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.

 

11 September 2023 Lecce

 

11 September 2023   Lecce

Lecce, located 11 miles from the Adriatic Sea and 23 miles from the Ionian Sea on the eastern-most peninsula (Salento Peninsula) of Italy’s boot, is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved towns in Puglia, and is considered the masterpiece of baroque architecture in Italy. While its architecture includes a blend of Greek, Byzantine and other European features, it is the 17^th century baroque masterpieces that earned it the name “Florence of the South.”  The local style of this architecture is called “Barocco Leccese” (Lecce Baroque).  The buildings are constructed of a light yellow, soft, and compact limestone known as “pietra leccese” (stone from Lecce)  and covered with ornate carvings.  The crest of the city depicts a she wolf, oak tree, and a crown.  As the cultural center of Puglia, the town has many monuments, churches, palaces, and museums.  The baroque influence is everywhere – ornate doorways, facades decorated with cherubs, gargoyles, gremlins, leaves, birds, flowers, vegetables (especially asparagus) and monsters, and the elaborate churches and monuments  It also has a university with about 18,000 students.

This morning a local guide, Angelo, joined us for a walking tour around the old part of the city.  We started in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, called the heart of the historic city, as it reflects the many years of history through its different styles of architecture.  It was named for Sant’Oronzo, the protector of the city, whose inhabitants in 1656 built a statue in his honor as they felt he had protected them during the plague epidemic that struck the Kingdom of Naples, but spared the city of Lecce.  The statue, which shows the saint blessing the city, used to stand on top of a roman column that is mounted on a Corinthian capital (circular base).   However, it was removed for renovation and today is located in Lecce’s museum.  The column came from Brindisi (another town in Puglia) and is one of two that marked the end of the Ancient Appia road to Rome.

The top feature of this square is the Roman Amphitheater, which was built during the Roman rule of Hadrian (2^nd century BCE).  Over time stores were built over the amphitheater and it wasn’t discovered until excavations in 1901 unearthed it.  Prior to this time, the square, then called the “Merchants’ Square” was the commercial center of the town with its many shops around the edge of the square.  Those shops were torn down during the amphitheater excavations.  It took until 1940 for the excavation to be completed, but 2/3 of the structure t still remains hidden underground.  The horseshoe shaped amphitheater originally could seat 15,000 people.  Along the walls of the amphitheater are ancient pictures showing the types of performances that were held here – gladiators fighting with bulls, lions, bears, or other humans.  Today is still used for outdoor events and shows.  At the present time the city has no funds to finish the excavation, and according to Angela, no real desire to disrupt the businesses and homes that are built above the rest of the Amphitheater.

The Palazzo Sedile, (Seat Palace) built during the late 1500s and at the time was the seat of government for the town.  The rear wings of the building were destroyed during the excavation of the amphitheater so all that remains is the quadrangular loggia (a covered space much like a porch) with its ogival arches (a large pointed arch topped by three smaller curved arches).

The Roman Amphitheater

Column of Sant'Oronzo

The Palazzo Sedile

We then walked a short distance to the ruins of a Roman theater passing by another Baroque church, the Church of St. Chiara.  The Roman Theater is believed to have been built sometime between the 1^st and 2^nd century AD.  Unlike the Amphitheater, which held games, competitions and gladiator events, this theater was used for plays.  It was discovered in 1929 when Lecce was renovating another building that had been constructed over the theater.  It was thought to have held 5,000 people, but only part of it has been excavated as the rest remains buried under the buildings in the area.

Church of St. Chiara

Roman Theater

As we walked through the streets and little alleyways, Angela pointed out the beautiful courtyards and decorations on many of the balconies of the old homes in the area.  Today, most of these homes have been converted into hotels and B&Bs as tourism has become the #1 industry in Lecce.

Balcony with Statues of People Who Lived There

Balcony with Flower Decorations

Beautiful Courtyard (today is a parking lot)

We then walked to the Piazza Duomo.  The Square is not only one of the most beautiful in Italy, it is also Lecce’s religious center, including not only the Duomo cathedral, but the Bishop’s Palace, the Seminary and the bell tower.  Unlike other piazzas though, this one is enclosed on three sides with the entrance through a narrow alleyway on the north side.  This was the “WOW” moment as we looked at the Cathedral for the first time.

The crown jewel of the square is the double-façade Duomo di Lecce (Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Assunta).  Built in 1659, it is in the shape of a Latin cross with 13 altars.  While the front façade has a very simplistic look, the sides showcase the extravagant baroque architecture.  The North façade, facing the Piazza Duomo, contains some magnificent stone statues and sculptures.  Outside the church is the 228-foot high bell tower.  The gilded, opulent inside is also very decorative with its gold artwork, beautiful arches and a ceiling that is covered with beautiful historical art.  There are 12 chapels located inside the cathedral, each dedicated to a different saint or religious figure.

