The Fountains of Salento: discovering history through water
Fountains have a millennia-old history, rooted in the earliest human civilizations. Originally, they were simple structures designed to provide drinking water to communities, but over the centuries, they evolved into architectural and artistic elements of great significance.
The first documented fountains date back to the Mesopotamian and ancient Egyptian civilizations. These cultures developed techniques to channel water from rivers and natural springs to cities. In Egypt, royal gardens were often adorned with simple fountains, fed by channels that brought water from the Nile. In ancient Mesopotamia, fountains were an integral part of palace gardens and courtyards.
In ancient Greece and Rome, fountains were common in both public and private spaces. Roman fountains, in particular, were supplied by complex aqueduct systems that brought water from mountain springs to the cities. The fountains of Rome were often monumental, such as those in the Roman Forum, serving both as sources of drinking water and as decorative elements.
During the Middle Ages, fountains continued to be a common feature in European cities, often located in monastery courtyards and central city squares. In this period, many fountains had a primarily practical function, such as distributing drinking water or irrigating fields. However, in some cities, fountains also began to symbolize power and prestige, with elaborate decorations and religious sculptures.
In the Renaissance, fountains once again became highly valued artistic elements. Italy, in particular, saw the construction of numerous fountains that combined advanced hydraulic engineering and art. Renaissance fountains, such as those designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome, were often adorned with complex sculptures celebrating mythological deities, historical figures, and symbols of power.
During the Baroque period, fountains became even more theatrical and dramatic. Large Baroque fountains were often characterized by high water jets and complex water displays. Iconic examples of this period include the Triton Fountain in Rome and the fountains of Versailles in France.
With the advent of the industrial era, fountains continued to evolve, becoming symbols of technological progress. Modern fountains often use advanced pumping systems and lighting to create water displays that attract visitors. Today, fountains can be found in almost every city in the world, from small squares to large urban parks.
In many cultures, fountains continue to symbolize abundance, purity, and beauty, remaining central elements in many public squares and private gardens.
Fountains in Salento
Although fountains in Salento are not as numerous as in other Italian regions, they represent significant elements of the local cultural and artistic heritage, often tied to practical and symbolic functions.
In this context, Lecce is the subject of a saying of Bourbon origin, known as "The city without fountains," reflecting the irony and paradox associated with a place famous for its Baroque architecture and numerous decorative fountains, yet with scarce water resources. Despite the presence of many fountains, they were not always operational in the past, or lacked a sufficient water source to keep them running.
It is essential to mention the legendary Idume River, a watercourse that mostly flows underground, passing beneath the city of Lecce and surfacing only in a few specific points. Its source is near the town of Surbo, north of Lecce, and the river continues its course until it flows into the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the Idume provided drinking water and was used to irrigate fields. However, due to its underground nature and the karstic character of the territory, the river has always been difficult to manage and control. With the urban expansion of Lecce and environmental changes, much of its course has been covered, and today the Idume is mostly hidden beneath the city. Additionally, the presence of this underground river may be one of the main reasons behind the saying "Lecce, fountains without water." The city's fountains, although artistically rich, often had water supply problems due to the difficulty of accessing the water resources of the Idume River, hidden beneath the surface.
Historical sources attest that the oldest fountain in Lecce dates back to 1498, followed by another fountain at the end of the 16th century, located in the current Piazza Sant'Oronzo, between the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Roman amphitheater. The structure consisted of a hemispherical stone basin supported by nymphs, with the city's civic emblem (a she-wolf walking and a holm oak tree crowned by five towers) rising in the center. Water spouted from the center of the oak, falling into the basin below and then into two concentric octagonal basins at the base, which rose slightly above the level of the square. The water supply was provided by a large well and a hydraulic machine with stone pipes, powered by animal force, which in 1678 also fed the new fountain by the renowned architect Giuseppe Zimbalo, which replaced the previous one. The new monument was dedicated to the reigning king, Charles II, represented by an equestrian statue, and remained active until 1841, when it was demolished. The pre-existing fountain was not destroyed but relocated to the park of the Orsini del Balzo Counts, where it remained until 1756.
But was there water or not? There was and wasn't. Each time they wanted to make the fountain spout water, it was necessary to activate the well's hydraulic machine with a horse or donkey to fill the reservoir, so the fountain remained dry for most of the year, except on a few solemn occasions.
