SALENTO: LAND OF HISTORY, SYMBOLS AND SECRETS
Baroque Blue comes from combining “Baroque,” a nod to Lecce’s Baroque architecture, and “Blue,” its sea between the Ionian and Adriatic coasts. The residency project is itinerant and focused on Salento, ending at Punta Meliso on the Japigio Promontory of Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca or Finibus Terrae. There are numerous activities you can take part in, exploring new places and meeting friends from all over the world.
The sunsets in the land between two seas paint the sky with shades of red, orange, and purple that are reflected on the water.
It is a moment of pure magic, to be experienced firsthand...
Historical notes
The “Terra d'Otranto” is a historical-geographical region that corresponds to ancient Japigia and today includes the provinces of Lecce (heart of Salento), Brindisi (central-southern part), and Taranto (southeastern part). The city of Otranto was the capital during the Byzantine period and was an ancient administrative district of the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, which was divided in 1927 following the establishment of the above-mentioned provinces.
A frontier land, the history of Salento has been intertwined with that of the East thanks to the Mediterranean Sea and the meeting of civilizations that bordered it. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Salento is rich in symbols that tell its history, culture, and traditions, but it also holds fascinating secrets and mysteries, legends, and enigmatic tales in its 101 villages in the Lecce area.
Anchored to the ancestral rhythms of its civilization, Salento has been a complex spiritual world since its origins, as evidenced by the arcane geometric, human, and solar symbolism, the hunting scenes, and scenes of daily life depicted in ancient paintings found in sea caves and on the surface. Sanctuaries, rock caves, dolmens, and menhirs bear witness to the first settlements. In the south-central part of Lecce, there is still a Greek-speaking area where Griko is still spoken: Grecìa Salentina, consisting of nine municipalities, including Calimera.
Salento is also known for its enchanting beaches and crystal clear sea. The landscape is almost entirely covered with centuries-old olive trees, as well as other plants and trees typical of the Mediterranean scrub. Stone has been used since ancient times to build “Pajare” (stone huts), “Trulli” (round stone houses), fortified farmhouses, votive shrines, and rural churches. Along the coastline, there are ancient coastal towers built over the centuries to defend against the arrival of pirate hordes. The food and wine are characterized by authentic flavors such as “Pittule” or the “frise”, “taralli” and more, the highly prized Negroamaro or Primitivo wine, pasticciotto, cotognata, mustaccioli, and iced coffee with almond milk.
Lecce
The aristocratic heart of Salento is Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” for its wealth of Baroque buildings and churches. Second only to Naples as the beating heart of cultural and artistic activities, which, in addition to attracting nobles and scholars, gave impetus to the definition of its Baroque appearance, also involving the immediate hinterland and radiating the harmony but also the disruptive and “bizarre” force of the Baroque over a wider area. Favoured by the soft, ductile limestone (Lecce limestone), Baroque embellishes civil and religious buildings. Lecce and the whole of Salento were filled with cherubs, griffins, elaborate entablatures, and daring balustrades.
SALENTO: LAND OF HISTORY, SYMBOLS AND SECRETS
Baroque Blue comes from combining “Baroque,” a nod to Lecce's Baroque architecture, and “Blue,” its sea between the Ionian and Adriatic coasts. The residency project is itinerant and focused on Salento, ending at Punta Meliso on the Japigio Promontory of Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca or Finibus Terrae. There are numerous activities you can take part in, exploring new places and meeting friends from all over the world.
The sunsets in the land between two seas paint the sky with shades of red, orange, and purple that are reflected on the water.
It is a moment of pure magic, to be experienced firsthand...
Historical notes
The “Terra d'Otranto” is a historical-geographical region that corresponds to ancient Japigia and today includes the provinces of Lecce (heart of Salento), Brindisi (central-southern part), and Taranto (southeastern part). The city of Otranto was the capital during the Byzantine period and was an ancient administrative district of the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, which was divided in 1927 following the establishment of the above-mentioned provinces.
