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Local Celebrations: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The local religious celebrations represent a pillar of the Puglia’s culture and also a cheerful example of the richness of our traditions. On the 16th July, the Catholic Church celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This devotion has ancient roots, especially in the Southern Italy and in Puglia.
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Abbey of San Leonardo: when architecture, astronomy and religion meet
A few miles from Manfredonia, along the road that leads to Foggia, there is the Abbey of San Leonardo di Siponto, an enchanting place for its history and unique in the world for its astronomical phenomena. Built in a Romanesque style, its exact date of foundation is unknown, although it is possible to associate it with the end of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th. In fact, the first to settle in the abbey and inaugurate it as a place of worship were the Regular Canons of St. Augustine in 1127. On the left side of the abbey there is a vertical inscription in Latin, which most…
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Cartapesta: Lecce’s Artistic Legacy
Discovering the old tradition of Cartapesta in Lecce with Victoria | #PugliaByMe A craft very unique to Lecce in the Salento region of Puglia is cartapesta, papier-mâché. No, not the papiermâché you did in elementary school… papier-mâché as an art form! In fact, especially here in Lecce you will find many spectacular statues and even a ceiling in one of the churches is actually papier-mâché e! And trust me, you would never suspect it unless it was pointed out to you! Cartapesta – Origins or Necessity is the Mother of Creativity! Although the origins of papier-mâché are in the Middle and Far East, through trade the technique found its way…
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Castles in Puglia
The strategic location of Puglia has often made the region vulnerable to attacks by several civilizations from both the sea and the mainland. Over the centuries, all the emperors and families who have ruled this land have always fortified the region with the construction of towers, castles and military fortifications. More than 100 imposing castles are scattered throughout the region, located in cities, countryside or rural areas that today are almost forgotten, each of them holds a piece of the long history of this land. Many have been restored and are home to permanent exhibitions and museums and cultural events. The most important are those built in the Norman-Swabian…
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Baroque Architecture
Discovering the Baroque Architecture The Leccese Baroque is an architectural style that developed in Puglia during the 17th and the 18th centuries when the bishops decide to reaffirm their power and authority. It is one of the flagships of the art here in the region, along with the Romanesque style.
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Castles in Puglia
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Masserie
One of the symbols of the countryside in Puglia and of high importance for the landscape in the Murge area is definitely the Masseria (manor house), an old building that for its architectural style recalls the Roman villas. The Masseria is in fact closely related to the concept of Latifondo (large land used for pasture and often abandoned by the owner). The Masseria looks like a small fortified and autonomous town where daily life develops around a courtyard inhabited mainly by farm-workers and sometimes by the massaro (landowner). It was surrounded and protected by massive walls and only a large heavy door was used for the entrance. This large rural construction also included home…
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Egnazia Ruins Puglia – Archaeological Site
Along the Adriatic coast between Monopoli and Savelletri is where the Archaeological Park with the ruins of Egnazia is located. This site that occupies 40 hectares of land is today the most important archaeological site that has been discovered in Puglia. The ancient Gnathis was a very important Greek-Messapian town which dated as far back as the 13th century BC. Photo Credits Flickr The first human settlement dates as far back as the 13th century during the Bronze Age when a simple village of huts was built. In the 11th century BC during the Iron Age it was invaded by a civilization coming from the Balkans and called Iapigi. In…
