HEAD OVER “HEEL”

Welcome to the heel of Italy. You are bound to fall in love with Apulia’s southern beauties on this private guided tour of Otranto and Lecce.

Meet your guide and driver outside your accommodation in Lecce and begin your day with a 35-minute ride to Otranto. This coastal town’s fortunes and tragedies are inextricably linked to the sea. Otranto thrived under Roman rule becoming one of the south’s most important trading ports, as well as a departure point for military expeditions to the east. However, Otranto’s position also made it vulnerable to attack, as you can see from the following painful chapter in the history of the city. In July 1480 a Turkish fleet of around 150 ships carrying 18,000 soldiers landed here and laid siege to the town. After two weeks of heroic resistance the local population was forced to surrender following the assaults of commander Gedik Ahmed Pasha and his troops who stormed the castle, murdered all males over the age of 15 and sold the women and children as slaves. Eight hundred survivors barricaded themselves inside the cathedral but were soon captured, forced to renounce their faith and either convert to Islam or die. They all refused…

The earthly remains of the Blessed Martyrs of Otranto now rest in the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata, the town’s most famous attraction. Step inside to admire the impressive 12th century floor mosaic, a true masterpiece of craftsmanship representing the tree of life. Your guide will accompany you on a walk through the streets of this picturesque town and make sure you take note of its highlights: the imposing 16th century castle, the Byzantine Church of St. Peter, the lively sea-front promenade, the gorgeous white sandy beaches.

After some free time for lunch, it’s time to explore the charming streets and squares of the so-called Firenze del Sud – meaning “Florence of the South”. This nickname 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 at your accommodation 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.

But there are more than just ancient achievements to applaud here. Get a feel for Lecce’s contemporary crafts and gastronomic customs. The tradition of papier-mâché began here in the 1600s and continues to be a source of pride. This activity is still carried out according to time-tested methods handed down through the centuries. You can browse a range of artefacts skillfully created and tastefully displayed in a renowned workshop. Your guide will also show you where to find the tastiest specialities in town and treat you to Lecce’s signature flavours: the famous cream-filled pasticciotto and the refreshing local coffee on the rocks sweetened with almond milk.