fiogf49gjkf0d LECCE
ENCLOSED WITHIN THE REMAINS OF THE SIXTEENTH
CENTURY WALLS AND THREE ANCIENT GATES, THE CITY
OF LECCE, PROVINCIAL CAPITAL AND HISTORIC HEART
OF THE SALENTO, PRESENTS A HAUGHTY, LAVISH,
BAROQUE PHYSIOGNOMY, ALTHOUGH ITS MOST REMOTE
ORIGINS DATE FROM A MESSAPIC SETTLEMENT, LATER TO
BECOME IN THE ROMAN PERIOD, SEAT OF THE IMPORTANT
LUPIAE COLONY.
FORTIFIED BY CHARLES V, WHO ORDERED THE BUILDING
OF THE CASTLE AND THE WALLS, THE CITY THEN
ENJOYED THE INTENSE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY BLOSSOMING OF BAROQUE CREATIVITY.
IN LECCE THE BAROQUE IS A SYMPHONIC OUTPOURING OF
ELEGANT AND EXUBERANT DECORATION, THE SKILLFUL
WORK OF LOCAL MASONS AND SCULPTORS WHO
HARMONIOUSLY DRESSED BOTH LAY AND RELIGIOUS
BUILDINGS.
SO, NOWADAYS THE NOBLE MANSIONS, THE PALAZZOS
ADORNO, DELLA RATTA, GORGONI, MARRESE AND
PALMIERI BLEND WITH THE HUGE AND SUMPTUOUS
MONASTERIES AND MAGNIFICENT CHURCHES OF SANTA
CHIARA, SANTIRENE, SANTANNA, THE CHURCH OF THE
ROSARIO, THE DUOMO - THE GEM IN THE SURPRISING
URBAN DIADEM OF ITS SQUARE - AND FINALLY, THE
BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE, CELEBRATED APOTHEOSIS OF
THE CITY*S BAROQUE.
LE CESINE NATURE RESERVE
ONLY A FEW KILOMETRES FROM LECCE, ON THE LAND OF
THE BOROUGH OF VERNOLE, STRETCHES THE LE CESINE
NATURE RESERVE, - WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL VALUE
- ACCORDING TO THE 1971 RAMSAR CONVENTION,
RECOGNIZED BY THE ITALIAN STATE IN 1980, AND
NOWADAYS, LARGELY, UNDER THE CAREFUL MANAGEMENT
OF THE WWF.
THE SPLENDID PROTECTED AREA OF THE SALENTO -
RESIDUE OF THE VAST SWAMPY AREA THAT ONCE
STRETCHED FROM SAN CATALDO AS FAR AS OTRANTO,
COVERS 620 HECTARES ALONG THE ADRIATIC COAST,
INCLUDING A LARGE LAKE CREATED BY A BARRIER OF
SAND DUNES, DIVIDED INTO THE TWO BRACKISH BASINS
OF *PANTANO GRANDE* AND *SALAPI*, AND A VARIETY
OF INTEGRAL ENVIRONMENTS, WHICH RANGE FROM
STRETCHES OF POND WITH EXTENSIVE REED BEDS, DENSE
MEDITERRANEAN MAQUIS AND PINE AND ILEX WOODS.
SITUATED ON ONE OF THE MAIN MEDITERRANEAN
MIGRATION ROUTES, THE RESERVE IS THE IDEAL
HABITAT FOR NUMEROUS SPECIES OF BIRDS MALLARDS,
SPOONBILLS, GLOSSY IBISES, PIN TAILS, TUFTED
DUCKS, COOTS AND POCHARDS AND, AGAIN, BUT MORE
UNUSUALLY, GREAT WHITE HERONS, BLACK STORKS,
STILT PLOVERS AND OSPREYS CONTRIBUTE FINALLY TO
THE CHARM AND BEAUTY OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY
STRETCH OF THE SALENTO PROVINCE.
PORTOSELVAGGIO NATURE PARK
IN THE AREA OF NARD , A FLOURISHING TOWN IN THE
PROVINCE OF LECCE, LIES THE PORTOSELVAGGIO NATURE
PARK - SET UP UNDER THE 1980 REGIONAL LAW - WHICH
SPREADS ALONG THE IONIAN COAST BETWEEN SANTA
CATERINA AND PORTO CESAREO.
THE PROTECTED AREA EXTENDS IN A SEQUENCE OF
SCENIC PLATEAUX, STEEP CRAGS, SANDY COVES AND
WINDING ROCKY RECESSES, FACING THE UNBROKEN SEA
A LUXURIANT, HEALTHY PINEWOOD - RESULT OF THE
CAREFUL REFORESTATION OF THE 1950S - HOSTS
RESIDENT AND MIGRANT BIRD LIFE - SARDINIAN
WARBLERS, ROBINS, HOOPOES, LESSER KESTRELS - AND,
MORE CONSISTENTLY, FOXES, WEASELS AND HEDGEHOGS,
CHAMELEONS AND, AMONG THE REPTILES, THE COLUMBER.
THERE ARE ALSO RARE VARIETIES OF ORCHIDS IN
APPRECIABLE NUMBERS.
TO THIS INTERESTING NATURALISTIC PATRIMONY CAN BE
ADDED AN EXTRAORDINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE,
CONTAINED IN MILLENARY CAVES.
THE CAVALLO, COSMA AND ULUZZO GROTTOS HAVE
YIELDED NOTABLE PREHISTORIC DEPOSITS, INCLUDING
THE REMAINS OF GREAT MAMMALS *RHINOCEROS,
CERVIDS, BOVIDS, EQUIDS* AND STONE ARTEFACTS
WHICH HAVE GIVEN THEIR NAME TO A PARTICULAR TYPE
OF CULTURE.
IN THE CRYSTALLINE WATERS THAT LAP THE PARK,
THERE ARE ALSO LARGE, UNDERWATER GROTTOS, BEST
EXPLORED BY SUB AQUA ENTHUSIASTS WITH EXPERT
GUIDES.
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