Lecce and the Salento

Sunday was a quiet day. We spent the morning relaxing then after midday went out to get some lunch items. We discovered that almost all the shops were closed, including the supermarkets. Shame, we had to have lunch at the boulangerie. Seems a bit out of place but they do all the usual Italian fare plus French pastries.

Yesterday we had a big day out. We did a Salento Experience 8 seat minibus tour, just us, a young American couple and an English woman. It lasted more than eight hours and was a comprehensive guide to the Salento region.

The Salento is the most southern region of Apulia, it is bounded on the east by the Adriatic Sea and on the west by the Ionian Sea. Lecce is the capital of the region.

Our guide Stefano was friendly, accommodating and provided the right balance of guided tour and free time.

We drove south and our first stop was Galatina and the Basilica di Santa Caterina d' Alessandria. This was the first Catholic church in the area, when the area was previously Greek Orthodox. Built in 1390 by Raimondello Orsini in Romanesque style, it has frescoes from the Giotto school. It previously had a large monastery, school and hospital in its complex, the result of it being the first Franciscan monastery after Assisi.

Oops! Finger in the pic.

Raymondino was a Crusader

The Cloister

These spectacular lights used especially for religious festivals are very popular in southern Italy. At night they really impress.

Next stop was to be for pasticciotti but alas, the shop was closed. This pasticceria has been making pasticciotti since 1740 and is where the legend started.

On the walk back to the bus I spotted a Via Francigena sign.

Otranto was our next stop, situated on the Adriatic coast, it is a fortress town with great charm. The 15th century Aragonese  Castle and the 11th century Cathedral are the focal points to a visit. Although shopping seemed to be a great draw card.

The cathedral is noted for its mosaic floor which depicts The Tree of Life. Intricate tiles cover the entire floor area and the impact of the detailed mosaic floor, detailed decorative ceiling and blank walls is quite amazing.

Southern Italy was often under attack so fortifications were very necessary. The walls run around the town and give lovely views of the coast. On this side of the peninsula the coast is rocky.

From Otranto we drove further south along the coast road where look-out towers were strategically placed. The soil is sparse, the land mostly limestone rocks so they can only grow olives and grape vines. Tourism is their third income earner yet the tourist numbers must be low compared with places north on Naples.

Santa Maria di Leuca is right at the tip of the heel of Italy. It is the farthest point south and where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. It is also the point where those dedicated pilgrims crossed the sea to go to Jerusalem, after having walked from Canterbury or Rome or even Santiago de Compostella.

First stop was the view overlooking the port town, with the 300 steps up from the town to the basilica sanctuary.

The Basilica Santuario di Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, only a very brief peek in the church because it was way past lunch time

As is often the case, the Basilica is built on the site of a pagan temple and it also has a double doored entry from a previous structure.

Even though we didn't walk, I did feel a little pleased to be at Leuca.

Then it was down to the promenade for lunch. Obviously fish is the main food in this area so we took Stefano's recommendation and went for lunch at Lido Azzurro.

We had a front row table overlooking the sea with swimmers enjoying the sunshine.

Lunch was a really enjoyable experience, by ourselves as our fellow travellers chose other options. I had a mixed seafood plate of lightly fried  prawns, baby octopus and calamari pieces but also small vegetable pieces and a tasty dipping mayonnaise. Kelly had grilled octopus on a toast with fave bean cream and wilted greens.

Lunch over we headed to the west coast where they have eighty kilometres of sandy beaches, and the town of Gallipoli. Not the Turkish town Australians are so familiar with but an Italian seaside town of 20,000 people. The historic town is on an island off the mainland and is accessed over a bridge.

Through the fish market we reached the Cathedral of St. Agatha which has just had the scaffolding removed after major restoration. Unlike almost all cathedrals it does not have a piazza at the front but is now squeezed into the streetscape of this island town. Obviously with such a population the majority of people live in the new town on the mainland. The almost monochrome frescoes were the stand out feature here.

After visiting the  viewing point we had free time to explore. Rather funny to find a Christmas shop with a sign saying 189 days to Christmas. We walked along the ramparts and through some back streets and the shopping strip until it was time to meet our bus over on the new town. Gallipoli is extremely popular with the young people in the summer because of its beaches by day and night clubs and music by night. We were told the population multipies ten-fold in the summer..

As we waited for the bus, a fishing boat came in and they unloaded dozens of boxed of prawns, octopus and fish into a refrigerated van. These boxes seemed to be available for people to buy from.

All round we had a great day out with a good balance of interesting things to see and experience, the  mini bus was very comfortable and we covered many kilometres. Stefano was an excellent guide.  Considering there was no other way to experience these towns, especially as a day tripper, the Salento Experience was good value for money.