A frontier land, the history of Salento has been intertwined with that of the East thanks to the Mediterranean Sea and the meeting of civilizations that bordered it. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Salento is rich in symbols that tell its history, culture, and traditions, but it also holds fascinating secrets and mysteries, legends, and enigmatic tales in its 101 villages in the Lecce area.
Anchored to the ancestral rhythms of its civilization, Salento has been a complex spiritual world since its origins, as evidenced by the arcane geometric, human, and solar symbolism, the hunting scenes, and scenes of daily life depicted in ancient paintings found in sea caves and on the surface. Sanctuaries, rock caves, dolmens, and menhirs bear witness to the first settlements. In the south-central part of Lecce, there is still a Greek-speaking area where Griko is still spoken: Grecìa Salentina, consisting of nine municipalities, including Calimera.
Salento is also known for its enchanting beaches and crystal clear sea. The landscape is almost entirely covered with centuries-old olive trees, as well as other plants and trees typical of the Mediterranean scrub. Stone has been used since ancient times to build “Pajare” (stone huts), “Trulli” (round stone houses), fortified farmhouses, votive shrines, and rural churches. Along the coastline, there are ancient coastal towers built over the centuries to defend against the arrival of pirate hordes. The food and wine are characterized by authentic flavors such as “Pittule” or the “frise”, “taralli” and more, the highly prized Negroamaro or Primitivo wine, pasticciotto, cotognata, mustaccioli, and iced coffee with almond milk.
Lecce
The aristocratic heart of Salento is Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” for its wealth of Baroque buildings and churches. Second only to Naples as the beating heart of cultural and artistic activities, which, in addition to attracting nobles and scholars, gave impetus to the definition of its Baroque appearance, also involving the immediate hinterland and radiating the harmony but also the disruptive and “bizarre” force of the Baroque over a wider area. Favoured by the soft, ductile limestone (Lecce limestone), Baroque embellishes civil and religious buildings. Lecce and the whole of Salento were filled with cherubs, griffins, elaborate entablatures, and daring balustrades.
SALENTO: LAND OF HISTORY, SYMBOLS AND SECRETS
Baroque Blue comes from combining “Baroque,” a nod to Lecce’s Baroque architecture, and “Blue,” its sea between the Ionian and Adriatic coasts. The residency project is itinerant and focused on Salento, ending at Punta Meliso on the Japigio Promontory of Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca or Finibus Terrae. There are numerous activities you can take part in, exploring new places and meeting friends from all over the world.
The sunsets in the land between two seas paint the sky with shades of red, orange, and purple that are reflected on the water.
It is a moment of pure magic, to be experienced firsthand...
Historical notes
The “Terra d'Otranto” is a historical-geographical region that corresponds to ancient Japigia and today includes the provinces of Lecce (heart of Salento), Brindisi (central-southern part), and Taranto (southeastern part). The city of Otranto was the capital during the Byzantine period and was an ancient administrative district of the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, which was divided in 1927 following the establishment of the above-mentioned provinces.
A frontier land, the history of Salento has been intertwined with that of the East thanks to the Mediterranean Sea and the meeting of civilizations that bordered it. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Salento is rich in symbols that tell its history, culture, and traditions, but it also holds fascinating secrets and mysteries, legends, and enigmatic tales in its 101 villages in the Lecce area.
Anchored to the ancestral rhythms of its civilization, Salento has been a complex spiritual world since its origins, as evidenced by the arcane geometric, human, and solar symbolism, the hunting scenes, and scenes of daily life depicted in ancient paintings found in sea caves and on the surface. Sanctuaries, rock caves, dolmens, and menhirs bear witness to the first settlements. In the south-central part of Lecce, there is still a Greek-speaking area where Griko is still spoken: Grecìa Salentina, consisting of nine municipalities, including Calimera.
