The doors of the historic buildings of Lecce open for a day. “Open Courtyards” returns to the Salento capital on Sunday 26 May, from 10am to 1pm and from 4.30pm to 8.30pm, as part of the 14th edition of the “National Day of the Italian Historic Houses Association”. The association that brings together more than 4500 owners of prestigious residences along the entire peninsula, for one day, the largest widespread museum in Italy opens with over 550 monuments including castles, fortresses, villas, parks, gardens which will welcome free of charge all those who want to immerse themselves in timeless places, surrounded by wonders of the Italian artistic and cultural heritage.
The historic Lecce event, now in its 29th edition, organized by the Puglia Section of Adsi with the support and collaboration of the Municipality of Lecce, reveals to tourists and visitors over 30 homes, historical places, courtyards, gardens, entrance halls, cloisters usually closed along the streets of the city center, which embrace a very rich program of events with book presentations, exhibitions, conversations, historical dances in costume, live music, exhibitions, performances, guided tours also in foreign languages. This year two events dedicated to opera lovers, on the occasion of the centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s death: at Palazzo Tamborino Cezzi there is the concert “Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore”, a journey to discover the torments and passions of the great composer, while in the Church of Sant’Anna a conversation with music and images curated by Eraldo Martucci entitled “Sacred love and profane love: religiosity in the works of Giacomo Puccini in the centenary of his death”
There are three itineraries proposed, which start from the main entrance gates to the historic center of the Salento capital, marked by different colours. In the red path, from Porta San Biagio: Marcelline Institute of Culture and Languages, Palazzo Pollicastro Boutique Hotel, Ship in Arte Gallery, Palazzo Carrozzini, Palazzo Lecciso, Palazzo Morisco, Palazzo Tamborino Cezzi, Palazzo Sambiasi, Palazzo Bernardini, Palazzo Brunetti, Palazzo Andretta, Must – Museum Historic City of Lecce. In the blue path, from Porta Rudiae: Academy of Fine Arts, Borgo Sant’Anna, Palazzo Scarciglia, Church of S. Elisabetta, Palazzo Apostolico Orsini, Palazzo del Seminario, Palazzo Marrese, Palazzo Rollo, Palazzo Carrelli Palombi, former convent of the Teatini; In the orange path, from Porta Napoli: Church of Santa Maria di Ogni Bene and former Augustinian convent, Palazzo Giaconia, Fiermonte Museum, II Circolo Didattico “Edmondo De Amicis”, La Fiermontina Palazzo Bozzi Corso, Palazzo Personé-Taurino, headquarters of the Jewish Museum, Palazzo Maremonte – Chillino, Palazzo Protonobilissimo, Palazzo Guido, noble chapel of San Leucio, Church of Santa Maria “della Nova”.
Also on the program, among the events related to the event, is “Crafts of excellence 2024”, the market exhibition of Made in Italy products hosted in the Circolo Cittadino from Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th May, from 10am to 9pm.
An important role in the creation of “Open Courtyards” has always been played by schools and training institutes. Like every year, the collaboration between Adsi-Puglia section and the schools is renewed, with students directly involved in numerous cultural activities. Participating in this edition will be: “Marcelline” Institute of Culture and Languages, “Olivetti” Ites, “Ciardo Pellegrino” Artistic and Dance High School, “Giuseppe Palmieri” Classical and Musical High School, “Giulietta Banzi” State Scientific High School, “Pietro Siciliani” State High School ”, Oxford Group International House School, “Ascanio Grandi” lower secondary school.
In Puglia, as part of the national day organized by the regional section, the beauties of historic buildings, villas, castles and farms also in the provinces of Lecce, Bari, Taranto and Brindisi will be revealed to tourists and visitors.
