Written January 10. 2008 in
Uncategorized
Lecce and the peninsula of Salento, situated at the extreme south-east of Puglia, between the Adriatic Sea and the gulf of Taranto, have been unreasonably neglected by Italian and foreign tourists for a long time. Yet they consitute a region which should be explored and deeply known because it’s rich in precious natural treasures, characteristic aspects and incomparable beauties which charm the tourists by arousing various and unforgettable feelings in him.
Since pre-historical times, this area was inhabited by Messapic popultaions whom some scholars identify as the lapigians, who reached Puglia coming from the opposite shore of the Illyrian and Epirus according to a modern theory, or from Crete according to a literary tradition. The peninsula of Salento is a land wich, together with theory recent buildings, the symbols of the modern progress, keeps suggestive records of its long and tormented history. So you find here megalithic monuments dating back to the bronze age, remains of te Greek colonization and imposing ruins of the Roman domination, Romanesque churches, whose architecture has been influenced by the Byzantine and oriental styles, magnificent Baroque buildings, which characterize the town of Lecce.
Apart from this archaelogic and artistic patrimony, studied and admired by scholars and tourists, there are very beautiful landscapes – picturesque and steep stretches of its coast, with very interesting grottoes, charming bays with clear waters and islets; characteristic fishing centres, quiet bathing resorts, the ideal for a resting holiday, towns which are important trading centres, thought keeping the charm and atmosphere of their millenary history. Therefore the peninsula of Salento is to be visited and discovered. It is a land I learned to admire and love in its various and charmings aspect – a land I’ll never forget.
