The rocky park of Lama d'Antico

In Apulia human beings have inhabited caves since the beginning of time.

This custom went on till the Middle-Age.

This phenomenon must be framed within what it’s called “Mediterranean civilisation”.

The rupestrian park of Lama d’Antico is in Savelletri, nearby Fasano.

We have decided to spend there the Saturday night.

Antonella, as Virgilio with Dante in the Holy Commedey, takes us through Lama d’Antico.

We get along a path with candles disseminated all the way long.

It seems to me like travelling back the ancient times, with no noise, no lights. 

Just us and the sky above our heads.

Describing the site, Antonella points out that “the further rupestrian site is in Ethiopia”.

Lama d’Antico is a vast rupestrian area, where you can admire houses, churches and laboratories excaved in the rock.

This area once was a river-bed, which channeled water from mountains (Murgia) to the Adriatic sea.

“Here people used to cultivate olive trees and much

more”. Antonella says, while stopping by a very old carob tree.

Houses are allocated opposite to the rising sun.

In this way, the ancients benefit from being warmed and enlighted by the sun.

Antonella leads us to visit the church of Lama d’Antico, which is one of the three churches existent in the park.

This is an Orthodox church (a croce greca) so beautiful, so rich of details.

This church has been made in the 12^th century.

It reflectes the Romanic style.

It has been probably excavated from the top.

There are still visible few frescos, which  entirely preserve the  magic of touch of the Byzantine artist who actually made it.

God (pictured) is portrayed within an oval pattern which represents an almond.

According to the Christian symbology, almond means rebirth.

A tomb has been discovered by the altar.

 “That advise, written in Greek, reports that a woman is buried here. We assume that she had to be pretty rich to afford it” The guide states.

I add “nothing is changed. Churches still work in the same way”. The audience burst laughing.

Among us there is a couple of Bologna.

“We come every year to Apulia to spend our holidays” They say.

Along the path, we see the works of a local artist, Giovanni Carpignano.

“I pick up neglected stuff left in the countryside such as hoes. These tools belong to our identity, to the peasant civilisation” Giovanni explains.

It’s dark, completely dark.

I scrutinise the sky, plenty of bright stars.

A full rising moon cheers us.

I have dressed the shoes of ancient Apulians of Lama d’Antico.

I strongly recommend you to come over here and admire this unique landscape.

The park of Lama d’Antico has joined the project #Pugliaopendays, so on Saturday evening entrance is free.

Before leaving, we spend some time talking with Angela Brucoli, a photographer from Fasano.

She’s been delighting the audience by projecting pictures taken by her book Simboli e segni di Puglia.

She appreciates #Pugliaopendays.

Nevertheless, she disapproves the Road Show as way to advertise Apulia “It’s definitely a waste of money” she complaints.

I’d like to stay here longer, but my darling wish to come back home.

We get on our car and leave behind the park.

After having driven around 100 metres, I distinguish a couple walking in the dark.

I recognise them. They had visited the park with us.

I roll down the car window and ask “Hey guys, do you need a lift?”.

The man looks at me for a while. Then finally replies “yes, please”.

“Come on, get on board” I reply.

“Did you guys come to the park on foot? It’s dangerous, isn’t” I say.

“It is indeed. We didn’t realize it”.

Lucia, my beloved, asks them “where do you come from?”.

“Well, we come from Vicenza” they answer.

“We are arrived. We get out here. Thank you so much” They say.

“No problem. Good luck” we reply.

Now, it’s time to come back home.

Home sweet home

A sunny Sunday in masseria

On Sunday the weather in Brindisi was just so beautiful: sunny and warm.

The day before, I had got an invitation from Ryan to go for lunch in one of the masseria disseminated in the Apulian countryside.

“Lucia and I will come for sure” I replied by sms.

We catch up on Sunday at 12.30 in a bar by Porta Mesagne.

We are nine of us.

Elis has booked a table in Masseria Parco di Castro.

Frankly, I begin to feel hunger, like, I reckon, all the others.

So, after a quick chat, we decide to make a move. The masseria is not that close, indeed.

We drive along the SS16. 

The masseria is located in Speziale di Fasano between Cisternino and Fasano.

