Salento day 1

Friday 31/10/2014 - Salento's East coast

Lecce.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecce 

 

Lecce, chiesa di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli (1663).

Lecce, famous for its papier maché art as well ('cartapesta in Italian).

Lecce.

Lecce, the column received from the nearby city of Brindisi
after Saint Oronzo cured them from the plague.
The column was one of a pair standing at the end of the Roman road towrds south Italy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orontius_of_Lecce 

Lecce.

 

Lecce, the duomo campanile, Italy's tallest, 70m high.

Lecce, basilica di Santa Croce (1549).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_Santa_Croce_%28Lecce%29 

Lecce, basilica di Santa Croce.
The griffon represents the republic of Genova.

Lecce, basilica di Santa Croce.

Lecce, basilica di Santa Croce.

Lecce, basilica di Santa Croce.

 

Lecce, one of the many squares.

Lecce.

Lecce.

Maglie. 

Maglie, the Villa Tamborino garden.  Closed...

Maglie, theatre.

Maglie.

Maglie.

Maglie, a lot of art-Nouveau in this town !

Maglie.

Maglie.

Maglie, electric bike service.

In between Maglie and Otranto. 

Menhir near Giurdignano (well sealed with concrete...)

Menhir near Giurdignano.

Dolmen near Giuggianello.

Olive trees all around.

A guy, Vincenzo, separating olives from common trash with his home-made machine
Click on the triangle to watch my movie,
Or CLICK HERE to watch it in HD qualty (from youtube).

Another dolmen, "Li Scusi" near Minorvino di Lecce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minervino_di_Lecce

Uggiano la chiesa.

Otranto.

Otranto, the port where the cruisades left the continent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto

Otranto cathedral.

The rose window.

For religious places, often the opening hours are expressed using

both "solar time" and "universal time".

Otranto, the Norman fortress, captured by Turks during the crusades.

In-between Otranto and Leuca. 

Meteor crater or abandoned bauxite mine ?

Between Otranto and Leuca, the coastline.

The road is closed.  However plenty of cars slip through.  So did I.

Wild orchids.

Lighthouse at Punta Balascia.  The most eastern point of Italy.

Back in Otranto.

Now the cathedral will be open. 

Otranto at sunset.

Otranto cathedral (1088) with the famous tree of life mosiac (1163-1165).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto_Cathedral 

 

Otranto cathedral, the complete tree of lifr mosaic.

(Picture stolen from the internet).

Otranto cathedral, freso.

Return to Lecce. 

Dinner restaurant in Lecce, the same as for the previous night
(Hostaria I Latini).

Delicious dinner: Linguine alla Spigola (Linguina pasta with seabass).

End of a nice day.

(Click to EXIT)