Still in Alberobello in Puglia or Apullia, Italy

Well here we are still among the Trulli houses.
Wednesday, we went to 3 nearby towns, Locorotondo, Martina Franca and Ostuna. All 3 are built on hills and are a maze of narrow alleyways - all whitewashed and clean and tidy, although some o the window boxes had plastic flowers.

On Thursday we drove to Lecce, a city of 100,000 including 31,000 students. It boasts an incredible number of ornate palazzos and 97 churches as well as a Roman amphitheatre. If you want to see over the top baroque this is the place.
The whole area is mad keen on patron saints and if you feel the saint is not protecting your town adequately you can always add another - preferably one complete with a relic! The saints always have a symbol. I think I will go for St Lucia who looks after eyes. She is shown tastefully with a chalice of eyes.

Our Friday excursion has been to Matera famous for its cave houses carved into the sides of a steep ravine. Although picturesque, people and animals lived together and the infant mortality rate was 50%.beginning in1958 the people were relocated into conventional houses.
 

Our. last night here in Alberobello and we are sharing the hotel with a school party. It seems very common to have school excursions - often primary school and at least some from northern italy.

I could not resist another Trulli picture

A quiet street in Locorotondo

Baroque mask over an entrance arch in Martina Franca (to keep away evil spirits.

Typical balconies in Martina Franca

This area is famous for papier mache statues which are much lighter to carry in processions. This is the virgin of ?

A belltower in Ostuna - a Graeco Roman town, but nothing remains of the early days.

Living in Ostuna would keep you fit!

Typical street scene in Lecce

Lecce has very ornate supports for the numerous balconies.

The limestone is very soft and erodes rapidly. The locals say it needs dental repairs.

The African hawkers are more enterprising than the gypsies who just beg.

800 yr old olive in the town square

The Provincial museum has a huge collection of Greek vases as well as neolithic stuff and Byzantine icons.It is free entry and a new display, but we met only one other person there.

Another castle style palazzo

Looking over the Sassi or old town in Matera

This church, Chiesa del Purgatorio, in Matera has a macabre facade featuring death. there was a medieval cult - The Holy Souls of Purgatory

However the interior is beautiful Baroque

Another view of one of the Sassi. This was where Mel Gibson filmed "The Passion of Christ"

Animal bones used as gutter supports. They are much more durable than iron.

A mouth watering display of hams and cheeses.

A lady of the day waiting for custom by the side of the road.