12 September 2023 Salento Blog

 

12 September 2023   Salento Blog

This morning we took a modified optional tour to Salento’s Way that Claudio arranged for the Stevens and us.  The other three travelers were not interested in going so there were not the minimum number of travelers for the optional tour.  As the four of us were really interested in going to see the frescoes and mosaics in the two Cathedrals in towns of Galatina and Otranto,  Claudio got us a driver and then he accompanied us on the tour as the driver did not speak any English.  We are so appreciative of Claudio for making this special effort to ensure that we got to see what was important to us. 

The region of Salento is located on the eastern edge of a peninsula that is known as Italy’s boot heel.  Located between two seas – the Adriatic to the east and the Ion to the west, its coastline is a long stretch of white limestone cliffs descending into the beautiful azure waters of the seas.  Legend says that when the wind blows around the cliffs it emits an eerie sound that some locals say is the voice of witches while others believe it is the desperate wail of a baby that had been thrown from the top of the cliffs to the water below by its mother. 

The first town we visited was Galatina, a Baroque town whose historical center is lined with beautiful palaces and dominated by one of Puglia’s baroque gems – the 14^th century Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria.  Built 1369 in the Romanesque style to hold a sacred relic, the finger of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the basilica has a pure white altarpiece and beautiful frescoes covering its interior walls and ceiling.  The frescos provided stories and parables from the Bible as many of the citizens did not know how to read.  To say they were stunning just might be an understatement – they covered almost every square inch of the walls, columns and ceiling.

The church was named for Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian saint and virgin, who was killed in the 4^th century.  According the legend, Roman Emperor Maxentius wanted to win her love, but she declared that her spouse was already Jesus Christ.  Furious at her rejection, he ordered that she be killed by a spiked breaking wheel.  However, when it touched her, it shattered.  He then ordered her beheaded.

Also found in the church is a painting of St. Agatha of Sicily.  Again, according to legend, this 12 year old girl from Catania, refused to abandon her faith and also rejected the amorous advances by a Roman governor.  He punished her by having her breast amputated and she died of her wounds in prison in February 251 AD.

Photos from Inside the Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Statue of St. Agatha 

There is also a courtyard attached to the church which is lined with frescoes dedicated to the saints that were martyred for their faith.

Photos of Frescoes of Martyred Saints

Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria 

From the church we walked up a beautiful street with old buildings to a pastry shop (Pasticceria Andrea Ascalone) that specializes in making a pastry called the Pasticciotto that is filled with either ricotta cheese or creme cheese.  And it was his original shop that Claudio took us to sample this delicious pastry.  They are so, so good, especially if they are still warm!

Pasticceria Andrea Ascalone

We then drove to Otranto, which because of its location, was a strategic port during the Roman Empire.  Today much of the old town is still located within the partially enclosed medieval walls.  Holes dug at the bottom of the walls are escape passages that people used to escape the city during attacks, while holes in the ceiling on the inside of the walls were where they dropped boiling oil on their enemies during attacks.  Located within these walls is the Castle Aragonese, better known as the Otranto Castle, which if you are a lover of the literary Gothic genre, you will know was the setting for the first Gothic novel (The Castle of Otranto written by Horace Walpole in 1764).  The castle itself has a very fascinating history as it has seen its share of sieges and plundering and has been rebuilt several times over its many years of existence.  As Otranto is the easternmost city in Italy and is located on the coast, it has been susceptible to attack from as far back as 1067.

Otranto Castle and City Walls

Otranto Castle and City Walls

Today Otranto is famous for its beautiful Roman mosaics found in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata,  built by the Normans in 1066 on the ruins of a Roman house and an early Christian church using facets from Romanesque, Byzantine and early Christian styles.  The mosaics were created using marble and even today show their vibrant colorful designs.  The entire Cathedral floor is a mosaic of the Tree of Life carried on the back of two elephants.  The tree itself runs up the center of the nave floor.  It was created in just 2 years by a monk using over 600,000 tiles.  His vision of life and heaven and hell is a jumbled mixture of biblical scenes from the Old Testament (Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark) to the Last Judgment; historical/classical scenes of Hercules, Alexander the Great and King Arthur; animal scenes including monkeys, snakes and sea monsters, and mythological scenes of the four seasons and the zodiac.  The purpose of the mosaic is to show mankind the right way to reach paradise.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata

Bell tower of Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Photos of Tree of Life Mosaic

As this mosaic covers 700 square feet of the church's floor, it was impossible to get a picture of the entire Tree of Life.  However, I did find a copy of an artist's drawing of the mosaic to give you an idea of its total size and its many pictures within the mosaic.

Moorish Wooden Ceiling

Tree of Life Mosaic

In addition to this exquisite mosaic, the Cathedral has a beautiful Moorish wooden coffered ceiling (small indentations or panels that are enclosed in a wooden frame).  While the outside façade seems plain, there is a beautiful rose window and columns that have been delicately carved to look like lace.

But do not be deceived by the beauty of this mosaic.  The Cathedral also includes a dark side – the Chapel of Death.  Here lie the bones and skulls, ghoulishly looking out from three tall glass cases, of 813 Otranto martyrs who were beheaded by the Turks in the 1480 Ottoman invasion and capture of the city.  Behind the altar of the chapel is the stone that was used to carry-out the beheadings.  The Turks also removed the frescos and turned the church into a mosque.  In 1481, however, the city was recaptured by Christian forces and the cathedral was restored.

Chapel of Death with its 3 Cases of Bones

The basement of the church today resembles a mosque, but it had its beginning as a Roman temple.  There are 42 marble columns located down there as well as several frescoes that were not destroyed by the Turks.  As Jesus is mentioned in the Koran, the Turks purposely did not destroy the fresco of Mary (or the Madonna) as she was Jesus’s mother, nor the fresco showing baby Jesus lying in a stable.

Columns inside the Crypt

Madonna and Child Fresco

We walked down by the waterfront, but it was still foggy so the views were not very good.  We then walked through the medieval fortress to a small restaurant that had seating in a quiet little garden.  There we had our lunch before heading back to Lecce.  It was a wonderful day and we are so glad Claudio was able to arrange it for us.

Tonight we will be saying goodbye to Claudio as we leave Lecce at 4:30 am for a short drive to the airport, followed by two flights before landing in Palermo, Sicily to begin our tour of that island.  There will not be much sleep for the weary this evening.

This has been a magical tour, complete with unique architecture, beautiful artwork (frescoes and mosaics), and fabulous foods and wines.  The foods are mainly vegetarian, but we did have a little meat on several occasions.  Although this part of Italy does not appear on many peoples’ radar scopes, it is such a fascinating place to visit.  The people are warm and friendly, the scenery is spectacular, and words cannot describe the Italian cuisine in this region (but be prepared for a lot of Mediterranean Diet dishes.  Italians, especially in this part of Italy (and in Sicily as we will soon find out) eat a lot of eggplant, tomatoes, salad greens, spinach, cheese and bread.  We especially enjoyed the olive oil education and tasting and who doesn’t enjoy a good wine.

But this was just the tip of the iceberg – tomorrow Sicily beckons us with all of its unique cities, history and adventures as well as our continuing enjoyment of great Italian cuisine and wines.