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Just
before crossing the
BRIDGE (built in
stone in the 1600’s and
made of twelve arches),
which is the only way of
access A TOUR IN
GALLIPOLI to the old
town, you can see THE
GREEK FOUNTAIN
believed to be the
oldest fountain in
Italy; it was built in
local carparo stone and
restored in 1560. It
represents the
metamorphosis of Dirce,
Salmace and Biblide
contained in 4
caryatids. The above
engraved couplets warn
people to resist crazed
physical desires. The
triangular fastigium,
built later, contains
the Philip of Spain and
the town coats-of-arms.
THE OLD CITY CENTRE
It is
surrounded by walls and
characterized by a
network of streets,
alleys and courtyards
marked out along the
walls of the houses
built in calc-tufa
supporting ‘mignani’,
balconies and loggias.
All roads lead to the
extramural street ( a
circular street called
the Riviera) which rings
the residential area. So
the best way of
discovering the real
nature of Gallipoli is
to wander its
picturesque streets.
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Before
crossing
the
Bridge
you can
admire
The
Church
of
S.Maria
del
Canneto
( built
in an
area
which
was
originally
marshland
where
fishermen
discovered
an icon
of the
Madonna
amongst
the
reeds;
inside
there is
an
octagonal
lacquered
ceiling
and a
painting
of the
Madonna
del
Canneto
) and
The
Chapel
of
S.Cristina
(
a very
important
church
for the
devotion
of the
saint
who
stopped
a
cholera
epidemic).
After
crossing
the
Bridge
(“Porta
Terra”),
on the
left
there is
THE
CASTLE,
a square
shaped
castle
with
four
towers
at each
corner.
Originally
a
Byzantine
fortress,
it was
enlarged
by the
Aragonese
and the
Spanish.
In the
16th
century
the
RIVELLINO
was
built
(an
advanced
fortification
which
was
connected
to the
fortress
by a
drawbridge).
Turning
left at
the
entrance
to the
old town
and
taking
the 2nd
turning
on the
right
into Via
Antonietta
De Pace
you can
see
Il
Palazzo
Del
Seminario
built in
1751 and
SAINT
AGATHA
CATHEDRAL
, built
in
carparo
stone in
1629 by
G.Zimbalo.
The
outside
of the
Cathedral
is an
impressive
example
of
Baroque
architecture;
on its
façade
there
are the
niches
of Saint
Sebastian
and
Fausto,
the
statues
of S.
Irene in
the
middle
and S.
Marina
and S.
Teresa
on its
sides;
on its
side
pinnacles
there
are
busts of
S.
Giovanni
Crisostomo
and S.
Agostino
; the
interior
is full
of
paintings
which
depict
St.
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Agatha and S. Sebastian ( the Patron Saints of Gallipoli), the Adoration of the Magi and the Miracle of S.Francesco di Paola. The altar is made of marble with mother of pearl decorations and 51 stalls in walnut form the choir area.
Proceeding along Via A. De Pace you’ll find the CIVIC MUSEUM on the right established in 1878 following the donation by Prof. Emanuele Barba, a famous naturalist from Gallipoli. It is specialised in natural sciences and has a large collection of relics, vases, shells, coins, the skeleton of a whale and two Messapian sarcophaguses.
Almost opposite the Museum there is THE OIL MILL: it is a well preserved oil mill under Granafei’s Palace: tours in English and Italian describe the process of extracting oil from olives for illumination purposes.
Continuing along Via A. De Pace into Via Briganti and running right into the Riviera ( the coastal road) there is THE CHURCH OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI. Built in the beginning of the 13th century, it’s well known for its chapel “ Del Crocefisso” where the Crucifixion is represented with both the good and bad thieves, the latter being known as “ il mal ladrone”.
Continuing along the Riviera you will find THE CHURCH OF PURITY, in Via Nazario Sauro, and built in the middle of the 17th century. It is well known for its paper machè statue of St. Christine(another patron saint of Gallipoli) and its majolica tiles on the floor; the church was dedicated to the porters of oil who worked at the port of Gallipoli.
Churches that deserve to be visited are also The Church of S.Francesco da Paola ( with precious altars in true Baroque style, in carparo stone and wood, embellished with famous paintings).The Church of S.Maria della Purità (whose façade has a majolica triptych depicting ‘La Vergine con il Bambino’), The Church of S.Maria degli Angeli (with precious paintings and statues), The Church of SS. |
Crocefisso (whose high altar is decorated with glass pearls from Murano : it contains the sacred sculpture of the dead Christ which is carried in the procession of “L’Urnia” around the entire town on Good Friday), The Church delle Anime ( embellished with stucco decorations and the beautiful tiled majolica flooring); The Church del Carmine (you can admire the monolithic dell’Immacolata in high-relief and produced in Leccese stone); the Church of St.Teresa (containing the tomb of its founder, the bishop Antonio Perez De La Lastra and a convent where the sisters live in permanent reclusion), The Church of St.Domenico and the Virgin of the Rosary (with the Altar of S.Domenico- about 6m high- in wood and painted in pure gold).
HOUSES AND COURTYARDS IN OLD GALLIPOLI
These houses are characterised by the presence of a space formed of ‘the court’ in the middle of various houses facing one another. On entering the court you will find a mix of doors, balconies, staircases and arches. Sometimes the entrance portal of the court is adorned with a long balcony known as ‘mignano’ of Roman origin.
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PALACES
Among
the
various
palace
we
remember
Palazzo
Balsamo
and
Palazzo
Pirelli
(both
built in
the 16th
century),
Palazzo
Granafei
of
Spanish
origin;
Palazzo
Munittola
and
Palazzo
Muzy
in
Via
Micetti
(with a
coat-of-arms
which
reminds
to Muzio
Scevola);
Palazzo
D’Ospina
( with a
façade
in
Venetian
plaster).In
Via
Monacelle
there is
Palazzo
Senape
De
Pace(in
Baroque
style);
nearby
you can
see
Palazzo
Venneri
(today
known as
Palazzo
Fedele)
and
Palazzo
Tafuri
in the
street
of the
same
name.
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