The province of Lecce is intensely involved with new openings: this year the Castle of Corigliano d’Otranto and the Baronial Palace Serafini-Sauli of Tiggiano also welcome visitors. Villa La Meridiana opened by the Caputo-Caroli family in Santa Maria di Leuca; in Cavallino the Church of Saints Niccolò and Domenico and crypt, the atrium of the Castromediano ducal palace and the underground oil mill. In Ruffano the fifth edition of “Open Courtyards” offers the opportunity to visit Castello Brancaccio, Palazzo Pio, Palazzo D’Urso, Palazzo Riccardo, Palazzo Licci-Ferrari, Nineteenth-century Palace, Palazzo Gaetani, Casa Giangreco, Casa Bortone, underground oil mill, Church San Francesco da Paola, Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Church of the Annunciation, The Flying Carpet – Staircase of the Historic Centre, Tales of Ceramics. In Botrugno it is possible to visit Palazzo Marchesale, the Civic Museum of the Armed Forces, the “History of the Razor Blade” Museum, the Palatine Chapel of S. Anna, the Church of Maria SS Costantinopoli; in Caprarica di Lecce the Baronial Cariati Greco Castle in Minervino di Lecce Palazzo Ducale Venturi (known as Castello Nuovo) while in Alessano Palazzo Ducale opens to the public, in Gallipoli Palazzo Briganti and in Sternatia Palazzo Granafei, in the heart of the historic centre.
In the province of Brindisi, the Dentice di Frasso castle opens in San Vito dei Normanni and Masseria Tor Leanza in San Pietro Vernotico. In the province of Taranto: Villa Pantaleo in Taranto. In the province of Bari, however, where already on Sunday 12th, a well-attended demonstration took place in Bitonto in support of the XIV National Adsi Day which saw the opening of 58 sites, the doors of the Cathedral of San Michele Arcangelo, Church of Santa Maria la Veterana, Baronial Palace in Bitetto; “E. Foundation Pomarici Santomasi” in Gravina in Puglia; Masseria Spina in Monopoli while in Noci, Villa Lenti, Masseria Don Giulio, Barsento Oasis, Clock Tower, Church of Santo Stefano, Church of Santa Chiara, Cloister of the Clarisse, Town Hall, Church of Carmine, Masseria Murgia Albanese. Finally, Palazzo Gioia also opens its doors in Corato.
“Open Courtyards – says Rossella Arditi Galante, vice president of Adsi Puglia, is the opportunity and the joy of sharing with visitors the beauty hidden behind the doors of historic homes. Every year the list is enriched with new openings. Sunday will be the first time for Palazzo Marrese and Palazzo Scarciglia; in the province, Palazzo Baronial Serafini Sauli in Tiggiano and the Castle in Corigliano, a sign of the vitality of a highly attractive event. A special thank you to the Artwork Cultura cooperative who shared various moments of this event with us. The strength of Cortili Aperti is also the young people, to whom we entrust the beauty and history. Also for this edition we involved numerous schools in the city, from primary schools to high schools, ending with the Academy of Fine Arts. The boys and girls are our future, they will be the ones to pick up the baton and pass it on to those who come after them the value of this priceless artistic heritage”.
“We are enthusiastic about an event capable of renewing itself every year – adds Giuseppe Seracca Guerrieri, former president and member of the Adsi Puglia board of directors – thanks to the keen interest and passion of historians, to the new homes that open up to the visit of tourists and enthusiasts who they will experience the day for the first time or those who will return. We are very satisfied with the participation of schools and cultural associations in our project, which is growing year after year. This inclusion is our greatest satisfaction. It is important to make the history of our city known, in order to be able to love and respect it more and more, recognizing that Historic Houses have a central role in the cultural and economic development of the territories. We have had feedback and bookings from numerous European and non-European nations, this year too we are sure that we will be able to exceed the attendance recorded in previous editions”.
Info: Palazzo del Sedile in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, from 9am to 8pm, and Palazzo Scarciglia, via Libertini 28, Lecce; www.associazionedimorestoricheitaliane.it.
Press release