Today, the most representative fountain of Lecce is the Fountain of Harmony (also known as the Fountain of the Two Lovers), erected in 1927, on the occasion of the arrival of the aqueduct in the city, in front of the Castle of Charles V. This work, built in Trani stone, features two bronze statues placed on organ pipes of varying lengths: a man and a woman, both nude, holding up a shell from which they both drink. The sculptor intended to celebrate a very important moment for the city of Lecce through the allegory of love and sharing.
Moving away from the capital, we find other notable fountains in the province, which have become recognizable landmarks and points of reference for the communities where they are located.
The first one is in Nardò, and it is the "Fountain of the Bull", created in 1930. It bears the symbol of the city: a bull that makes water spout. Legend has it that the city was founded where a bull made water gush from the ground. The bull is also a symbol associated with the Spanish Aragonese, who ruled southern Italy for a period and arrived in Nardò during the Renaissance. This was a time when historical and literary attention was focused on the classical era, and the theme of myth, in which the bull has significance and frequency, was revived. Next to the fountain is a medallion featuring the city’s coat of arms and the phrase "Tauro non Bovi." The presence of the bull rather than the ox represents the strength of Aragonese rule or perhaps of the Neretine population itself.
In Gallipoli, between the historic center and the newer part of the city, stands the "Greek Fountain". Initially, local tradition and some critics believed that the fountain dated back to the 3rd century
BC. However, further studies found it more accurate to place the architectural work in the Renaissance period. From 1548 until 1560, it stood near the now-lost Church of San Nicola. Then, in 1560, it was moved to its current location next to the Gallipoli Bridge.
But the mystery of its origins persists: the style that created the fountain is that of Ancient Greek art, a culture that used myth as a form of expression. According to this theory, with the invasions of the Goths, the statues were removed and then reinserted into the structure in 1560. Whatever the true dating, the Greek Fountain still arouses great interest and curiosity today. The fountain consists of two facades, each about 5 meters high: one facing northwest and the other southeast.
The northwest facade serves as a support and dates back to 1765. On it stands the coat of arms of Gallipoli, featuring an image of a rooster with a crown and a Latin inscription that reads *fideliter excubat*, meaning "faithfully watches." Also prominently displayed are the insignia of King Charles III of Bourbon.
Below is a watering trough where animals would drink, and in the 1950s, water was drawn from here for families without access to it at home.
The southeast facade is divided into three blocks, flanked by four caryatids that support the architrave, which is richly decorated and about 5 meters high. In the three sections between the four caryatids are bas-reliefs depicting the metamorphoses of three mythological figures: Dirce, Salmacis, and Byblis, women transformed into springs.
The most spectacular fountain is the "Monumental Cascade of Santa Maria di Leuca". Universally considered one of the most beautiful in Italy, this work, of high engineering value, has adorned the town for over 80 years. It forms the final stretch of one of Italy’s most ambitious and important projects, the Apulian Aqueduct, currently the largest in Europe. The cascade was created to celebrate the successful completion of the project and was inaugurated in 1939. In 1927, the Grand Siphon was finally completed, bringing water first to Lecce and then to the main towns of Salento, eventually reaching Santa Maria di Leuca. Between 1931 and 1941, the construction of the peripheral branches completed this grand project, which is now nestled in a stunning landscape of cliffs overlooking the sea and a pine forest. An imposing structure, it boasts a length of over 250 meters and a drop of about 120 meters, with a flow rate of 1,000 liters per second, ending directly in the sea. On both sides, two long staircases lead from the square of the overhanging Sanctuary of Finibus Terrae to the end of the cascade, where a Roman column has been placed, and then to the port. The cascade is not continuously on display to curious visitors, tourists, and spectators; instead, it is activated infrequently, especially during the summer, both to allow for the drainage and discharge of water and to create a suggestive and fascinating spectacle.
Lastly, but no less important, are the "Apulian Aqueduct fountains". Every town in Salento has at least one. These are small public fountains, all identical (128 cm high, 38 cm circular base, conical shape, topped with a cap and a small basin for water recovery, entirely made of cast iron, intermittent jet tap with an internal brass mechanism, still handcrafted today). They represent the symbol of the Apulian Aqueduct, the historic little fountain familiar to many squares in Puglia and southern Italy, which, starting in 1914, brought the first clean public water to Puglia, and still today, it stands as the undisputed icon of this epochal social achievement. Over the years, stories and rhymed poems about the fountain have multiplied, creating a popular literature, often in dialect: "All’acqua, all’acqua, alla fendana nova, ci non tene la zita se la trova" (“To the water, to the water, to the new fountain, whoever doesn't have a fiancée will find one”), says an anonymous nursery rhyme from the 1920s, reflecting the unconditional affection that the people of Puglia have for this simple life-giving tool.
