«Ugly and dangerous, they are already giving way»

New, so to speak, but already showing clear and worrying signs of failure. In addition to being aesthetically not very beautiful. To tell the truth, they have never convinced the “new” pavements of via Alvino (in the stretch in front of the church of Santa Maria della Grazia), in the heart of Lecce: this first stretch of the very central street overlooked by the Roman amphitheater since February last July it was the subject of an intervention to mitigate hydrogeological risk. The existing paving stones were dismantled and then repositioned by the workers after having worked on various water and sewerage systems. But the result, evidently, is not what was expected, given that less than a year after the stones were planted, the expanse of paving stones presents many critical issues. Meanwhile, the joints between one pavement and another appear to be too wide (a detail that many had noticed) and in many areas of the road the concrete compound has already collapsed or is crumbling. Unsightly, but above all dangerous: easy to trip over.

Basolato in via Alvino. Summer free from the construction site: «The bulldozers? Since September”

The controversies
«It’s not a pretty sight – says a couple of tourists who arrived from Turin -. The paving stones seem to be placed haphazardly, without precision and without respect for such a beautiful city full of history. Maybe a little more care was needed. We are not architects or archaeologists, for goodness sake, but the difference with the rest of the paving of the square or other parts of the historic center is immediately obvious.” And then halfway along Via Alvino there is this ugly wound, the difference in height that marks the border between the part where the works were carried out and where they have yet to begin. The street is like this, as said since last July, and will remain in these conditions throughout the summer, given that the administration – to accommodate traders – has decided to resume work at the end of the summer.
All this, it was said, just a few steps from the Roman amphitheatre. And many, historians and others, hoped for these works to be able to reveal another piece of the precious monument. «I would like to point out that the Roman amphitheater of Lecce has the potential to be a real treasure of historical data. It is one of the few places in the city where it is possible to easily access the history buried underground – underlines Paul Raymond Arthur, professor of Medieval Archeology at the University of Salento -. For those who love Lecce, loving its history should be a priority. Despite the excavations of the amphitheater area conducted in the first half of the last century, at a time when archeology was not yet fully developed, many aspects of Lecce’s medieval history still remain shrouded in mystery. Reconstruction and renovation works, although necessary for the maintenance of the city, have often resulted in the loss of valuable historical information. However, there are times when it is possible to seize the opportunity to recover some of this hidden past. One of these moments occurred during the recent repaving works on Via Alvino, during which it would have been possible to examine part of the amphitheater and its basement preserved under the paving through modern archaeological excavations – continues the teacher -. This would have offered an unprecedented opportunity to shed new light on the history of Lecce, from the late Roman period, through the Byzantine period, to the modern age, an opportunity that was not seized.”
The gaze of the teacher, in love with Salento and its culture, but a native of Aldershot in England, looks at another opportunity that is presenting itself in the coming months: «It is important to note that every intervention involves slowdowns. Despite this, a city like Lecce should enthusiastically grasp the opportunity to explore and learn about its past. Another possibility could come from the works that will soon be carried out in via XXV Luglio, further crucial information on the historical heritage of the city could also arrive from here.”
Returning to via Alvino, when the construction site resumes, the company will continue close to the monument, but moving to the Bar Alvino side. Once this phase is completed, we will then move on to the more delicate and “invasive” one which involves work on the side where the premises and shops now face, with the removal of the pavement.

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