth and an episode of the escape of the Jews from Egypt.

Basilica of Santa Croce’s role today

The Basilica of Santa Croce is not only a place of worship, but also an extraordinary testimony to the artistic tradition of Lecce. By visiting it, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in history and discover one of the most representative places of the Apulian Baroque.

Don’t forget to include it in your itinerary in Lecce: after walking through its historic squares and alleys, a visit to the Basilica will give you a complete experience, combining architectural beauty, spirituality and history in one place.

In the heart of the baroque city of Lecce, one of the most fascinating and significant monuments, which tells thousands of years of history, is the Roman Amphitheater. This extraordinary building, testimony to the glorious past of the ancient city of Lupiae, is one of the main tourist attractions of Lecce and an unmissable stop for those who want to immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Puglia.

The role of the Amphitheater in the past: historical notes

The Roman Amphitheater of Lecce dates back to the 2nd century AD and was built in a period of great development for the Roman Empire, when the city of Lupiae (the ancient name of Lecce) enjoyed great prestige and prosperity. With an estimated capacity of between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators, the amphitheater was intended to host public events, such as gladiator fights, simulated battles and public games that entertained the population of the time. Some historical sources say that battles were organized to celebrate particular events, such as the visit of emperors or prominent figures.

Unfortunately, as often happens with many ancient structures, the amphitheater has suffered serious damage over the centuries, partly due to looting during the Middle Ages and the construction of buildings above it. As usual, during the Middle Ages the materials of the amphitheater were exploited for other purposes, such as the construction of the city fortifications. Curiously, some decorative apparatus of the structure are today found in nearby Otranto, decorating the crypt of the Romanesque Cathedral.

Only in the 20th century did its ruins emerge, thanks to archaeological excavations that gave the city a fundamental piece of its past. The part visible today represents about a third of the original size of the structure, built in the Augustan age and remodeled about a century later under Hadrian.

The role of the Amphitheater today

Today, the Roman Amphitheater is one of the main tourist attractions in Lecce, which retains its aura of mystery and beauty intact. One of the most fascinating features of the Roman Amphitheater of Lecce is its location: it is located in the heart of the historic center, between the main streets of the city, making it easily accessible to all visitors. When walking along the crowded streets of the center, you almost have the impression that the city suddenly “opens” onto this vast and silent space, which offers a unique starting point for reflecting on the Lecce of two thousand years ago. Every year, thousands of tourists visit the city to admire this historic monument that tells not only the greatness of Ancient Rome, but also the continuous dialogue between the past and the present.

During the summer, the amphitheater hosts cultural events, shows and concerts, which find in this extraordinary setting a stage unique in the world. During the Christmas holidays, it is customary to set up the nativity scene right inside the Amphitheater.

Salento is known throughout the world, not only for the beauty of its places and the richness of its monuments but also for the charm of its popular traditions. Salento folklore keeps its traditions alive, not only through the memory of the events that once took place in these places, and continues to feel alive and relevant. The Salento pizzica and the tarantate represent a cross-section of life of yesterday and today, they are the pride of the people who live in these places who manage, in a very natural and spontaneous way, to reconcile a globalized world with their own local identity.

The pizzica phenomenon starts from the rediscovery and valorization of Salento popular music, they take on great social and cultural importance, managing to bring together thousands of people in the squares dragged by the sound of the tambourine and hypnotized by the pressing rhythm of the ballads. Pizzica have become a reason for everyone to meet together, young people, the elderly and children, on the streets, in the squares or on the beaches, to rediscover the beauty of small things and simple gestures, to experience moments of union and to communicate with others instinctively, forgetting about everyday problems.

It takes the form of a relief valve, which, in the form of dances and songs, releases all the frustrations accumulated during one’s daily life from one’s body.

The meaning of the Salento pizzica

It is a popular dance and like all “popular arts” it is born and develops in the people and from their suffering. Its roots probably lie in the ancient Dionysian rites of our ancestors and, over the centuries, in the Middle Ages they merged into tarantism. Tarantism is a historical religious phenomenon that has since spread throughout the Salento peninsula until the 18th century and beyond.

