We are spending three nights at the Dimi House B&B in Lecce, Puglia in the heel of the boot.
We spent the day driving the beautiful coastline from Gallipoli down to the southernmost tip at Leuca and then up the western side on the Adriatic to Otranto.
Gallipoli- “beautiful city” – it certainly lives up to its name. Not to be confused with its namesake in Turkey, known for the first world war battle, the old town center sits on a tiny island connected to the mainland by a 17thC bridge. It is almost completely surrounded by defensive walls from the 14thC, and dominated by a fortress dating back to the 13th century.
At this time this year the streets and alleys are virtually empty, and many of the cafés, shops and restaurants are closed, but it was beautiful to stroll around and be surrounded by the crystal clear azure Ionian waters.
Leuca:
Leuca sits at the southernmost tip of Italy’s heel. Beautiful palm lined promenade, whitewashed buildings, lovely beaches and the same crystal clear water. We enjoyed lunch Al fresco at one of the local restaurants and enjoyed the local pasta specialties.
Otranto:
Otranto sits on the Adriatic Sea facing the Balkans and Greece. It is famous for its 15th century, Aragonese Castle, and the 11th century or Otranto Cathedral.
Lecce:
Leche is called the Florence of the south and one can see why. Many beautiful churches, to include the cathedral, and palazzos are built in the style of Apulia Baroque architecture and date from the time that Lecce flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; many of its buildings are built of the characteristic pietra leccese, a light yellow, easily worked limestone.
We started our self guided walking tour with Porta Napoli, an arch built in 1548 in honor of Holy Roman Emperor Carlo V who built the defensive fortifications that once surrounded the city. This section of the city walls no longer exists and the arch is known as Arco di Trionfo.
Piazza del Duomo (cathedral) in Lecce’s historic heart. The Cathedral’s unusual dual facades – one which looks into the piazza while the other looks westward makes for an imposing presence in the square. Originally built in 1144, it was completely restored in 1659-70 by Giuseppe Zimbalo, who also built the 70-meter-high bell tower which, with the seminary, and Bishop’s Palace, are excellent examples of the Barocco Leccese.
Considered the emblem of the highly admired ‘Lecce Baroque,’ the Basilica of Santa Croce is one of the most important churches in the Apulian town.
Construction of the Basilica began in 1549 and took more than 100 years to complete, in 1699. Santa Croce was built on the site of a monastery, at the request of the Celestine fathers.
As typical of Baroque style, the facade is richly decorated, with six columns supporting an entablature, with animals, grotesque figures and vegetables; it also features a large rose window.
Restaurant where we had lunch.
… and later and aperitif! All the bottles in the window are GIN!
