Lecce, Italy – Florence of the South – Part Three

What follows are some final thoughts on our stay in Lecce. Though we found the city intriguing, having an interesting history, some good food and enough sights to see to keep you busy, we don’t feel comfortable commending it for more than a few days at best. For the most part, the Città Vecchia is very quiet and doesn’t open until after noon. Even with the myriad number of churches, there are practically no other monuments, fountains or public places to enjoy. Other than that, there are not many connecting little towns in the area to plan day trips around.

Museums

To wrap up our visit to Lecce, we still had one museum left on our church ticket to see, as well as the private museum of Museo Faggiano. So on Monday we planned visiting them, eating lunch and then having a light afternoon.

Museo Faggiano

A private museum, the Museo Faggiano is located on Via Ascanio Grandi, 56/58, not far from our Bed and Breakfast. The host has a written tour guide in most European languages and everything is numbered, so it is not a difficult self-guided tour.

Museo Faggiano – Tickets For Two – Lecce, Italy

The museum was created by mistake in 2001 when Luciano Faggiano and his sons were digging to fix a plumbing issue. What they found made front page news, even in the United States. While digging out certain areas they discovered artifacts and burial places and had to stop and inform the proper authorities.

Museo Faggiano – NYT Article on archaeological discovery – Lecce, Italy

Luckily, with the proper guidance and help, they were able to turn it into the museum you see today, thanks to the efforts of the Archaeological Superintendence of Taranto and the Idume Cultural Association. The archaeological collection has artifacts starting in the fifth century BCE and spans the Roman, Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Museo Faggiano – Old Water Drain System for Cistern – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Dug as an Escape Tunnel – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Tank and Cistern Pulley – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Entrance Sign – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Old 17th Century Tile and other artifacts – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Very Cramped – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – 11th century Grain Silo – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Cistern and Well – Lecce, Italy

From the eleventh until the thirteenth century the place was a Templar house and used for purposes of their cause. After that, it was converted into a convent in the early seventeenth century for the Franciscan Nuns of Saint Claire.

Museo Faggiano – Convent Rooms – Lecce, Italy

There are places along the tour, especially when descending where the well is and a few other spots, where it is rather cramped and the stairwell a bit claustrophobic, so take care.

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Room – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Another Escape Route – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Other Holes and Routes – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Escape route probably connected with Sant’Oronzo Square – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Patti in Underground Room with Firepit – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – An Escape Passage and old foundation hole – Lecce, Italy

There is an overlook observatory, but frankly there is not much to see from that perch. It was probably used by the Templars as a lookout or alternative escape route since it appears to be attached to many of the surrounding roofs in the area.

Museo Faggiano – Observation Turret – Lecce, Italy

Story Of The Five Cavers

Apparently another archaeological dig is also documented in one of the rooms in the museum. It has to do with five cavers who discovered neolithic archaeological artifacts, handprints and pictograms in caves where they were spelunking around Otranto, Italy.

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Room, La Grotta dei Cervi – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Diorama, Handprint Room, La Grotta dei Cervi, Otranto – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Diorama, Deer Room, La Grotta dei Cervi, Otranto – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Diorama, Burial Room, La Grotta dei Cervi, Otranto – Lecce, Italy

Museo Faggiano – Five Cavers Diorama, Stalagmite Room, La Grotta dei Cervi, Otranto – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano

The Museo Sigismondo Castromediano is a large and modern museum south of the old city on Viale Gallipoli. It houses ancient archaeological artifacts which are arranged in special themes.

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Amphorae – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Anchors and Navigation – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Bronze and Iron Cannons – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Artwork in the garden – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Vessels of different types – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Vessels and Urns of different types – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Urn with mythical creature – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Cups and large Jugs – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Seascape Theme – Atrium – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Land Theme – Ancient Neolithic Artifacts – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Living Theme – Ancient Burial Artifacts – Lecce, Italy

Museo Sigismondo Castromediano – Living Theme – Ancient Burial Stones – Lecce, Italy

Churches

We were told there was an interesting church to see in the new section of the city, so we headed over there to see both it and the water fountain not far from it.

Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio

The Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio, or Sanctuary of Saint Anthony in Fulgenzio is located the newer part of Lecce. It is worth a visit because of the beautiful frescos that adorn its ceilings.

Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio – Altar and Apse from Nave – Lecce, Italy

Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio – Altar, Crossing and Apse – Lecce, Italy

Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio – Left Transept – Lecce, Italy

Santuario di Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio – Right Transept – Lecce, Italy

Restaurants

There are a few more restaurants that we visited while in Lecce. Of note are the ones below and of singular distinction is the Chinese Restaurant which we both found a surprise, not only for the extensive menu, but also for the quality of its foods.

Gusto Liberrima

It can be difficult on the weekends, especially Sunday, to find a place to eat that you do not need reservations. Gusto Liberrima located on Corte dei Cicala, 12, appears to be large enough to accommodate more people and might have openings when others do not. We met our new found friends Roland and Amanda at another place we tried to get into, only to be denied and then we tried Gusto Liberrima.

It has Cucina Tipica for the Puglia and other items on the menu, so one should be able to find something to their taste. Roland ordered the Finocchio Arrosto which we tried and it was amazing. It was roasted fennel with parmesan cream, pistachio and almonds crumbled with fresh truffle, very tasty.

RIstorante Gusto Liberrima – Finnochio Arrosto – Lecce, Italy

Patti and I both had the Velutata di Zucca or the pumpkin soup with gorgonzola, rosemary oil, basil cream, croutons, it was delicious. Patti ordered the Insalata Mediterranea which is made with rocket, carrots, tuna fillet, leccine olives, chicory, friscous, mustard mayonnaise, caramelized red onion and I ordered the Sagne Ritorte, which is just homemade pasta in a ragù, along with an Insalata Mista.

RIstorante Gusto Liberrima – Vellutata di Zucca – Lecce, Italy

RIstorante Gusto Liberrima – Insalata Mediterranea – Lecce, Italy

RIstorante Gusto Liberrima – Sagne Ritorte Integrale Artigianali, Insalata Mista – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du

Along the Viale dell’Università is the Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du. This restaurant has a modern interior and a lengthy menu offering items perhaps not very common. So if you looking for a change of cuisine from the usual Tipica Cucina, then this place may be the answer. Unfortunately at the time of this writing I could not find a website for them.

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Inside – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Placemat – Lecce, Italy

The Noodle and Vegetable Soup is very good and can be highly recommended. Other dishes, including the Vegetable Rice Saltate and Cabbage with garlic and oil are also excellent choices.

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Soup with Noodles, Cabbage and Scallions – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Noodle Soup and Vegetable Fried Rice with Shrimp – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Soup with Noodles, Cabbage and Scallions, Vegetable Fried Rice – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Pollo Piccante – Chopped Chicken with Red Pepper, Ginger, Onion and Black Pepper – Lecce, Italy

Ristorante Cinese Cheng Du – Chinese Cabbage in Garlic and Oil – Lecce, Italy

For our second time around we ordered the same soup and rice but changed our main dishes to Eggplant with Chopped Meat and Scallions, and Sweet and Sour Pork with Green Peppers.