It was on the hot and sultry days of June, that some women (mainly women) were stung by the tarantula during the harvest (the wheat harvest) and the resulting reaction was a state of malaise, agitation, and of restlessness, symptoms that were relieved only through the sound of the tambourine or violin. The word then spread and the musicians gathered in the house of the unfortunate woman and, at the incessant rhythm of their various instruments, tried to understand which rhythm reawakened the spirit of the taranta. The attarantata then could dance or simply agitate wildly, even for several days, until once calmed down she could be said to have recovered.

In 1700, the cult of Saint Paul spread in Galatina who, according to belief, healed those who had suffered: every year the appointment was in Galatina in the chapel of Saint Paul on 29 June. Here the attarantate from all over Salento came to be healed by drinking the blessed water from the well adjacent to the chapel, accompanied by musician-therapists. They danced the pizzica, letting themselves be carried away by the sound of the tambourine and violins, mimicking the movements of the tarantula, free from conditioning. Everything was represented to the point of excess, the state of depression and agitation, the hysteria, the state of torpor, the screams. But in the end the Saint performed the miracle.

Role of pizzica as a popular phenomenon

The period of the tarantate was naturally the summer one, but as the phenomenon and the music entered the Salento folklore, the pizzica began to be played, sung and danced all year round on every public or festive occasion. The “tarantate” were then replaced by girls in folk costumes, experts in this seductive dance. Born therefore from the pagan rite of the exorcism of the “tarantate“, the pizzica has progressively acquired autonomy as a rhythmic and musical form, and above all as a popular phenomenon.

Of the original pizzica only three forms remain alive today:

• the pizzica taranta or pizzica-pizzica: it is danced in pairs, not necessarily made up of individuals of the same sex;
• the pizzica de core: danced by a man and a woman together;
• the pizzica scherma: danced only by men.

The last curiosity regarding the Salento pizzica is the handkerchief: it seems, in fact, that it does not belong to the dance tradition, but that it was added later, as an ornament. The dancers’ hands filled with the red of its fabric to add color to the choreography of an already overwhelming dance. Regardless of what its true story may be, the red of that handkerchief is certainly an emblematic symbol of a strong and instinctive feeling, like the love and passion of which it is the banner.

Salento pizzica today: the Notte della Taranta in Melpignano

It is difficult, in recent years, to identify a party or festival, especially in the summer period, that does not include the performance of groups of pizzica players and dancers in its variations. It is therefore even more difficult to list the important events that renew the charm of this rhythm and this dance: some of the most important events take place in Melpignano, Acaya Torrepaduli, Galatina, to which tourists and curious people flock from all over Italy to meet the experts musicians (tambourine players, violinists, guitarists, cupa cupa players…) and dancers from Salento.

On August 26th in Melpignano the spider pinches Salento with the “Notte della Taranta” which is the largest festival in Italy and one of the most significant manifestations of popular culture in Europe, over 100,000 spectators invade the town every year for a unique event of its kind.

The pizzica tells the story of a people, the simple way of life, the customs, the beliefs; we dance united by a ritual that transcends generations, to feel part of a community, to integrate, to communicate with gestures, for play or for love, to touch each other without even touching. The Salento pizzica is magic, it is liberation, it is madness, it is a game of glances and bodies that chase each other, it is cosmic dance and a riot of sounds and colours. If you want to understand a people, listen to their music… what is pizzica if not the beat of Salento?

Salento is a peninsula full of numerous and evocative caves scattered here and there, which can be visited mainly by sea. They all deserve to be visited for the colors or the particular shape of the rocks, creating a beautiful journey inside them, rich in history and nature. Even those who are passionate about trips, excursions and diving, here, can enjoy beautiful glimpses of rock full of niches and cliffs.

Where are the most beautiful caves in Salento located?

• Starting from Porto Badisco, a few kilometers from Otranto, we find the Grotta dei Cervi, a natural cavity and ancient place of worship. In reality we are talking about a series of connected caves, full of Neolithic pictograms depicting hunters and prey.

• We arrive at Santa Cesarea Terme, a place famous for the sulphurous waters of the caves which, mixing with those of the sea, have created caves with important therapeutic properties.

• Leaving Santa Cesarea we reach Castro, where we find rocks overlooking the sea where you can swim right near the best-known cave in Salento. The Zinzulusa Cave, so called due to the presence of karst formations and stalactites (“zinzuli“, in dialect) which create a particular environment. A large opening opens in the middle of the rock, ready to welcome numerous visitors; it extends underground for 160 meters and also houses numerous prehistoric finds.

