The ancient city walls protecting Lecce from the Turks by the order of King Carlos V had four gates. Today three gates remain, Porta Rudiae, Porta Napoli and Porta San Biagio. We walk through each of these gates in our meanderings and associate each one with what we do in their environs. So here they are…
PORTA NAPOLI
Porta Napoli is the most imposing gate. The tree lined avenue approaching the gate gives it a sense of grandeur. And, unsurprisingly, this is where the tour buses pull up to drop off and pick up tourists coming to Lecce for a look-see. We saw our first tour bus day before yesterday. I think the season is starting. For us Porta Napoli is the way we walk to the campus of the University of Salento, past the best flower market and near a favorite cafe with good cafe macchiato.
PORTA RUDIAE
Porta Rudiae is a favorite for two reasons. Lecce’s Academy of Fine Arts sits right inside the gate. Every time we walk through, students are milling in the courtyard and fill a cafe on one side of the gate. One day they were having a celebration feting a couple wreathed in laurel with purple robes. Both young and vibrant as the young can be. Porta Rudiae also has a wonderful daily market just outside the wall, all fresh vegetables, meat, fish and cheeses. We go by here often.
PORTA SAN BIAGIO
We think of San Biagio as “our” gate because it is the closest to our apartment. We walk through it every day to go food shopping and there are three cafes flanking the entrance. We rotate. One has the best bite size panini, one has the best pasticciotto, and one has the best rustico, a pastry stuffed with an array of country meats, cheese and tomatoes. Dana eats pasticciotto. He likes sweet. I eat rustico. I like savory. We trade days.
MedFlies 