Duomo di Lecce

Bell Tower

Duomo's Seminary

Duomo di Lecce

Duomo's Main Entrance (the plain o ne)

Model being photographed in front of Church

Inside the Duomo

Ceiling of the Duomo

Inside the Duomo

Inside the Duomo

Altar Inside the Duomo

From the Cathedral we walked to to a little "discovery" as Claudio called it -- a small shop where the owner has been making paper mache statues for over 50 years.  Unlike most artisans in this field, this worker makes his own paper.  He chops up into fine pieces cotton material and then mixes it in a large vat containing water and paste.  He then takes a farm made of fine screening and dips it into the vat, catching the now saturated cotton pieces on the screens frame.  This is then placed between 2 pieces of paper and then a stack of them (about 50) are put in a press to remove the water.  The pages are then allowed to dry for about a week and they are ready to be used in making his statues.  The statues are incredible.  He crunches the paper around the frame of a person and then molds it into the shape he wants.  The last step is to paint the statue, using natural ingredients for the colored paint.

Paper Mache Workshop

Vat of Water and Glue and Screen Frame

Frame After Dipping in Vat

Placing paper mache sheet on paper

Press for Removing Water

Finished Paper Mache Sheets

Frame of the Statue

Paper Mache that has been crunched around the frame

Finished Statue

As we walked to our final stop, the Basilica di Santa Croce, Angela made a slight detour to show us one of the three original gates that led into the city through the city walls.  This gate was the Porta Napoli as its road led to Naples.  Built in 1548 to honor Charles V, who had the original city fortifications build, is also called the Triumphal Arch and marks the entrance to the historic center of the city.  It is located near the Triumphal Arch square.  The arch is flanked by two Corinthian columns on each side.  In the center is Charles V’s Habsburg imperial coat of arms with decorations that depict cannons and military armor.  There is also an inscription that praises King Charles V for his role in defeating the Turks.  Translated, the inscription reads:  “ "To the Emperor Caesar Charles V, august triumphant, in the Indies, in the Gauls and in Africa; subjugator of rebel Christians, fear and extermination of the Turks; propagator of the Christian religion throughout the world with works and councils; being under the government of this province Ferrante Loffredo, who knew how to keep the Turks and the enemies of the empire away from the shores of Salento and Japigia; the University and the grateful Lecce people dedicated this arch to the grandeur and majesty of Him, the year 1548 ".  There were also some of the remains of the old medieval wall that once surrounded the city.

Porta Napolia

Remains of Medieval Wall

Just north of the square lies the Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross), one of the most beautiful and fascinating examples of baroque architecture, earning it the honor of the “Emblem of Lecce Baroque”.  Construction began in 1549 and took over 100 years to complete.  The church was built over the site of a former monastery using leccese stone that gives its outer facade a light cream color.  (On a rather sad footnote, additional land was required to complete the Basilica.  In 1541, the Naples Reign, which had previously given refuge to Jews displaced from Spain, ousted all the Jews from Lecce and their land and housing material were used in the Basilica’s construction.). 

Every inch of the outside façade is decorated with strange beasts and allegories, cherubs, fantastical monsters, plants.  There are also beautiful rose windows that dominate the front façade, but it is the large one in the center of the front façade, surrounded by exquisite carvings, that takes your breath away. 

But while the outside is an amazing array of baroque architecture, the inside is a reminder of its original plain Renaissance style – it is less elaborate and more functional.  That is not to say that there is not beauty found inside the church – there certainly is.  One of the first things you see are the large white columns with a candelabra in between them.  Then you look up and see the wooden ceiling with a painting in the center.  The inside also has 17 richly decorated altars and a 16^th century fresco of the Madonna of Constantinople. 

Symbolizing the triumph of Christianity over pagan myths, the Basilica’s two orders symbolize heaven and hell.  The upper order, adorned with flowers, animals, and angels represents heaven which defeated the lower order or the pagan world.  The lower order is shown with mythological figures such as sirens and dragons.

Basilica di Santa Croce 

Basilica di Santa Croce 

Basilica di Santa Croce 

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

Ceiling of the Church

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

We then walked to a restaurant, called an Irish Pub, but there was nothing Irish about it.  We ate outside and enjoyed a wonderful lunch of fresh vegetables and pasta.  Then it was time to return to the hotel and become Italian for the afternoon – take a long siesta before going out for a pizza dinner.  Tomorrow will be out last day in Puglia and we will visit 2 more amazing churches.

The Irish Pub Restaurant

Bill tried to treat it as an Irish Pub

Not quite an Irish Dinner - vegetarian appetizers