• A little further on we find Grotta Romanelli, full of prehistoric finds, it preserves traces dating back to Neanderthal man together with many graffiti.

• Going further south in the Leuca area, we find Grotta Porcinara, 15m high and 30m deep, which can be accessed by land. This cavity, half dug by man, is also a place of worship. Rich in Latin and Greek inscriptions, artefacts from the Bronze Age have been found there.

• Not far away is the Devil’s Cave due to the noises due to the refraction of the wave motion inside it.

• Grotta Tre Porte was so called due to the 3 large openings onto the sea. In this there is the Child’s Cave, a tunnel in which a bone fragment dating back to Neanderthal man was found, belonging to a child.

• A few meters from the latter opens the Grotta dei Giganti. This cave has brought to light a 10th century burial and fragments of the Mousterian culture.

• We then find scattered here and there, many other caves such as the Grotta del Presepe, the Grotta del Drago, the Grotta Cipollina, and finally the Grotta degli Innamorati, the Grotta della Stalla and the Grotta del Fiume.

• On the other side, overlooking the Adriatic Sea, in the Roca Vecchia area, an important historical testimony is given by the Grotta della Poesia. It is said that a beautiful princess bathed here and was an inspiration to many poets who dedicated verses and poems to her. The walls of the cave have remained intact over the years, as have the historical inscriptions inside which, together with the crystal clear sea that surrounds it, make this place unique.

• Another cave near San Foca is the Lovers’ Cave, so called because two lovers once found refuge there.

Salento is beautiful not only in summer; every period of the year tells us something about this land rich in ancient events and traditions, all to be discovered. If you are on holiday in Salento in January and you like traditional festivals, don’t miss the opportunity to participate in one of the most characteristic festivals in the world: the “Focara”. The Focara of Novoli is the most awaited annual event of the winter Salento, steeped in folklore, popular religiosity with an extraordinary setting of music, art, entertainment and food and wine.

Origins of the festival

The event has very ancient origins, as also demonstrated by the Novoli Fire Museum, inaugurated in 2015, which tells of the importance that fire had for the peasant community. On this date, in fact, in many centers in Salento, the founder of oriental monasticism, protector of animals and healer of herpes zoster, commonly called “St. Anthony’s fire“, is celebrated in a particular way. In honor of the saint, each district raises its own bonfire made of freshly pruned vine shoots which in Salento are called “franzuie” or also “sarmente“. At dusk of the festival, it soon becomes a place for abundant local barbecues.

Preparation of Novoli Focara

Novoli’s Focara is the most spectacular bonfire in the entire Mediterranean with a base of 20 meters in diameter and a height of 25, apparently made up of at least 80,000 bundles of vine shoots collected after pruning the vines. The magic of fire attracts everyone, around 200,000 are present waiting for the great event, numbers that give the dimension of how important the event is which is centered around a ritual that has its roots in popular peasant culture, supported by a particularly religious heard.

The festival, organized by the Puglia Region and the municipalities of Lecce and Novoli, with the collaboration of private individuals, is an asset of the intangible culture of Puglia. It participates in the ministerial cataloging for recognition by UNESCO as an intangible heritage asset of humanity.

The Focara di Novoli is prepared starting from the beginning of December, by transporting the vine shoots, the celebrations culminate on 16 and 17 January with the lighting of the Focara, but the festival officially begins at dawn on 7 January, when the farmers begin to stack the bundles of vines, and it ends on January 18th with the “festa te li paesani”.

What happens during the event?

During the morning of the eve of the event, the image of the Saint is hoisted to the top of the pyre with the ritual of “barding“. The parish priest, in the presence of the civil and military authorities, blesses the Focara, starting the celebrations.

The highlight of the show is the lighting of the Focara (16 January), through a fireworks display, with a wonderful series of fireworks. A very long fuse is carried from the entrance of the church to the top of Focara, until the last series of fires lights the pile of wood in the general jubilation.

Every year the builders of the Focara di Novoli undertake to vary its shape, sometimes leaving a central opening, called “the gallery“, which during the procession is crossed by the procession accompanying the statue of the saint.

Music, artistic performances, painting and photography exhibitions, food and wine events and exhibitions, book presentations, meetings and debates enliven the event and cloak it with a high cultural depth, capable of reinterpreting the ritual, a reason for pride for all of Salento.