Fountains in Salento, though not as numerous as in other Italian regions, are still an integral part of the urban and rural landscape. Besides providing water, these fountains served and still serve as meeting places, venues for festivities and socialization, representing symbols of life and community. For tourists, the fountains offer an opportunity to immerse themselves in local history and appreciate the architectural beauty of the region.
Salento, with its combination of historical and modern elements, continues to value fountains as part of its cultural heritage, reflecting the region's rich artistic tradition and the vitality of its people.
The Via Francigena in Salento: let's discover the itineraries between history, nature and architecture
Historically, Via Francigena, or rather Vie Francigene, refers to a group of streets that connected the territories dominated by the Franks (now France and Germany) to Rome in medieval times. Today we talk about Vie Francigene also to indicate those cultural itineraries towards Rome, intended for modern pilgrimage and sustainable tourism.
The saying "all roads lead to Rome" can ironically give an idea of how many Vie Francigene there are on a theoretical level. The history of this path has its origins in the Middle Ages, when pilgrims had to reach one of the peregrinationes majores, to get to Jerusalem, Santiago or Compostela. The pilgrims' journey, in fact, started from Southern Italy to reach Northern Europe or, on the contrary, began in Rome to reach Puglia, where they embarked for the Holy Land. In fact, pilgrims in the Middle Ages started from their home and traveled not only the 'road' network of the time, but also all those paths and pavements which least exposed them to the risk of assault or accidents but which at the same time passed through places where it was possible receive hospitality and food.
The Via Francigena in Salento extends along the heel of the boot for approximately 120 km: a journey into the culture of this strip of land which boasts countless unmissable stops, between the main cities such as Lecce and Otranto, the thousand-year-old city that looks to the East, admiring fascinating architectural works, passing through villages and countryside, where there is no shortage of ancient testimonies of pilgrimage stages.
Alto Salento, the origins of the route
The route starts from the city, or rather from the port of Brindisi, and one of the symbolic elements are the Two Columns of the Appian Way, arrival for those who had to leave for the Holy Land, or departure for those who had to go to Rome. For a long time the columns were considered terminals of the Appian Way, but the placement of the columns on the rise overlooking the port of Brindisi, and the relationship with the view of the mouth of the same, demonstrate that they were raised with a celebratory intent, perhaps to support of two bronze statues.
Another obligatory stop for anyone passing through Brindisi is the Church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro, very ancient, from the Norman age (11th century), built on several layers of the city's history. It is a small re-enactment of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, with a circular plan to indicate the circularity of life and spirituality that rises upwards, accompanied by cycles of frescoes and carved capitals.
Continuing the journey, close to Torchiarolo, we find Valesio, an ancient city that was first Messapian, then Roman, then Byzantine, which remained in existence until the year 1000 AD. approximately as a medieval village, then uninhabited, literally crossed by the Via Traiana-Calabra. It is a very important city in antiquity, where many excavations have yet to be carried out, but in which many coins from various parts of the Mediterranean have been found so far, and this makes us understand that this place was the hub of exchanges, commerce and passage of people from many different places, which still has a lot to tell.
On the stretch of road that leads us from Valesio towards Surbo, we come across a historical-architectural asset of great value, which since 2012 has been managed directly by the FAI
(Italian Environment Fund), namely the Abbey of Santa Maria a Cerrate.Dating back to the 11th century, although according to archaeological excavations was enlarged until it became one of the most important monastic centers in southern Italy: in 1531, when it came under the control of the Hospital of Incurables of Naples, the complex included, in addition to the church, stables, accommodation for the farmers, a well, a mill, two underground oil mills. The sacking of Turkish pirates in 1711 plunged the entire center into a state of complete abandonment which continued throughout the 19th century. Today, after a complex restoration, the Abbey can be visited again and represents a splendid example of Apulian Romanesque architecture embellished with important frescoes that make it unique in the Byzantine world. there were previous settlements, during the 12th century it was also a center of production (especially of cereals), and was inhabited by Byzantine monks who were fleeing from Turkish persecution in Byzantium. The locality was an important religious and cultural hub. the Abbey
In the countryside of Lecce, on the border with the municipality of Surbo, there is another very important stop on the Via Francigena Salentina, namely the Church of Santa Maria d'Aurìo.
