Layers

If you are a regular reader of The New York Times, you might recall this article from April, 2015, about a family in Lecce, Italy, who discovered remnants from ancient civilizations under the floor of their building.  The story is that Mr. Faggiano was digging to find a sewer pipe when he found underground rooms, tombs, and relics.  On my trip to Lecce, I visited what is now the Faggiano Museum and had an informative talk with Andrea Faggiano, who is running the museum. 

The Faggiano Museum is on a quiet side street in the historical center of Lecce.  While there is a small sign at the corner pointing to the museum entrance, it wasn't until I saw the blow-up of the front page of the New York Times article that I connected the family name to the story.   Fortunately, I had plenty of time to stop for a visit. 

As I was paying the entrance fee, I mentioned to the gentleman behind the desk that I remembered reading the article that was in the NY Times.  He was excited to hear that and introduced himself as Andrea, one of the sons mentioned in the article.  Andrea was living in London, in part to escape from the digging, but returned to help run the museum. He filled in other details of the story.  The journalist who wrote the article was in Lecce to write about a tree blight.  He knew of the "digging" and visited.  His wife encouraged him to write about the Faggiano family, which he did.  Andrea said the journalist figured the article would appear in the travel section of the newspaper.  Instead, it was on the front page of the New York edition, the International edition, and the Asian edition! Maybe April 14, 2015 was a slow news day? Needless to say, the museum got busy quickly, and now the fees help to support the family.  

Andrea provided an overview of the museum layout, gave me a document in English that explained each of the numbered items in the museum, and told me I was free to take photographs.  So, I set out to explore. 

The museum provides a glimpse into different civilizations, each built on top of the other.  While many items are on display, others have been taken into state custody.  Because of their discoveries, the Faggiano family has achieved some celebrity status.  They were honored in New York City by members of the Italian-American Museum.  In turn, when visitors with the Italian-American Museum decided to visit Lecce, they were given a warm welcome and a party at the Faggiano Museum.  

I asked Andrea if his father was still digging, and if he ever opened his trattoria.  The answer to both questions was "Yes!"  Mr. Faggiano purchased the building next door to continue his excavations.  And, a block away he was able to open his own cafe.  

Here's the link to the article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/europe/centuries-of-italian-history-are-unearthed-in-quest-to-fix-toilet.html

Go for Baroque

After my stay in Bari, I decided to go further south to reach Lecce.  If you look at a map of Italy, you will see that Lecce is located in the heel of the boot, almost as far south as you can go. Often, Lecce is referred to as the "Florence of the South", though other than artisan shops and open piazzas, I didn't see other similarities.  Lecce is unique. 

Lecce is over 2,000 years old, with a long connection to Greek culture.  (However, I did not observe modern ties to Greek foods or traditions.) The Baroque monuments were added in the 1600's and it is a significant feature that is distinctive to Lecce.  

Pictured here are the Lecce Duomo (cathedral), the Basilica di Santa Croce,  interior of Santa Croce, the Roman amphitheater (2nd Century AD), a public garden and park (Giardini Pubblici Giuseppe Garibaldi), and my post-breakfast snack of cappuccino and pasticciotto Leccese.  

The pasticciotto is a rich pastry filled with egg custard.  I ate the entire pastry one morning as a "snack". The following day on the way back to Florence, I lamented that I didn't buy one to eat on the train.  Each region has its own food, and these pastries are particular to Lecce.  

I liked everything about Lecce. The city is both elegant and lively. The shops are a mix of artisans, upscale, and funk. (I purchased a beautiful linen robe and table napkins at Society Limonta, which also has online shopping.) There is a wide range of restaurants from traditional cuisine, to pizza, to salads. There are plenty of places to enjoy a glass of primitivo and to buy taralli. I would happily return, but it's a long trek by train. (NB- It is possible to fly from Florence to Bari, though I prefer the train.)

Check out the link below for the restaurant Alle due Corti to learn about the local pasta dish called "Ciceri e tria". I ate at the restaurant and greatly enjoyed this traditional fare.  

http://alleduecorti.com/reloaded/index.php/2019/07/17/italian-traditional-recipe-ciceri-e-tria/?lang=en