In the name of music around the fire, the Focara Festival has consolidated over the years and has seen renowned artists parade on stage. An example are Vinicio Capossela, Eugenio Bennato, Caparezza and Enzo Avitabile

The celebration continues in the following days with other important rites including the blessing of the animals, the solemn mass in honor of the Saint, and the procession; the blessing of the animals is a very important moment since, being a people of peasant origin and Saint Anthony being of humble origins, he was considered the protector of animals.

The mass

Great turnout and participation are seen during the mass in honor of the Protector Saint during which the “sandwiches of St. Anthony” are distributed, which, according to tradition, have the power to bring physical and spiritual healing.

At the end of the mass, the procession of Saint Anthony begins with the statue of the Saint, carried on the shoulders of the devotees followed by the crowd of faithful.

The procession has undergone some changes over time. In fact, years ago, many people completed the entire procession route barefoot, probably as a sign of gratitude for a grace received. They also held large candles in their hands, forming the so-called ‘nturciata (twisted). During the procession there was the custom of lighting the so-called strascina, that is, a very long battery of fireworks.

The current procession ends with the return of the statue of the Saint to the pizza where it is welcomed by choreographed Bengalatas, at the end of which the statue returns to the church and is placed on a throne adorned with floral decorations.

Typical gastronomy during the Focara di Novoli

Around the Fòcara, between music and dance, the live area will be to be enjoyed with typical local products.

Tradition has it that during the celebrations of January 17th, the feast day of the Patron Saint, both meat and dairy products are banned from the table. We dine on fish, so much so that on the occasion of the event the town has an exceptional fish market. Characteristic is the cod soup with gnocchi and fish scapece, a delicious vinegar marinade seasoned with saffron and breadcrumbs.

To complete lunches and dinners, the tables are adorned with characteristic Salento dishes, such as pittule, purciddhruzzi and cartiddhrate. Everything is accompanied by local wine excellences, Moscato and Negroamaro. The people who gather around the bonfire warm up to the sound of pizzica or enjoy a sandwichwith turcinieddrhi (meat).

The Focara di Novoli event is truly a unique, enchanting and magical event. All this is made possible thanks to the union of a primordial element such as fire and the popular Salento tradition.

If you have decided to organize a holiday in Salento in winter, my advice is therefore not to miss it!

In addition to the crystalline sea, the intact landscape, the characteristic views of the coastal towns and the delicious cuisine, Salento boasts an artisanal production that contains the knowledge of the “masters” of the past, of those who made their art a reason for living. Craftsmanship is a global phenomenon, a subject of study, an economic, cultural and social fact; he is capable of retracing the gestures of popular art, but he is also able to re-propose works belonging to historical periods of high artistic value. Salento craftsmanship has been able to keep its traditions alive despite the advent of modernity, managing to preserve its fundamental traits and mix with innovation.

In the contemporary South there is a desire to rediscover the ancient world, the crafts of our ancestors and the old productions made and sold in a small shop in the town square, the fruit of the fervent imagination and golden hands of some master who, assisted by his “disciple”, he creates an art form outside of stereotypes, offering high quality products of inestimable beauty and value, a mirror of popular art.

Papier-mâché: symbol of Salento craftsmanship

The symbol of Salento craftsmanship, particularly in Lecce, is papier-mâché, born as a religious commitment in an environment poised between the sacred and the profane. The first traces of this activity date back to the seventeenth century, but we will have to wait until the nineteenth century to see the full flowering of this art born in the back shops of some Lecce barbers, of those more modest people, who did their best to shape straw and rags by covering them with paper, thus creating the famous statues and sacred figures that we find in many churches in Salento. Despite everything, the “poor masters” had found many clients, in particular among:

• the clergy, who during the Lutheran heresy needed to bring the faithful closer together through the proposal of Madonnas, Saints and Christs capable of touching the souls of the devotees
• the nobility, who through these commissions had secured their place in Paradise.

Centuries have passed, but the techniques have remained unchanged. The works still retain the classic forms of sacred statuettes but even more frequent is the representation of nativity figures of various sizes such as, for example, those exhibited at the famous Santa Lucia fair in Lecce. The baroque city represents the center of Salento with the highest percentage of master paper mill makers.