Salento is also known for its enchanting beaches and crystal clear sea. The landscape is almost entirely covered with centuries-old olive trees, as well as other plants and trees typical of the Mediterranean scrub. Stone has been used since ancient times to build “Pajare” (stone huts), “Trulli” (round stone houses), fortified farmhouses, votive shrines, and rural churches. Along the coastline, there are ancient coastal towers built over the centuries to defend against the arrival of pirate hordes. The food and wine are characterized by authentic flavors such as “Pittule” or the “frise”, “taralli” and more, the highly prized Negroamaro or Primitivo wine, pasticciotto, cotognata, mustaccioli, and iced coffee with almond milk.
Lecce
The aristocratic heart of Salento is Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” for its wealth of Baroque buildings and churches. Second only to Naples as the beating heart of cultural and artistic activities, which, in addition to attracting nobles and scholars, gave impetus to the definition of its Baroque appearance, also involving the immediate hinterland and radiating the harmony but also the disruptive and “bizarre” force of the Baroque over a wider area. Favoured by the soft, ductile limestone (Lecce limestone), Baroque embellishes civil and religious buildings. Lecce and the whole of Salento were filled with cherubs, griffins, elaborate entablatures, and daring balustrades.
SALENTO: LAND OF HISTORY, SYMBOLS AND SECRETS
Baroque Blue comes from combining “Baroque,” a nod to Lecce's Baroque architecture, and “Blue,” its sea between the Ionian and Adriatic coasts. The residency project is itinerant and focused on Salento, ending at Punta Meliso on the Japigio Promontory of Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca or Finibus Terrae. There are numerous activities you can take part in, exploring new places and meeting friends from all over the world.
The sunsets in the land between two seas paint the sky with shades of red, orange, and purple that are reflected on the water.
It is a moment of pure magic, to be experienced firsthand...
Historical notes
The “Terra d'Otranto” is a historical-geographical region that corresponds to ancient Japigia and today includes the provinces of Lecce (heart of Salento), Brindisi (central-southern part), and Taranto (southeastern part). The city of Otranto was the capital during the Byzantine period and was an ancient administrative district of the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, which was divided in 1927 following the establishment of the above-mentioned provinces.
A frontier land, the history of Salento has been intertwined with that of the East thanks to the Mediterranean Sea and the meeting of civilizations that bordered it. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Salento is rich in symbols that tell its history, culture, and traditions, but it also holds fascinating secrets and mysteries, legends, and enigmatic tales in its 101 villages in the Lecce area.
Anchored to the ancestral rhythms of its civilization, Salento has been a complex spiritual world since its origins, as evidenced by the arcane geometric, human, and solar symbolism, the hunting scenes, and scenes of daily life depicted in ancient paintings found in sea caves and on the surface. Sanctuaries, rock caves, dolmens, and menhirs bear witness to the first settlements. In the south-central part of Lecce, there is still a Greek-speaking area where Griko is still spoken: Grecìa Salentina, consisting of nine municipalities, including Calimera.
Salento is also known for its enchanting beaches and crystal clear sea. The landscape is almost entirely covered with centuries-old olive trees, as well as other plants and trees typical of the Mediterranean scrub. Stone has been used since ancient times to build “Pajare” (stone huts), “Trulli” (round stone houses), fortified farmhouses, votive shrines, and rural churches. Along the coastline, there are ancient coastal towers built over the centuries to defend against the arrival of pirate hordes. The food and wine are characterized by authentic flavors such as “Pittule” or the “frise”, “taralli” and more, the highly prized Negroamaro or Primitivo wine, pasticciotto, cotognata, mustaccioli, and iced coffee with almond milk.
Lecce
The aristocratic heart of Salento is Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” for its wealth of Baroque buildings and churches. Second only to Naples as the beating heart of cultural and artistic activities, which, in addition to attracting nobles and scholars, gave impetus to the definition of its Baroque appearance, also involving the immediate hinterland and radiating the harmony but also the disruptive and “bizarre” force of the Baroque over a wider area. Favoured by the soft, ductile limestone (Lecce limestone), Baroque embellishes civil and religious buildings. Lecce and the whole of Salento were filled with cherubs, griffins, elaborate entablatures, and daring balustrades.
