The Salento peninsula
‘The pearl of the Baroque’.
We just got back from the heel of Italy’s boot; the Salento peninsula in Puglia.
This birthday trip took us south, to Bari and Lecce. Many travellers will not venture so far south in Italy, opting instead for more marketed destinations, like Florence, Milan and Cinque a Terre.
Two ‘less visited towns’ awaited us. Once again, Dervla Murphy’s travel writing came to mind
“use guidebooks to identify the areas most frequented by foreigners and then go in the opposite direction”
The thought of heading south, away from the crowds was very appealing, especially at this time.
By car it would have taken about four hours to get as far as Bari and then another couple of hours on to Lecce. We took the train, six in fact and almost no passengers. Slow travel. We were in no rush.
BARI
Bari is a port city on Italy’s Adriatic coastline. It’s also the capital of the Puglia region. It has an old town, Barivecchia, between two harbours.
The seafront, Italy’s longest, stretches along Bari Vecchia and the promenade, Lungomare Nazario Saura, the beach of Pane e pomodoro, on the Levantine boundaries of the city and views of the old town, from Lungomare Augosto Imperarore. We watched as we walked, and saw many local families, with kids, bikes and dogs, along this popular promenade. Sea breezes. Deep blue skies.
There was a thriving arts and culture scene in Bari. We were able to visit the ornate Teatro Petruzelli, now completely rebuilt after being almost completely destroyed by fire. There was a lot of local art work in the old town and at the Puglia Design store. And the World Press Photo exhibition was on at the Teatro Margherita, showcasing the stories from the 63rd annual contest. The winners were chosen by an independent jury, that had reviewed more than 73,996 photographs, entered by 4,283 photographers, from 125 countries. We pondered over engaging images, that brilliantly capture the horrors and wonders of our world.
Four days later we headed further south, to Lecce.
LECCE
Lecce sits towards the bottom of Italy’s heel, and is also in the region of Puglia.
We spent hours meandering down old streets, in this beautiful southern Italian town, ‘The pearl of the Baroque’. And we kept an eye out for Dame Helen Mirren, who is from PKP’s hometown. Apparently she has a home in Lecce.
We slowly ambled through the streets of the old town, starting from our accommodation, just five minutes away from the impressive Porta San Biagio. We would pass the Chiesa di San Mateo and the Basilica di Santa Croce, a jewel of Baroque architecture, near the Celestine Convent.
At Porta San Biagio we found a fantastic pasticerria, a perfect spot for coffee, people watching and torta. Can you ever get enough cake?
The Castello Carlo V, also know as Castello di Lecce, was built originally in the Middle Ages. We walked all around it’s impressive structure, with its large external walls and arrowhead corner battlements.
Lecce evokes an impression of life in Italy in another time; noblemen and women, life in a lavish Lecce residence and evenings at the theatre. It’s steeped in history.
For us, a big part of any trip, is discovering new, regional dishes. So we went In search of Apuglian cuisine. Puglia produces somewhere close to 80 % of the country’s pasta, as well as a lot of fish. It is also a major olive oil producer, making more than all of the rest of Italy. Other recommended produce includes fava beans, almonds, ‘come di rapa’ (turnip tops), figs and that super pretty, bright green cauliflower. We ate a lot of pasticciotto, a small but heavy local pastry, filled with cream. And I started each day with a cool Caffe Leccese; double expresso, ice and a splash of almond milk.
Spending an afternoon at Vino e Cucina we were introduced to more luscious, local cuisine, paired with fine Tormaresca wines.
https://tormaresca.it/restaurant
We take noshing and quaffing very seriously. Frisa con pomodoro e stracciatella and Orchicchiette pastas, were piared with exquisite Bio Pietrabianca (Chardonnay and Fiano), Calafuria, Trentaaneli, Primitivo and Negroamaro Neprica wines. We got very special service. And we were the only people there. It was a perfect birthday eve.
And the next morning we woke in our suite at the stunning Torre del Parco, a medieval fortress which dates back to the 15th century. I felt like a birthday queen.
We left knowing that we would go back, to discover more of Puglia’s wineries and Apuglian dishes.
Have you been to Puglia?
NB: This piece is based on our experience and is our genuine opinion of our time travelling in Pulgia. We have no personal or business relationship with any establishment, and have not been offered any incentive or payment.