Dating back to the 12th century, it is the oldest architectural testimony of the medieval farmhouse of Aurìo, which disappeared between the 15th and 16th centuries. The church was another place that was crossed before arriving in Lecce, and in addition to being full of crosses, a distinctive and characterizing sign of the passage of pilgrims, it also has a series of boats engraved on its facade, and this is a sign that the pilgrims they were preparing for the journey to go to the holy land and had to cross the Adriatic. The vast majority of these travellers, especially those who came from northern Europe, had never seen the sea, and the experience of navigation was terrifying for them, because it happened that due to rough seas and storms, ships were shipwrecked and pilgrims died. drowned. The design of the ship was engraved almost like a votive offering, to ensure that the church protected their journey. In the event that they managed to arrive from the east to Salento, after crossing the stormy sea, the engraving became an ex-voto for the grace received.
From Lecce towards south Salento
At the entrance to Lecce we are welcomed by the former Olivetan Monastery, and the ancient monastery, more than a secluded place, was a strategic site, chosen in the 12th century by Tancredi d'Altavilla, the last Norman count of Lecce, to build a sumptuous religious complex, assigning it to the Benedictine Order. The abbey aroused amazement from the beginning due to its magnificence and the church, dedicated to Saints Niccolò and Cataldo, reached "the highest level" among medieval architecture in the Terra d'Otranto. In 1494 the Olivetans (Benedictines of Monte Oliveto) arrived, replacing the pre-existing community, now in extinction. While the church was preserved and enriched, the convent was rebuilt in majestic form.
The Via Francigena passes through Lecce, where the Church of San Nicolò dei Greci is located in the historic center.
It is a Salento church built above an ancient church dating back to the 9th century, of which the ancient crypt and the apse part still exist. Ancient paintings are still present in the crypt. The small church was called the “Church of San Giovanni del Malazio” and at a certain point it had been abandoned. In the rear part of the church there is a cistern, which collected the waters of an aquifer of the Idume river, the river of Lecce.
Proceeding towards the fortified city of Acaya, and crossing the countryside of Melendugno, you arrive in the area of Grecìa Salentina, and one
of the places most frequented by travelers was that of Carpignano Salentino, where the baroque Parish Church from the 16th century stands out, which houses the Crypt of Santa Cristina dug into the tuff between the 8th and 9th centuries. The Crypt is the only place from this era where the client and the fresco painter are known, as their names are mentioned in the numerous writings in Greek that cover the walls of the crypt. The frescoes on the walls, which are more than a thousand years old, have been preserved very well and the crypt is the only case in the entire Mediterranean where we have such a wealth of data. This type of frescoes continues to remind us that at the time, for those crossing the Via Francigena, the main point of reference was Constantinople, where Greek was spoken.
We continue between ancient farms and a lush pine forest until we cross the village of Cànnole, where we find the Village of Torcìto, which was initially a village, then in the 12th
century it became a Masseria, to which over the years further structures were added, such as the dovecote tower and the Church dedicated to San Vito. The Masseria di Torcìto is surrounded by lush vegetation, which has accompanied it over the centuries, and which today has given life to the Torcìto Natural Park, much appreciated by trekking enthusiasts.
We then arrive at the eighteenth-century Sanctuary of Monte Vergine in Palmariggi, which houses a precious crypt from the Byzantine period, on whose eastern side there was an altar containing a half-length fresco of the Madonna with the Baby Jesus in her arms.
Giurdignano follows with its "Megalithic Garden", an area rich in dolmens and menhirs, and we remember in particular the San Paolo Menhir, another stop on the Francigena route, where a crypt was excavated inside the rocky spur, probably from the Byzantine, inside which you can see a fresco representing the taranta, a poisonous spider that bit women, the so-called tarantate, of whom Saint Paul is the protector.
In the smallest municipality in the whole of Salento, Giuggianello, still between dolmens and menhirs, there is the ancient Masseria Quattro Macine, a Byzantine settlement dating back to the 7th century, attacked by the Turks over the years, rebuilt, used as a post station, tobacco factory, farm .
