Location description from owner

The Puglia region

Puglia, also known as Apulia, is in the south of Italy; the heel of Italy's boot. The region is not one of Italy's traditional tourist destinations, but it is becoming increasingly popular as travellers discover the area's varied charms: baroque towns, white-washed trullo houses, olive groves and orchards, blue sea and beaches, plenty of sunshine and excellent cuisine.

The region is divided into six provinces: Bari (which is the regional capital), Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, Taranto and the recently-constituted province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. The area around Lecce and the southernmost tip of the 'heel' is called the Salento. Puglia borders the regions of Campania, Molise and Basilicata. Basilicata's most famous site, the cave-town of Matera, is close to the Puglia border and makes a good addition to a tour in this region.

Almost always ruled by outsiders, Puglia was a primarily feudal farming region, and its character today still reflects its relatively humble agricultural past. The most glorious time for Puglia was probably the centuries when Greek colonists established cities in southern Italy. There's not much to see now in Puglia of the towns of Magna Graecia, but the pottery from the period ('Apulian ware') survives in museums here and around the world. The Romans established important ports here which served the Empire; the Appian Way which starts in Rome finishes in Brindisi, its end still marked by one surviving Roman column (its twin is now in Lecce). The next period to have left a bold impression on Puglia's landscape was the Middle Ages, when grand churches were built in Puglia's distinctive version of Romanesque style, with added elements influenced by the area's commerce with the East. In the thirteenth century Puglia was ruled by the 'Wonder of the World', the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who built a string of castles through the region which are still among its most notable sights.

Lecce

Lecce is a historic city of about 100,000 inhabitants in souther Italy, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia. It is the main city of the “Salento” Peninsula, over 2,000 years old.

Because of the rich Baroque architectural momuments found in the city, Lecce is commonly nicknamed "The Florence of the South". The city also has a long traditional affinity with Greek culture going back to its foundation; the Messapii who founded the city are said to have been Cretans in Greek records. To this day, in the “Grecia Salentina”, a group of towns not far from Lecce, the “Grico” language is still spoken.

In terms of industry the "Lecce stone" is the city's main export, because it is very soft and malleable, thus suitable for sculptures. Lecce stone is a kind of limestone. Lecce is also an important agricoltural centre, chiefly for its olive oil and wine production, as well as an industrial centre specialising in ceramic production.