A TASTE OF SALENTO

Enjoy a private guided tour of Lecce then drink to Salento’s health on a visit to a country wine estate.

The nickname Firenze del Sud – meaning “Florence of the South” – did not appear by chance. But Lecce is a true work of art in its very own right. Splendid architecture, fine wine, top-class olive oil, a vibrant contemporary arts and crafts scene… the city is a just as much of a treasure as its Tuscan counterpart.

Lecce’s roots stretch way back in time, to the Romans and beyond, though it wasn’t until rather later that the city blossomed into the extraordinary triumph we can admire today. After centuries of invasions, sieges, raids and neglect, the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 marked the beginning of a period of peace and prosperity which triggered Apulia’s cultural and artistic revival. Over the course of one hundred years Lecce altered radically, changing from a garrison into a dazzling Baroque gem. The construction of defensive watchtowers and fortified strongholds gave way to the building of magnificent churches and elaborately decorated palazzi.

The local honey-hued limestone is largely responsible for Lecce’s unique appearance and architectural style. Soft, malleable and ideally suited for carving, this material offered 17th century architects the chance to display the best of their skills and unleash their boundless inventiveness. The result is a true urban masterpiece replete with eye-popping details. Ornate, intricate and flamboyant, Lecce’s buildings and decorative motifs are a feast for the eyes and an exquisite incarnation of Baroque ideals of exuberance and virtuosity. Chubby cherubs frolic along friezes, lush garlands encircle rose windows, saints spread their blessings from on high, fantastical creatures hide beneath balconies… every corner of this fascinating city is festooned with unexpected delights.

Your guide will meet you by the gate of Porta Napoli and lead you on a Baroque-style safari through Lecce’s stone jungle. Not to be missed is the collection of fancy church facades scattered throughout the city, including the richly ornamented Santa Maria di Costantinopoli and Santa Chiara, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, flanked by its 70-metre-high bell tower, and the marvellous Basilica of Santa Croce, an unequalled triumph of Baroque art in Lecce. In Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the city’s pulsing heart, you may turn the clock further back in time as you admire the remains of a 2nd century AD Roman amphitheatre and a column which used to mark the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi and now serves as a pedestal for Lecce’s patron saint.

After the tour your private chauffeur will pick you up and drive you to a wine estate, located 30 minutes from Lecce. A Tuscan family of wine makers purchased this property in 1999 with the aim of revitalizing the heritage of the land and promoting Apulian wines’ reputation for excellence. Local grape varieties of Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello, Fiano and Verdeca are organically grown and expertly turned into rich, complex, full-bodied red wines and sapid, aromatic whites. Here, on a visit to the property led by a qualified member of staff, you will discover the history of the estate and gain an introduction to wine growing and ageing techniques. You will also get to know how the distinctive characteristics of the terroir and climate affect the vines that grow in this sun-blessed stretch of land. The calcareous soil together with light, heat and salty sea breezes create the perfect conditions for the production of exquisite wines. Top off your morning with a delicious lunch paired with a selection of the estate’s wines… a toast to Salento!

Your chauffeur will drive you back to Lecce in the early afternoon.