We then enter the gully of the Idro Valley, and pass through the Grotta di Sant'Angelo, a partly destroyed church-crypt, where some traces of the frescoes that decorated the walls of the cave are still evident, representing sacred figures, people in tunics, the faces of two women, and saints. Although the frescoes are difficult to identify today, the Sant'Angelo cave is undoubtedly one of the most evocative and interesting in the entire Idro valley.
We then head to the center of Otranto with the splendid Cathedral of S.Maria Annunziata,
built on the remains of a Messapian village, a Roman domus and an early Christian temple, it was founded in 1068. It is a synthesis of different architectural styles including Byzantine, early Christian and Romanesque elements. The 13th century frescoes were almost all destroyed by the Turkish invasion of 1480. However, the precious mosaic floor remains intact, executed between 1163 and 1165, of great scenic impact due to the large decoration representing scenes from the Old Testament, chivalric cycles, medieval bestiaries. The images, arranged along the development of the Tree of Life, retrace the human experience from original sin to salvation. The crypt is very particular from an architectural point of view, which dates back to the 11th century and is a miniature of the famous Cistern of Theodosius or the Mosque of Cordoba. It has three semicircular apses and is characterized by forty-eight bays interspersed with over seventy columns, semi-columns and pillars. The singularity lies in the diversity of the support elements, coming from ancient and early medieval buildings, from the various figurative repertoire. The surviving frescoes which span a chronological span from the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century are of great value.
No less important is the Church of San Pietro, also in Otranto, it is one of the most representative medieval buildings of the South of the Byzantine building tradition and remains the highest and most vivid expression of Byzantine art in Puglia. The sacred building probably represented the first basilica of the city, elected metropolis in 968 and directly dependent on the patriarchal seat of Constantinople. Its dating has long been the subject of debate among scholars, but from the analysis of the structure, the frescoes and the inscriptions in Greek, it seems attributable to the 9th-10th century. In the three apses at the back there are splendid Byzantine-style frescoes dating back to the 10th-11th century
After passing Cocumola, where the Menhir of the Cross stands in Via Savoia 26, you walk among pine forests and olive groves up to Vignacastrisi.
It is then the turn of Andrano, in whose countryside we find the Crypt of Attàrico; it is believed that from the 8th to the 10th century the cave hosted Basilian monks, and two frescoes are still present. Initially as a refuge, and later as a spiritual hermitage, the monks in the meantime moved to the nearby abbey of Santa Maria del Mito, a cultural center and totally self-sufficient farm, located between the fiefdom of Tricase and that of Andrano.
The final destination
The route of the Via Francigena Salentina is almost over, and about 1 km from Santa Maria di Leuca, near today's Masseria Coppola, on the SS 275, the last stop was the ancient Cappella dei Lazzari, where illnesses were treated . Built in the 14th century. by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany for the Florentine sailors, who frequented the port of Leuca in large numbers, unfortunately it no longer exists.
The last stop, and undoubtedly the most significant, is in Santa Maria di Leuca, at the Basilica – Sanctuary S. Maria de Finibus Terrae, which has its roots in the early days of Christianity. It stands where there had been the temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva of which, upon entering the church, on the right, an relic is preserved: the altar or a part of it, on which sacrifices were offered to the goddess. Tradition has it that the apostle Peter in 43 AD. he landed in Puglia to return to Rome after his journey to the East. On this occasion, the temple was dedicated to the Savior and
converted into a Christian sanctuary. It was precisely here, in fact, that Saint Peter began his work of conversion, starting from the Salento population and then continuing throughout the
West. The testimony of the apostle's passage is the Petrina Cross placed in front of the Sanctuary. Only at a later time was it consecrated to Santa Maria di Leuca. Precisely because of its highly coveted position, the sanctuary was unfortunately targeted numerous times over time, in particular by the Turks and Saracens, as an indirect attack on the Christian religion. It was destroyed five times, the last of which in 1720. The numerous reconstructions obviously gave the Sanctuary a different appearance from the original one, but the faithful wanted to maintain the structure of the perimeter walls.
Conclusions
The path we followed takes us back in time thousands of years, and allows us to understand and discover the most ancient origins of the architectural beauties that dot the route of the Via Francigena Salentina, starting from small treasure chests, such as the crypts, up to arrive at immense treasures, such as abbeys and farms.
They are places that are still part of our present today, and which will enrich our future.
