The historic program by Gianni Epifani and Laura Misiti, author Maria Luisa Rinaldi, directed by Andrea Schneider, stopped in the Salento capital, the common thread being the patron saint: Sant’Oronzo. The television filming took place last April with the presenter Lorena Bianchetti who was welcomed into the cathedral by the archbishop Michele Seccia.
“I always return to Lecce with great pleasure – confided the journalist – because it is a place of light, in various aspects, not only material with these stones, with these buildings and monuments, which make it unique with all its baroque lace, but ‘It is a truly beautiful light of spirituality and humanity. An enveloping welcome and so I’m really happy to be here and I’m enjoying these days completely.”
Lorena Bianchetti began her journey from Porta Napoli, guided by Giovanni Colonna, and then admired the embroidery carved into the stone of the extraordinary Basilica of Santa Croce, where a relic of the wood of the crucifixion is kept. She then turned to the art of ancient and ecclesiastical embroidery, the cathedral and the bell tower to talk, among other things, together with the president of ArtWork, Paolo Babbo, about the recent installation of the modern panoramic lift. With Francesco Sgueglia Marianostop in Piazza Sant’Oronzo where, a few months ago, the copy of the statue of the saint returned to the top of the column.
And again the art of papier-mâché with the correspondent Paolo Balduzzi in the workshop of the master Mario Di Donfrancesco and the art of ceramics remodeled in a pop key with the medallions of Oronzo Urso. In the setting of Palazzo Vernazza, the pizzica with Francesco Pastorelli (voice and tambourine), Matteo Scatigna (organetto), Gigi Marra (violin) and the dancers Antonio Baio and Sara Perrucci, Michele Conenna and Marilena Martina. An unmissable stop at the Roman theater discovered in 1929, behind the church of the Poor Clares, together with Pietro Copani of the regional directorate of the museums of Puglia.
Among the gastronomic traditions, born in a religious context, Francesca Pagano told the story of the Easter lamb and the almond paste fish made, with a 300-year-old recipe, by the cloistered Benedictines of the city, with a richly laid table on which the frise, pasticciotto, Fruttone and Negramaro wine triumph.
Finally, in the center of Piazza Duomo, the meeting with a true Lecce native: Lele Spedicatoguitarist of Negramaro, accompanied by his wife Clio Evans.
The final comment of the presenter who described Lecce as follows was enthusiastic:Elegant, refinedembroidered, almost, in the light”.
