Dancing with Spiders - The Salento Peninsula

The Salentine Peninsula, in Apulia, has over 200km of coastline, with the clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea on its western side and the Adriatic to the east. In addition to fantastic beaches, you will find rocky outcrops and wildlife reserves such as the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Finibus Terrae.

Salento enjoys a cultural feel that sets it apart from the rest of the region, cutting across the peninsula from Brindisi to Taranto and then down to its southern tip. A distance of only 70km from Albania at its closest point, its strategic position historically has brought wealth from trading routes, refugees fleeing religious persecution and invasions from numerous uninvited guests. This turbulent history gives Salento its characteristic mix of cultures, architectural styles, gastronomy and even its own language.

Going back to the 8th century BC, Salento was part of the Magna Graecia which is the period when Greece colonised parts of southern Italy. As a result there is a particularly strong Greek influence in the area including the locally spoken dialect which shares many words and sounds with that spoken in Sicily and Calabria. It was also home to Byzantine Monks escaping iconoclastic persecution during the middle ages, who founded churches and monasteries, with their Greek orthodox culture remaining a strong influence in the Salento region until 1700. This is the time when other European visitors started to arrive and make their mark such as the French, the north Europeans and the Spanish.

As you tour the area, you will come across 'Lecce' stone, a local building material that characterises the local architecture. A form of pliable limestone, it was used in the elaborate mouldings which can be found on the ancient churches and noblemen's palaces. One of the best examples is the spectacular Basilica di Santa Croce which was built in the 500s, inspiring a generation of artists to master the form of Baroque architecture.

Art, Faith and the Spider Dance
Salento is one of the areas of Italy that has maintained its cultural identity and heritage. A key tradition is that of music and dance, strongly linked to rituals of faith and magic, the most well-known being the 'spider dance' of Taranto, a symbolic dance carried out in the 13th century by local women to 'sweat out' the poison if someone was bitten. Today the tarantulas have long since disappeared but the traditional music and dance remains, celebrated at the many festivals that take place during a Salentine summer.

Food and drink
The distance and near isolation of this part of Italy has ensured that it has maintained its culinary roots, distinguishing it from even the rest of Apulia. The Salento countryside is dominated by red earth where for centuries vineyards, olive groves and vegetable gardens have been successfully cultivated.

Local delicacies include bread enriched with olives or onion, known as 'Pucci' bread. Also delicious is the rustic Lecce bread filled with cheese and béchamel sauce and served with a dash of pepper.

Fish dishes include Scapecce of Gallipoli: fried fish scented with saffron. These are best enjoyed with a local wine, the best known of which are Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro of Copertino.

Try the traditionally made food at the many local restaurants and trattorias but do not miss the chance to join in with the tastings at the many food festivals held around the region during summer.
 

Ten Things to See and Do
1. Visit the Santa Croce Basilica in Lecce
2. Admire the mosaic floor in the Otranto Cathedral
3. Visit the Santa Caterina of Alessandria Basilica in Galatina
4. Take a stroll in the Gallipoli's historic centre
5. Visit the Taranto Gold Museum
6. Admire the Ceramics of Grottaglie
7. Visit the Paleochristian Church of Casarano
8. Have a trip to the Alimini lakes
9. Visit the Torre Guaceto Reserve
10. Enjoy the Porto Selvaggio Reserve