The Lecce Baroque: men and monuments
In a previous article on this blog we have already analyzed the historical origins of the Lecce Baroque, listing some events and circumstances that favored its birth and development, from the Spanish presence in the Kingdom of Naples to the end of the threat brought by the Ottoman Empire up to the Council of Trento and the vast availability of precious stone from Lecce; each of these circumstances had a significant weight in the development of the architecture that redefined the panorama of the city of Lecce from the mid-sixteenth to the eighteenth century, but alongside the favorable circumstances and historical events, the Lecce baroque owes its fortune also to the vision , to the perseverance and commitment of some historical figures of the Salento capital, such as the bishop Luigi Pappacoda or the architects Giuseppe Zimbalo and Giuseppe Cino.
Luigi Pappacoda in June 1639 was called to govern the diocese of Lecce and remained bishop until his death in 1670. He held two diocesan synods in the city in 1647 and 1663 and in 1658 approved the election of the saints Oronzo, Fortunato and Giusto to the patrons of Lecce, restoring the ancient cult. In 1659 he laid the first stone for the construction of the new cathedral and commissioned numerous other works from the architect and sculptor Giuseppe Zimbalo. On his death he was buried in the Cathedral of Lecce, in the sepulcher near the altar of S. Oronzo.
As we have seen, the figure of the bishop Luigi Pappacoda is linked to that of the sculptor and architect Giuseppe Zimbalo, known as "the Zingarello" (the nickname is none other than the Italianization of the dialectal term "Zimbarieddhu" or the little Zimbalo, probably to distinguish it from father Sigismondo, also an artist of the stone) was the most famous and imitated architect of the Lecce Baroque. In the Salento capital the artist created the lower façade of the Celestini Convent, the Cathedral, the column of Sant 'Oronzo and the Church of the Rosario.
As for the architect and sculptor Giuseppe Cino, he worked in the Salento capital from the mid-seventeenth century, continuing the stylistic research of Giuseppe Zimbalo, whose construction of the Palazzo dei Celestini, for example, was completed. Cino was also responsible for the construction of the splendid Church of Santa Chiara, the Church of the Alcantarine and the Church of the Carmine, on which he worked until his death. He also designed the Seminary on commission of Antonio Pignatelli, at the time the new bishop of Lecce.
The Basilica of Santa Croce, together with the adjacent former Celestini Convent, constitutes the highest manifestation of the Lecce Baroque. A monastery had already been built in the 14th century in the area of the current basilica, but it was only after the middle of the 16th century that it was decided to transform the area into an entirely monumental area and to have the necessary space all of them were requisitioned. the properties of the local Jews, expelled from the city in the year 1510. The works for the construction of the basilica lasted for over two centuries and involved the most important Lecce architects of the time. The first phase of construction lasted from 1549 to 1582 and saw the construction of the lower area of the facade, while the dome was completed in 1590. The next phase of the works, starting from 1606, during which the three decorated portals were added to the facade , is marked by the commitment of Francesco Antonio Zimbalo, then Cesare Penna and Giuseppe Zimbalo worked on the final completion of the work.
The history of the Cathedral is very similar: a first cathedral of the Diocese of Lecce was built in 1144 by the bishop Formoso; in 1230, at the behest of the bishop Roberto Voltorico, the cathedral was renovated and rebuilt in Romanesque style. Subsequently, in 1659, the bishop Luigi Pappacoda gave Giuseppe Zimbalo the task of rebuilding the church in the Baroque style. The construction ended in 1670. The bell tower of the Duomo was built between 1661 and 1682, again by Giuseppe Zimbalo; was built to replace the Norman one, wanted by Goffredo d '
Altavilla, which collapsed at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and has a height of 70 meters; from its summit it is possible to admire the Adriatic sea and on particularly clear days also the mountains of Albania.
Also in the Piazza del Duomo is the Palazzo del Seminario built by the architect Giuseppe Cino between 1694 and 1709, commissioned by Bishop Michele Pignatelli. In the atrium you can admire a decorated well, also the work of Cino, while inside the building there is a chapel from 1696. On the first floor of the building we also find the "Diocesan Museum" and the "Innocenziana Library", so called by the name assumed by Pope Innocent XII, who had been bishop of the city. The library contains over ten thousand volumes, including from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The Church of Santa Chiara is located in the historic center of Lecce, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. Its first foundation, wanted by the bishop Tommaso Ammirato, dates back to 1429; it was subsequently almost completely renovated between 1687 and 1691. The construction of the church, which remained without the upper pediment, is also the work of the architect Giuseppe Cino.
