DECEMBER IN LECCE, THE CITY OF BAROQUE

Spending our winter holidays in Italy has always been a special experience. Not so strange, as most expats in Montenegro miss the typical atmosphere that goes together with the (Catholic) Christmas holidays in December.

After our last visits to Sicily and Calabria, this time we decided to travel to Puglia (Apulia), where we also spent our winter holidays six years ago. Especially Lecce has remained in our fond memories. Why Puglia, why Lecce? First of all, Puglia is ‘the Land of the Presepe’; Presepe means crib or Nativity scene. Many of them are made with ‘carta pesta’ (papier mâché), also called ‘The Poor Man’s Marble’. Several workshops in Lecce deal with this craft, producing wonderful figures.

And second, Lecce is famous for its sublime baroque architecture and beautiful Christmas decorations, which look like a fairytale amongst all those ornate churches and palaces in the historic center. The old town is rather compact, which makes it a great place for wandering around and exploring palaces and churches – all made of ‘pietra leccese’ (a soft limestone, also called ‘tufo’ that is quarried nearby) – with incredibly intricate decorations.

The stone is very durable and therefore ideal for sculptures. ‘Tufo’ is used everywhere in Lecce for the spiral columns, the luxurious frames, balustrades and gable triangles, the flower vases and the little cherubs that can be seen everywhere.

We had booked a B&B in an old stone house in the historic center with high arched ceilings and small windows. The roof terrace offered a great view of the surrounding palaces and churches. Breakfast was provided in one of those cozy cafes in the old town, where the locals come early in the morning to get their first espresso before going to work. Instead of the usual brioche, we enjoyed the typical ‘pasticiotto’, a custard-filled pastry that is a beloved treat in Lecce.

The German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius visited Lecce in the 19th century and gave the city the nickname ‘Florence of the South’. The many baroque palazzi and churches provided the second nickname, ‘City of Baroque’. And indeed, the city is one big baroque feast.  

We had enough time to explore the historic center, to visit all palaces and churches and to discover many secret places. Particularly in the evening, Lecce turned out to be a magic place.

The baroque cathedral (originally built in 1144) with the 70 m tall bell tower was beautifully lighted and so was the bishop’s palace and other buildings around the square.

Our attention was attracted by the crowds on Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral Square. Many people were standing around, caught by the magical atmosphere. We were surprised to see hundreds of citizens eager to attend the holey mass on Sunday evening. They all carried candles and waited patiently to enter the church.

But other churches appeared to be even more beautiful. We were quite impressed by the most ‘baroque’ monument of Lecce, the Basilica di Santa Croce. The construction of the basilica began in 1549 and the work was not completed until 1689. The façade of this church is so richly decorated that you don’t know where to start taking photos. Every detail is more beautiful than the previous one. You always discover something new. Three architects designed the decorative elements for the façade: you can see anthropomorphic figures, but also animals, floral decorations, grape vines and dozens of putti’s (cherubs).

We also liked the impressive Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Sant’Oronzo, built in the 2^nd century BC, with the statue of St. Oronzo watching over the city from above. St. Oronzo is said to have saved Lecce from the plague. The column on which the statue is placed once marked the end of the Via Appia, one of the most important traffic arteries of the Roman road network.

No need to say how much we admired the churches of Santa Chiara, Santa Irena and San Matteo – all of them excessively decorated in 17^th-century baroque style with dozens of cherubs dispersed over the columns, niches and ceilings. Of course, we also explored the impressive city gates.

A stay in Lecce also enables you to make excursions to the surrounding villages and towns of Puglia and Salento. But that will be the topic of my next blog post!

Finally, it can be said that Lecce’s combination of historical sites and cultural experiences makes it a captivating destination for any traveler exploring southern Italy. That’s why we really love Lecce and we feel so happy every time we visit this beautiful baroque city!

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