I am an easy driver.

It’s my habit to drive slow. 

The reason is because I just get distracted by the landscape.

Or alternatively, because I have just seen too many times Easy Rider. 

Who knows?!

I have in my car Lucia, my companion, and Franco, a very good friend of mine.

Ryan and I call him Frankie boy because despite of his age, 49, he looks younger.

Finally, we arrive at the masseria.

We sit down on. The others order some food.

I ask for some red local wine.

The food is gorgeous.

We have some antipasti.

Then, for main course we have pasta, or alternatively, meat.

The company is great. We have some good laugh.

Laughing is therapeutic. I laugh as much as I can.  (My laugh is roaring, though. What can I do?)

According to the ancient Romans, laughing was sign of silliness: risus abundat in oram stultorum.

From this perspective, I guess the ancient Romans were just eager to conquer the world instead of enjoying their short life.

After lunch, I get out to sit down and get inebriated by the sunshine.

Masseria is a place where till 40 years ago, the landowners used to host peasants hired to work the land or just to pasture the animals.

In other words, masserie are the symbols of the peasant civilisation.

Nowadays, most of them have been converted to restaurants and B&B.

It is time to leave.

We pay our bill, 25 euros each, and get off.

I take a quick look at the chapel.

It is 5 pm.

We gotta go.

Some donkeys seem to cheer us up.

Eventually, we decide to move to Torre Santa Sabina for a quick walk by the sea.

We won’t be returning to Brindisi before 7 pm.

Today we celebrated the “art of conviviality”.

And we, in Apulia, are master of it.

Gnatia (Egnazia), an exciting archeological site in Apulia

My current location is Brindisi, in Apulia of course.

I was born in Manfredonia, north of Apulia.

There, my parents currently live.I live in Brindisi since one year. 

Lucia, my girlfriend, lives with me. She comes from Altamura (Apulia), well known mainly for the bread, which I admit is unique.

So, few days ago we decide to go to Altamura for the week-end. I drive my small car easy, bloody easy according to Lucia. 

I drive easy because I get sidetracked watching the landscape, the sea, the countryside. It is so relaxing.

We have driven almost 30 miles when I decide to leave the main road for a secondary one, which is along the sea. I wish to breath the sea air.

Lost in our thoughts, we visualize a road sign which informs that we are coming in the archeological area of Gnatia (Egnazia in Italian).

Nowdays, Gnatia is just an archelogical area. However, it has been for centuries a very important Messapian city (8th – 3rd century BC).

From the 3rd century BC, the Romans took over the city, building up the Amphitheatre and the Acropolis.

Additionally, The Via Traiana accrossed Gnatia. The Via Traiana, a branch of the via Appia, linked Benevento to Brindisi.

I beg Lucia for visiting the area, Museum included. She agrees.

So, I stop the car along the road. Like a boy, I grab my camera and run towards  the Acropolis in order to take few pictures. 

The Acropolis is just 50 yards from the sea. 

I take pictures of the Messapian port, most of it still intact.

I bump into two Italian tourists from Milan.

They are on the beach to enjoy the sun and to swim. “it’s really nice here”, the lady says.

I reply: “You are right in the middle of a very important archeological area”.

They seem to be not aware of what surrounds them.

It is incredible how some Italians do not feel touched by the beauty of their country.

Italy has almost the 50% of the worldwide cultural heritage. 

Nevertheless, the Italian governament assign just unsignificant resources to its Cultural heritage. It is a shame.

Me and Lucia pay three euros each to entry the museum. It contains statues, mosaics and paints on the rocks. 

It is impressive the quantity of artifacts displayed. The exhibition embraces from the Bronze age (15^th century BC) till the Roman conquest.

I am astonished by the beauty, the richness of the history of this site.

What really hits me are the Messapian ditch tombs of the 4th and 3rd  century BC. 

In most cases, these tombs are grouped together in a wider ditch, which probably contained members of the same family.

 

It is almost 3.30 pm, and we have to leave. 

The Lucia’s mum is waiting for us. 

We leave Gnatia phisically exhausted. 

However, I have the feeling that my spirit has evolved a little bit. 

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