The Church of Sant 'Irene dei Teatini is located in the historic center of Lecce and is dedicated to Sant' Irene da Lecce, protector of the city until 1656. It was built starting from 1591 on a project by the Theatine Francesco Grimaldi and was completed in 1639, year of consecration by the bishop of Brindisi. The Church of Sant 'Irene was also at the center of important non-religious historical events: in 1797 it was visited by King Ferdinand IV of Naples, while in October 1860 it hosted the plebiscite operations to decide Lecce's yes to enter the Kingdom of Italy. In 1866 the annexed Convent of the Theatines was suppressed, but the church was still open to worship.
There are obviously many examples of the Lecce Baroque style also in other municipalities of the Salento peninsula, such as the Cathedral of Gallipoli or the Mother Church of Casarano.
The Lecce Baroque: history and origins
Lecce
Whitely gilded
is the sky where
on the ledges they run
sweet-breasted angels,
Saracen warriors and learned donkeys
with rich ruffs.
A fast-paced game
of the soul that is afraid
weather,
multiply figures,
defends itself
from a sky that is too clear.
An air of gold
mild and unhurried
he entertains himself in that kingdom
of useless gears including
the seed of boredom
it unfolds its arrogantly witty flowers
and as for bet
a stone carnival
simulates infinity in a thousand guises.
(from After the Moon, 1956)
Vittorio Bodini was an established Apulian poet and translator, he was born in Bari but spent his childhood in the Salento capital, he translated into Italian several Spanish writers including Federico Garcia Lorca and Miguel de Cervantes. In his poem "Lecce" we find a splendid and exciting description of the Lecce Baroque and we start from here to talk about this architectural style which in two centuries, between 1550 and 1730, changed the face of the city forever and made it the jewel it is today, capable of attracting visitors from all over the world.
Let's start from the words of an established translator of Spanish works for a specific reason, the link between Spain and Italy is not accidental if we talk about the Lecce Baroque, this style is in fact very influenced by the Spanish Plateresque, an artistic style that flourished in Spain. in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, characterized by many ornaments and composed starting from the imitation of silverware works (in Spanish “plata”), from which the name of plateresque derives. A few decades after the Spanish presence in the Kingdom of Naples contributes decisively to the customs clearance of this taste for details and decorations and therefore to the birth of the Lecce Baroque. There are also other historical reasons behind this Baroque spring in the Heel of Italy, such as the outcome of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, which considerably weakened the armies of the Ottoman Empire, making southern Italy less exposed to raids by pirates and invasions by the enemy. Finally, the Counter-Reformation, or a set of measures of spiritual, theological and liturgical renewal with which the Catholic Church reformed its institutions after the Council of Trent. Following these measures, many churches were re-adapted at an architectural level to be more functional to the new post-Tridentine liturgies, many buildings of medieval construction were "renovated", through embellishments with stuccoes, marbles and various decorations, which made them assume
these look like baroque churches. But the Baroque was particularly lucky in Salento also thanks to the quality of the local stone used: the Lecce stone, which we have already talked about in this blog, or a soft and compact limestone with warm and golden tones suitable for working with the stonemason.
The Lecce Baroque is immediately recognizable even to less experienced spectators, due to its gaudy decorations that characterize the coatings of the buildings: precisely baroque exuberances, floral motifs, human figures and mythological animals, friezes and coats of arms. All this richness of agricultural and floral decorative elements is a metaphor for the "grace of God" and the beauty of creation. Among the most common fruits are the pine cone, a symbol of fertility and abundance, the apple, a symbol of temptation but also of redemption, the pomegranate, a symbol of the Resurrection, the vine, an attribute of Christ.
This new style, which at first only affected sacred and noble buildings, then spread also in civil architecture and therefore its floral motifs, figures, mythological animals, friezes and coats of arms also triumphed on the facades, balconies and on the portals of private buildings.
Until then Lecce had been a fortified city, almost austere, gathered around the severe bulk of the Castle of Charles V, but in less than two centuries it changed considerably, becoming that "... stone carnival, which simulates the infinite ”recounted by Bodini in his beautiful verses. In the next article of this blog we will see to analyze in detail each of the buildings resulting from this admirable architectural revolution.