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Dining in Europe > Lecce Lecce was called Lupiae in ancient times. Even today, the town centre has kept something of the colours and art of a Messapian town. This marvellous town is the regional capital of the most southern area in Italy and represents a shining symbol of Salento; a land rich in art, culture and folklore which has been handed down to us from our wise ancestors. Yet Lecce is more than a centre for art and culture; it is a mixture of warmth and rich flavours. These are flavours unique to the land around Lecce. People have lovingly tilled the soil here and harvested their crops for centuries. Mother earth has been generous in Lecce, bestowing the area with magnificent olive groves and fantastic vineyards. Lecce boasts a unique gastronomic and culinary treasure trove which is mostly thanks to the areas natural products and the traditions of peasant cookery. The basic ingredient for almost all of Salento dishes is olive oil. Gabriele d'Annunzio himself sung the praises of the oil, writing that it travelled from the ancient oil-presses as far as England. Indeed, olive oil is the element of Pugliese cookery which makes Salento one of the most renowned eating areas in Italy. Wine is also an important element in traditional cookery and it is known as "lu mieru" in Lecce dialect. Homer wrote of a "sea of wine": in September the sea becomes dark because of the sea storms and during the grape harvest the sea around Puglia turns the colour of wine. Lecces wines are a good accompaniment for a meal or a dessert and can be used for blends. Each wine carries with it the flavours, scents and colours of the earth and air of its vineyard. This is also true of the areas vegetables, the fruits of the earth, which have particularly rich colour and flavour thanks to Salentos fertile soil. For instance, it is only here, in the heel of Italy, that you can try lampascioni, an wild muscari onion. Salento is also a rich fishing area. Using the fish that they catch in the crystal clear sea, they make a wonderful fish soup. This contains top-quality fish which have rare and unforgettable flavours. The most famous of these dishes is called "taieddra". This contains courgettes, cherry tomatoes and sea food. There are also plenty of traditional recipes which have been handed down from our grandparents. These include dishes like "ciceri e tria" which is a kind of homemade lasagna with chick peas, or tasty horsemeat spiced up with some chili peppers. There is also wide range of dairy products from mozzarella to curds, all of which are made with sheep or goats milk. These are beautifully prepared and they still make marzotica ricotta and burrata using the same old traditional recipes. The other essential element of the Salento diet is bread. Great care is taken in the preparation of oiled breads and Pizzi, both typical breads from Lecce. Finally, there are the famous Pugliese desserts and pastries like strufuli, cartellate and cupete with toasted almonds. A visit to Lecce is not complete without trying a "pasticciotto" filled with cream or a "fruttone" with stuffed with marzipan and covered with chocolate. There is a whole maze of new dishes to try with a new favourite for everyone. Lecce has one of the best cuisines in Italy and this is thanks to a combination of the love and care which they put into their cookery, and the old traditional recipes and high quality local produce. Chefs in Lecce love the land around them and use local produce because they know it is the best. Its possible to try all of the areas tasty dishes in the many restaurants which Lecce, and Salento as a whole, have to offer. Most of the restaurants and pizzerias in Lecce are in the towns old centre. If you walk down Via Palmieri towards Piazza Duomo you will come across a whole series of pizzerias and restaurants including the Piction, an elegant and refined restaurant which serves excellent spaghetti with scampi. There is Maccheroni which serves excellent maceroni with sauce. If you are looking for a more characteristic and unusual place then try Alle due Corti dei Giugni which serves excellent horse meat. If you continue down the main thoroughfare, you will see the Dominga, where you can enjoy some superb first courses including "spaghetti alle cozze". You can try the areas famous "pizzi" and oiled breads at La Rusticana. If you are looking for somewhere with excellent service and beautifully presented cuisine then we recommend Atenze which is part of the Patria Palace Hotel in Piazzetta Riccardi. They serve beans with chicory beard, which comes from the wild chicory which grows in the countryside. This is seasoned with the olive oil of the highest possible quality. The best place to go to try our "taieddra" is the Guido e Figli restaurant in Via Trinchese. Don't forget to try our ice-creams and pastries at Gelateria Prato and the masterful Pasticceria Franchini. Its a long and winding road to try all of Lecces specialities but its a real pleasure to go down. Entertainment in LecceLecce is a city of artists and poets, that fascinates visitors with its magic and its art. Ariosto wrote in Orlando Furioso: "I will undertake to sing of the women, the horsemen, the loves, the qualities, the audaciousness." I, on the other hand, will sing of, or tell, the history, the magic places, the fantastic spectacles and the social life of a city with ancient origins, but a modern spirit with a place in modern life. Times, tastes and styles of life change, but loves, women, men and, above all, a sense of fun, stay the same. Lecce offers a range of activities all year round. There are numerous cinemas, pub, discos, festivals, theatres, and many other places and shows to spend an evening having fun, in the company of lovely, southerners. In every corner of the city, are fun, spirited and cordial people, who make up a population that have always faced life with a lively, daring spirit throughout all the adversities and problems they have come across over the centuries. Many festivals take place in Lecce, during the summer, from June to September. Food and typical, local produce are on offer here, as well as good music. Don't miss out on the special "lampascioni", which are little, wild, onions. There are also many festivals that take place in the surrounding area, such as a beer festival and wine feasts. All these festivals are great fun and very lively. Cinema and Theatre There are numerous cinemas in Lecce, al near the city centre. In Via Trinchese, near Piazza Mazzini, is the Ariston which is modern and functional with two screens. Near the Carlo V castle, is the Massimo, a modern, multi screen cinema which has recently opened. Another place is Santalucia, that offers open air cinema in the summer, where you can enjoy the films under the stars. A bit further out of the historic centre are the Monaci and Salesiani cinemas, situated near the Chiesa dei Monaci and the Salesiani Church. In June, the Salesiani often shows artistic, classical and modern dance shows as well as normal films. The main theatre in Lecce is the Politeama Greco, located near Piazza S.Oronzo. It is a beautiful theatre, built at the end of the modern era and is now the artistic home of the city. During its lyric season, visitors can enjoy many shows, all organised and directed by the lyric singer, Katia Ricciarelli. Late night In summer, all of Salento transforms into a spectacular place, filled with the colours of open air shows, and offers many ways to spend a hot, summer evening. The whole Adriatic coast has a huge number of discos starting from Alimini, continuing until the magic Otranto. There is also the splendid Gallipoli, that boasts numerous, fantastic pubs and discos from which you can admire the port while dancing the night away. Dining in Europe > Lecce
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