Terracotta

Another typical production of Salento craftsmanship is the processing of terracotta, typical of those towns located in the areas where clay is extracted. The peoples who contributed to the spread of this tradition were the Daunians and the Messapians. Terracotta manufacturing was widespread throughout Salento: plates, bowls, pots and vases were produced from Nardò to Gallipoli, from Cutrofiano (the “Municipal Museum of Ceramics” was inaugurated in 1985) up to Lucugnano di Tricase in Lower Salento, the latter are still important production centers. San Pietro in Lama was famous for the production of “imbreci” (roof tiles).

The workmanship is not limited to the production of household objects, but also of ironic toys such as whistles, bells or the same puppets that continue to animate our nativity scenes. The process followed a mixture of water and clay which was worked on the wheel, then exposed to the sun and finally fired at around 900° C: the resulting yellowish or brick-red artefacts were created due to the presence of iron oxide.

Once “baked”, the masterpieces of the “cutimari” (this is what terracotta artists are called) take various forms including the products mentioned above.

Lecce stone

Lecce stone cannot be missing from this list, a yellowish limestone rock that preserves marine and terrestrial fossils within it. It is renowned for its malleability dictated by the presence of clay, which is why it is easily mouldable, soft when cut by the chisel.

Precisely this material, appreciated in the artistic field, has achieved international esteem thanks to the local craftsmanship which is the basis of Lecce Baroque. This precious stone, in fact, sprinkles the facades of the main monuments of the capital: the Palazzo dei Celestini and the adjacent Church of Santa Croce, the Church of Santa Chiara and the Duomo are some examples.

The strong presence in the area of quarries from which the raw material is extracted clarifies the choice to use this stone. In this regard, in Cursi, one of the main municipalities where Lecce stone is extracted, the Ecomuseum was inaugurated in 2000. For those who want to try their hand at this art or even just see with their own eyes what lies behind such splendor, the Agrintour Association organizes tourist-educational itineraries: from September to November and from March to May, the appointment is with the workshops focused on Salento craftsmanship and in particular on the processing of Lecce stone in order to present the territories and bring young people closer to an often forgotten world that could offer interesting satisfactions in starting future activities.

Other typical productions of Salento craftsmanship

• Among the ancient crafts in Salento, we find the production of fabrics and embroidery, as well as excellently made lace. This, more than a craft, is an art handed down from mother to daughter since in ancient times these creations were conceived for domestic use only, as they were intended for preparing the trousseau of “marriageable daughters”.

• In the Capo di Leuca area and precisely in Acquarica, marshy areas and reed thickets provide the raw material for the processing of rush or wicker which a few old craftsmen still weave to produce baskets and shopping bags.

• In ancient times, copper was worked to make quatare and quatarotti (copper pots and cauldrons used in the kitchen), bracieri e scarfalietti (ancient containers with a long handle in which the embers were placed which allowed the beds to be warmed in winter) that could not be missing in every home. Today, certainly replaced by modern steel pans and more advanced heating methods, we find them reproduced for decorative purposes only in some shops in Capo di Leuca.

• The art of wrought iron, however, has been known nationally since the 16th and 17th centuries for all the decorations of the portals of the palaces and churches of Salento. Even today the working tools are the same: the anvil, the forge that makes the iron soft and malleable, hammers of different shapes that inflict particular scratches on the iron, managing to shape it into the most varied lines. Thus, bed headboards, lamps, andirons, railings are created through the assembly of several pieces, then painted in iron black, which few today still carry out through nailing (replaced by the simpler and more hasty welding).

After having visited the Adriatic coast, and having arrived in Santa Maria di Leuca where “the Ionian Sea embraces the Adriatic one“, we now continue to discover the enchanting Ionian coast of Salento, between paradisiacal beaches of white sand and crystal clear sea, natural parks and pristine reserves, unlike the Adriatic one, mainly of rock formation. Over 100 km of sandy coast, with clear and crystalline waters, awaits us on this tour from Leuca to Punta Prosciutto.

The most beautiful beaches along the Ionian coast of Salento

Among the most beautiful beaches on the Ionian coast of Salento are undoubtedly those at Torre dell’Omomorto and Torre Marchiello (Castrignano del Capo), Torre Vado (Morciano di Leuca), Torre Pali (Salve), Torre Mozza and Torre San Giovanni (Ugento), Torre Suda (Racale).

• Torre San Giovanni, a suggestive coastal tower, with its alternating black and white checkered colour, ideally delimits a long beach with emerald reflections, among the most loved by both tourists and local people, which also includes the stretch of coastline that embraces the marina of Torre Mozza. From here you can come across the so-called “Ugento shoals“, basins which represent another extraordinary natural reserve.

