POSTCARD FROM LECCE PUGLIA

Chef Walters Sustainable Food Tour April 2022

{Lecce’s Roman Amphitheatre in Piazza Sant’Oronzo}

Buongiorno amici:

Our first day of the Puglia sustainable food tour was framed by a hot day in Lecce as part of the morning and afternoon program and eventually cooled off between the greens of our residence, the Masseria Salamina in Pezze di Greco. In Lecce, however, the group tasted several bread-related local specialties, both savory and sweet, masterfully created by il Fornaio, one of the oldest bread companies in the territory. The visit to the baroque city concluded with a mandatory tasting of Pasticciotto Leccese and Caffe’ Leccese, sampled at the outdoor settings of Caffe Alvino in Piazza Sant’Oronzo.

An aperitif of locally-produced bubbling at Caffe Bella Napoli in Fasano in the evening, followed by a dinner at the Locanda D’Martume in the city’s historic center, wrapped up our initial encounter with the Valle D’Itria. Several luscious appetizers, from little burrata to Salumi from Martina Franca. Risotto with fresh artichoke was delightfully executed by the resident chef Lucio. With a fresh tomato sauce adorned with grated dry ricotta, Orecchiette completed the first courses. Next, the veal loin paired with a wine reduction was cooked at low temperature, creating a very moist and succulent rendition, resting on fresh greens.

What we drank? I don’t remember!

{Pasticciotti from Alvino’s in Lecce}

{Lecce is a city of rose windows, stone flourishes, garlands, Solomonic columns, small piazzas, and unexpected alleyways. Start your visit by walking under the arch of Porta Napoli and heading into the historic center along with Via Palmieri, flanked by aristocratic palazzos as it leads to Piazza Duomo. Alternatively, suppose you start at Porta Rudiae. In that case, you can abandon the paving stones of Via Libertini and dive into the ancient and intricate labyrinth that is the multi-ethnic Giravolte district, a crucible of ethnicities and cultures today, as it was in the past. You could then continue your tour by exploring the charming alleys and small piazzas, where the local Lecce stone glows pink as the sunsets.

Paper, straw, rags, glue, and plaster - these poor materials gave life to Lecce’s papier-mâché, shaping many saints and Madonnas statues between the 17th and the 18th centuries. Some say it originated as a humble barbers' hobby. Still, the fact remains that the refined art of molding papier-mâché rapidly gained in popularity, followed by the setting up of several craft shops.

Religious processions displayed these produced saints with highly expressive faces within several of the city's churches. Today, in the Museum of Papier-Mâché, in the Castle of Charles V, the long history of Lecce’s papier-mâché production is recounted.

The homeland of architects, stone cutters, and artists, Lecce is the city of Baroque and stone fretwork.

Called “the Florence of the South,” Lecce is the provincial capital of the Salento area, only 12 km (7.5 miles) away from the Adriatic Sea. The city, which has Messapian solid roots, was known to its Roman rulers as Lupiae. Today, it welcomes visitors with its magnificent baroque architecture, which blazes on the portals of its palaces and on the facades of the many churches that line the streets inside the city's three ancient gates: Porta Rudiae, Porta San Biagio, and Porta Napoli.

The best example of this style is represented by the facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce and by the spectacular Piazza Duomo, home to a soaring bell tower, bishop’s palace, and the lovely Palazzo del Seminario. All of the exuberant city’s designs include the soft and malleable Lecce Stone, the pride of the local master stonecutters.

However, strength and majesty characterize the castle built by Charles V and designed by Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya. The Roman Amphitheatre, adjacent to the central Piazza Sant’Oronzo, offers an intriguing insight into the city’s history. {1}

{Staff at D’Martume Ristorante in Fasano, Puglia}

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Thanks for reading. Eat safe and wear a mask! Ciao Chef W

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