In Santa Maria di Leuca

April 13, 2023

Before starting off on today’s walk, let’s take a minute to thank Bob Koreis for forwarding us this article, which answers the question that’s been nagging at us for the last few days: what are all these stone structures we’ve been biking past in Salento? Are they variants on the famous trulli we’ll see when we move further north? And are the rounded and trapezoidal ones different?

The linked article answers the question. All three are different. Trulli are found further north, so you’ll have to wait for an example (but only in this blog, of course; Susan Carpenter showed us examples from her tour of Puglia last spring so you’re likely already familiar with them).

Further south in the Salento though we start seeing the other two, and with increasing frequency as we near lands end. On much of today’s walk we passed easily dozens of them - they’re really the predominant feature of the landscape once you’re out of town. The two are different forms of dry stone peasant shelters, many of them hundreds of years old and the oldest traced back over a thousand years. The truncated conical ones are pagghiari or pajari, and the trapezoidal ones are lamie. And they’re not all these disintegrating age-old historical relics. Much of the modern construction here is built in the style of the lamie in particular - squarish, tapered, terraced structures. We saw several new ones under construction as we walked along.

So with all that verbiage behind us already, we hardly have any word space left for the walk itself. We’ll mostly let the photos and captions tell the tale today, and just point out that we’re walking because it’s very windy today - a steady 20+ mph all day long, with stronger gusts - and because walking is an excellent way to get a closer look at this unique landscape.

Well, let’s also use up some space to talk about the lighthouse, our destination for the first part of the walk. Some stolen words:

It is the second highest in Europe and is considered one of the most characteristic places of the entire Apulian town. This lighthouse 47 meters above the ground (and 102 from sea level) was designed by engineer Achille Rossi and in 1864 was activated in 1866. It emits three beams of light that are visible, in particular meteorological conditions, to beyond 40 km. In 1937 the power of the lighthouse, that up to that moment was to petroleum, was transformed in electric energy.To admire a unique view is recommended his visit: climb its 254 steps arriving at the base of the lantern, where on clear days you can see the Greek island of Corfu and the mountains on the border between Albania and Greece.

Looking back at Santa Maria di Leuca, as we walk east along the shore to the lighthouse.

The season is just beginning. The palapas are starting to pop open, but few sun worshipers are sheltering under them yet.

Leuca has developed a delightful plank walkway along much of the the shoreline.

Team Photographer, take photo! Rocky’s been talking to her GoPro too long, and forgets that I have agency and can make my own decisions. I’ll humor her this once though.

Climbing to the lighthouse. 300 steps according to our host, but barely 250 according to the reference cited above. I feel it on the way up, and will feel it more painfully on the way down.

The lighthouse, tall in its own right, stands atop the tip of the peninsula and is the second highest lighthouse in Europe.

Looking down across the city from below the lighthouse.

A lamia hugs the shore below the lighthouse. What a place to live, centuries ago!

Leving the lighthouse behind, we walk more or less straight north up the peninsula. After climbing for about a half mile the route levels out into an open landscape characterized primarily by stone walls, lamie, and pagghiari. It’s an out and back, so walkers are free to set their own pace.

Most of the yellow comes from this plant. Once again I apologize for the blurriness, but in my defense I note that there’s a steady 20 mph wind blowing.

Everywhere the land is partitioned by low stone walls; some ancient and crumbling, others newer and well-maintained.

It was windy when we left, but even windier when we return.

The nine miles were enough for my knees, and I was happy after we got back to the apartment to just sit around for the next few hours until dinner. Rachael though took a break for awhile and then went out for a second short walk west along the shoreline, bringing back this short video/slide show:

A different sort of meal for us tonight. The complementary bread was amazing and complex - we were warned to watch for olive pits. The pastas (mussels and chickpeas) were both substantial, served in huge, heavy bowls, and shared.

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Suzanne GibsonAmazing pictures! I love the slide-video! Beautiful to see that spring is in evidence somewhere! Still cold and grey here.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonSpring is here alright, but it’s fleeting. We’ve got another dry day coming but after that rains are coming again. Hopefully they’re coming from the north, and the skies will be clearing for you soon. You need to get some training rides in!
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1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonThe area I walked when taking the photos for the slide show video was amazing! I wish I had more time to explore it,
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1 year ago