Almond trees, prickly pears and centuries-old olive trees accompany streets delimited by dry stone walls that dot the coast and lead up to Gallipoli also called the “pearl of the Ionian“, with the ancient part of the city perched on an island, which exudes the smell of the sea from every stone of which it is made and whose churches all overlook the sea, as if to monitor the fate of the fishermen.

• Here we find the Mancaversa marina, a coastal stretch that runs for over four kilometers embracing the Li Foggi area up to Punta del Pizzo, including Punta della Suina in the meantime. A paradise for lovers of wild nature, to discover and enjoy especially in the low season. Divided by an islet into two small bays, Punta della Suina is truly a dream setting for perfect holidays.

• Baia Verde is considered one of the paradises for swimmers, as well as being the beating heart of the intense Gallipoli nightlife. The beaches open onto a white sandy shore bordered by water with emerald reflections, which give the bay its name and flank the Punta Pizzo regional natural park.

• There is still a stretch of coast that seems to change with the speed with which the wind changes. We are talking about the one that embraces places such as Rivabella, Padula Bianca and Lido Conchiglie. They are considered among the most beautiful beaches on the Ionian coast.

In the Nardò area we mention Santa Maria al Bagno. Famous for its spa and Roman port, it is a marina with a vintage aftertaste, dominated by ancient villas from the late nineteenth century. This offers visitors a delightful little beach set in a predominantly rocky coast, accessible from the steps that open into the village square. The little beach is the undisputed kingdom of families with even small children, who can play in complete tranquility and without too much chaos.

There is another beach, mainly dominated by rock, Santa Caterina, where a small bathing establishment and a portion of free beach coexist. It is protected by the “Torre dell’Alto” which dominates it from the “cliff of the Damned” and the 17th century tower of the same name.

The Porto Selvaggio natural park is notable in this area.

The municipality of Nardò also offers a fine sandy beach, called Sant’Isidoro beach. Furthermore there is another bay near Torre Squillace, one of the many watchtowers that dot the Salento coast.

Among the favorite destinations for tourists, going up towards the northern part of the Ionian coast, there is Porto Cesareo. Is is considered on par in beauty with various Caribbean destinations, with its very long coastline equipped beaches overlooked by an archipelago of islets. The best known of them is the “Rabbit Island” (Isola dei Conigli).

The Ionian coast of Salento is among the most beautiful summer destinations for those who want a holiday dedicated to the sea, fun and good food.

The B&B Salento Sun Sea is located in the heart of a small and characteristic village in Salento, precisely in San Pancrazio Salentino, a strategic point as it is just a few kilometers from Porto Cesareo, Porto Selvaggio, Riva degli Angeli, Punta Prosciutto on the Ioanian sea, as well as Brindisi with the Torre Guaceto Marine Park on the Adriatic, from Lecce, city of the Baroque, Taranto, capital of Magna Grecia and guardian of the most famous gold in the world. All destinations reachable in about thirty minutes!

The atmosphere of the B&B Salento Sun Sea

A few days ago, I was invited by Denise, my dear friend and owner of the b&b, to get to know the place.

Its location, near the historic center of the town, allows you to reach it on foot, or by parking your car in the car park reserved for guests.

As soon as I opened the massive wooden door of the main entrance and crossed the threshold, I was immediately catapulted into another place.

The house, now renovated, takes us back to reliving that atmosphere of the past, when numerous families lived together. A place of aggregation, meeting and serenity.

Here, even the stones that cover the supporting columns and arches seem to exude an atmosphere of romance and elegance. The high ceilings with star vaults and the imposing staircase on the left are examples of timeless beauty that never goes out of fashion.

The entrance to the bed and breakfast seems to herald the surprises that await guests upstairs, with a long staircase. As soon as I started climbing, I immersed myself in the pleasant atmosphere and peaceful silence of the place.

At the entrance, Denise’s warm smile greeted me, just as her guests do as soon as they cross the threshold. She is a very energetic person and you can tell that she really loves what she does. Her enthusiasm literally infected me, proudly showing me the commitment and passion she puts into her work.

