Locorotondo & Lecce

September 3& 4^th 2013

Are important towns in the heel of Italy

Opposite Albania

Elegant baroque balconies adorn some of the houses

This looks like the type of restaurant we should be trying out, and it’s inside – we’re all wrapped up against the cold Adriatic wind already!

His Mum does the cooking, and he does the serving, this is his Auntie helping out clearing the tables and trying to keep things on the ball!

The streets are paved in stone, to match the walls of the houses

Ostuni, another well restored white stone town overlooking the Adriatic coast’ you can see Albania from here it’s so close!

We got stuck behind this three wheeler in a very narrow street, the drivers of 4 cars had to get out and push it out of the way!

This is the Renault Smart car for the tiny streets, not a bad idea

The Ostuni Cathedral square

Old City wall gateway in Ostuni

                                                                LECCE

Founded in 2^nd Centuray A.D. by Emperor hadrian, it was called Licea.  After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth king Totila in the Gothic Wars. It was conquered by the Byzantines in 549, and remained part of the Eastern Empire for five centuries, with brief conquests by Saracens, Lombards, Hungarians and Slavs.

Conquered by Normans in 11^th Century, The County of Lecce was one of the largest and most importants fiefs in the Kingdom of Sicily from 1053 to 1463, when it was annexed directly to the crown.

In the 15th century, Lecce was one of the most important cities of southern Italy, and, starting in 1630, it was enriched with precious Baroque monuments. To avert invasion by the Ottomans, a new line of walls and a castle were built by Charles V, (who was also Holy Roman Emperor), in the first part of the 16th century.

Roman Amphitheatre in the city of Lecce

Old Palace on Lecce City wall

One of the four Arched gateways into Lecce City

Cats viewing the Forum in Lecce, it’s so cool in the shade

The narrow streets of Lecce, Post Office and Bakery next door!

Graffitti everywhere – such a shame!

Thankfully no graffiti in this grand entrance hall

Small Lecce square

A more stylish apartment block on the outskirts of town

Old olive trees still producing plenty of fruit in the outlying countryside

Abandoned ‘Trullis’ awaiting renovation