The most important traditions of the salentine crafts are the ancient and famous manufacturing of the papier mache in Lecce ( famous are the “pupi” for the crèche), the manufacturing of the terra cotta in the realization of the typical penny whistles (in Lecce and Ostuni), hand bells and brownies and the quatatàri, who create bins of terra cotta. There is also: the manufacturing of wrought iron, with which were created also the famous rounded balconies of the noble palaces; embroidery; the artistic manufacturing of glass, wood and copper. Recently, the sculpture in “pietra leccese” has gained again energies, thank to new techniques and new forms. The tradition of the zùcari o zucàri, weavers of ropes, and the pananàri, weavers of bulrushes, reeds, shoots of olive trees, who created baskets and bins of traditional shapes, are, unfortunately, dying out.

Translate by: Anna