The services of the Salento Sun Sea B&Bs

I was hosted in the first room, the hub of the house, which welcomes customers with a large fireplace which is lit in winter for a warmer atmosphere. It is here that breakfast, an important moment, is served by Denise who undertakes to prepare it every morning, starting from homemade desserts, such as cakes, donuts, tarts and biscuits, which I was able to taste during our conversation, or a breakfast savory based on cured meats, cheeses, taralli, etc. Furthermore, upon request, a vegan or intolerant breakfast can be served, all in full respect of the authenticity and well-being of her guests.

On sunny summer days, on the small terrace in front of the rooms, a large gazebo is mounted and arranged to welcome guests at breakfast time or transformed into an event area.

In the same room used for breakfasts, video conferences, project presentations and video surveillance and alarm and photography courses are also organised.

And if you need to extend your stay and don’t know how to get around for lunch or dinner, don’t worry! Upon request, Denise will recommend a restaurant affiliated with the property.

The rooms of the structure

Having offered me coffee, Denise also spoke to me about the various Grottaglie ceramics which populate the various rooms, including the majestic wall lamps in the atrium of the structure which illuminate, creating a particular play of light and some paintings which, through the warm and therapeutic colours, convey a sense of serenity and beauty that only our Salento can offer!

The 6 bedrooms are well distributed over the two floors, 2 on the ground floor including a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom and a bedroom with a single bed, while 4 on the first floor: a single bedroom with balcony and private external bathroom and 3 double bedrooms with bathroom private, one of which is a double suite with a comfortable lounge area with adjoining terrace overlooking the town.

In the rooms, soft and delicate colors prevail which highlight the modern furnishings in perfect harmony with the ancient and well-renovated exterior.

All rooms are equipped with all comforts: air conditioning, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, complimentary toiletries, hairdryer, electric kettle.

Furthermore, as guests of the Salento Sun Sea, you can enjoy free wi-fi in all areas.

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With the arrival of December, the traditional appointment with one of the most important Christmas folkloristic events of the year is renewed, which finds its maximum representation in Salento. What Christmas would it be without the nativity scene? Especially in our Salento, the tradition of setting up the nativity scene in one’s homes is still alive and deeply felt. This is considered an extraordinarily poetic and romantic element, unlike the more recent Christmas tree, which refers to the profane and consumerist element of the holiday.

For the occasion, there is no municipality in Salento that does not organize an artistic or living nativity scene, to worthily celebrate the arrival of the festival.

The origins

• Historically, the merit of having “invented” the nativity scene was attributed to San Francesco who referred to the sacred representations which, since the very early Middle Ages, were staged in churches during the liturgy on Christmas night. The Saint of the Poor reproduced the scene of the Nativity in Greccio, a small village in the province of Rieti, in 1223, according to the testimony of Saint Bonaventure, with flesh and blood characters, to bring closer even to humble and simple people and to the illiterate, who could not read the Holy Scriptures, the miracle of the birth of Jesus.

• The custom of setting up artistic nativity scenes became so popular that many other churches soon joined it, each creating its own particular and unique nativity scene.

Nativity scenes in Salento

The Salento boasts an enviable record in terms of nativity scenes, preserving an ancient tradition. The first artistic nativity scene in the world, in fact, was created in Lecce by San Francesco in 1222. San Francesco, returning from a trip to the East, stopped to spend the holidays in Lecce. Here, he would have created an artistic nativity scene with terracotta statues, a year before the “living nativity scene” of Greccio.

Nativity scenes, of all types, living, artistic, mechanical, very small and enormous, are made in every corner of our province. In the streets of the villages, in the churches, in the squares, in the country farms, in the “trappeti“, in the quarries and on the promontories of the Salento Murge, in the caves on the seashore, if not actually at the bottom of the sea.

Nativity scenes are usually characterized by a walking route that allows you to relive and rediscover the ancient traditions and crafts that marked the era in which the Child was born. The path, with a suggestive and magical atmosphere, mixes with the sweet arias of Christmas carols often performed live, which leads to the Bethlehem cave in a continuous celebration of lights, colors and sounds given by the noises and the exploits of the people in costume.

Christmas is the most magical holiday of the year which brings with it infinite traditions, rites, legends, proverbs and popular sayings, which combine the sacred with the profane. It is certainly the most heartfelt holiday and is first and foremost a moment of aggregation and union to spend with loved ones: I’m from Salento and I do not miss being in the company of my family on those days! The Christmas period is therefore a congenial period to experience Christmas in perfect Apulian style, especially at the table.

The preparation of typical foods for the Christmas period is a thought that haunts Salento grandmothers very soon! So let’s take a dive into Christmas of the past, to see how this holiday was experienced by our ancestors. According to tradition, there had to be thirteen dishes for Christmas lunch even if, in the past, the economic conditions of the family were certainly not very good and then the ingredients were also counted in order to arrive at the canonical number thirteen. Surely, ciciri and tria, purciddhuzzi and ncarteddhate could never be missing.

Purciddhuzzi

The purciddhuzzi, so called because they had the shape of a little pig’s snout, with a dough similar to the cartellate and flavored with citrus fruits, fried in boiling oil and decorated with sweets, are a recipe of Persian origin, brought by the Arabs to Spain and then by the Spaniards in Puglia.

Ncarteddhate

The ncarteddhate, with the name “incartocciate” and the arabesque shape, are spirals of sweet dough fried and then immersed in cooked wine. Their shape resembles a rose but tradition also associates them with the halo of Baby Jesus. Even these, fried and then “candied“, i.e. dipped in heated honey and then sprinkled with sugar, were served together with other sweets, such as anisetti, which were small and multi-coloured sugared almonds, similar to grains of wheat. You can enjoy fragrant ones while doing Christmas shopping at the Santa Lucia Fair or the Pupi Fair in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, two fundamental moments of Christmas in Lecce. Some scholars derive this dessert from a Moroccan specialty, or rather from the most typical Moroccan dessert, cebakeia, prepared during the Ramadan period.

Almond paste fish

Another culinary custom on Christmas Eve is the fish made with almond paste which recalled Christ, represented in the Christian iconography of the first centuries with the symbol of the fish, which very often appeared in the catacombs where persecuted Christians took refuge. Through this delicacy we take a step back in the history of southern Italy since its origins date back to the 18th century and it is considered a diplomatic dessert that the nuns prepared as gifts to cardinals, bishops and important people. And it was the noble abbess Anna Fumarola of the Benedictine monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista in Lecce who introduced the use of filling almond fish with “faldacchiera“, a cream of eggs and sugar.

It seems incredible but even today the best Christmas fish is produced by them, the cloistered nuns of this convent in Via delle Benedettine 4, founded in 1133 by the Norman Count Accardo. The true people of Lecce know this address well and in the days before Christmas they queue at the side door of the convent, a sort of pilgrimage of taste and tradition.

The pittule

According to the Apulian tradition, “pittule” certainly cannot be missing from the table at Christmas! These can be simple or sweet, sweetened and filled with apple, or savory filled with boiled cauliflower, boiled turnip tops or with cherry tomatoes, onion, black olives and chilli pepper, or even with pieces of salted anchovies. Pittule, excellent if eaten hot, just removed from the frying oil, could be accompanied by lu cottu, that is, cooked wine, and, together with pucce and taraddhi, accompanied the entire Christmas period.

The mostaccioli

“Li Mustazzoli” or Mostaccioli are the symbolic biscuits of Salento and testify to the passage of the Arab population to the heel of Italy. It is a real local specialty, the pride of the fairs andpatronal festivals where you can meet local artisans with their stalls, where you can buy or taste these delicacies which, since the end of the nineteenth century, from generation to generation, they represent a must in their production and in Salento pastry making. Mostaccioli are desserts of Arab origin and their preparation did not involve the use of yeast. These biscuits, which in other areas of Southern Italy are typically Christmassy, in Salento can be enjoyed at any time of the year and are ideal for breakfast, a snack or at the end of a meal, accompanied by an excellent glass of wine or liqueur.

Apulian Christmas at the table: 7, 24 and 25 December

Usually, on December 7, the eve of the Immaculate Conception, many families still observe fasting, with the only infraction of consuming lunch with a puccia, white and spongy bread, seasoned with tuna and capers and pittule.

Christmas Eve dinner is an institution. Preparations begin a few days before, the table is set with red and silver/gold tablecloths, and a fish-based menu is served: spaghetti with mussels or seafood risotto; tradition requires cod as a second course and countless side dishes.

Lunch on Christmas Day is meat-based: after a classic baked pasta or pasta with sauce/ragout, lamb with potatoes is the highlight.

On the 26th, Santo Stefano Day, many families treat themselves to a purifying broth after the binges of the previous days. For the most tenacious families, there is still room for another lunch!