Show and Tell: Gallipoli, Puglia

This week on Italy “Show and Tell” I am super excited to have Kevin Del Rosario share his photos from a recent trip to Gallipoli, Puglia. I first meet Kevin during an Instameet and we immediately clicked!

He works as a guest relations officer in a design boutique hotel in the historic center of the Eternal City, a social media enthusiast, an amateur photographer and loves experimenting and doing exciting things with mobile photography. Go check out his stunning gallery on Instagram.

6 Favorite Photos from Gallipoli, Puglia

1. A famous 2-night celebration for Madonna del Carmine on August 15 and 16 where the illuminated streets are filled with vendors and it seems as if everyone in Salento was at this event.

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

2. Streets of Gallipoli Vecchia: Just like a typical centro storico by the seaside. Open doors and windows make me think that they all know each other quite well and are used to visitors lurking in the streets.

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

3. In Gallipoli (Kallipolis in Greek, meaning “Beautiful City”) you can visit the church of St. Francis of Assisi where you can see Misma, Il Malladrone, a wooden statue built in the 17th century by the monk sculptor Vespasiano Genuino of Gallipoli. Italian writer, poet Gabrielle D’Annunzio found the statue so horrific that it even appears attractive and defined it as the finest, ugly Italian art. The statue’s horrid beauty even inspired D’Annunzio in some of his works (Beffa di Buccari & Faville del maglio).

Inside the church, There is the Cappella della Crocifissione (called la Cappella te lu Mallatrone by the locals), formed by a trio of crosses, as in the scene in the Gospels. Christ, however, no longer exists, but the two crosses with the wooden statues of the two criminals who were executed with Christ on the Calvary still exist: the depiction of the Good Thief and the Bad Thief – Misma. Here’s a closeup view.

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

4. Il Tramonto: Chasing light is one of the highlights of my visit as I spent most of the time between my beach lounger and the crystalline water during the day. Finding the right spot is quite easy as people leave the seashore just before the sun goes down. I bet that people are eager to prepare for la vita notturna and massive seafood dinings rather than admiring a fiery ball whispering: buona serata, amico.

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

5. Between the sun and the sea: No need to explain how it feels to be right here, right?

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

6. VespaVita: the Gallipolini are real big fans of these vintage wheels! Everywhere you go, there they are. It’s surprising how they drive them with style – beach towel harnessed to protect bikers from the burning seats. And if you can’t drive a Vespa, don’t worry, there are several bike rentals where you can get a bici of your choice to move around town and the seaside.

Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

And if you plan on visiting Gallipoli without a car, it can easily be done.  You can take the train from Rome to Lecce (about five and a half hours) and then from Lecce to Gallipoli (about an hour). Here are some useful links I used for my trip to Gallipoli:

http://www.comune.gallipoli.le.it/accoglienza.html

http://www.comune.gallipoli.le.it/trasporti-inglese.html

http://www.turismo.regione.puglia.it/at/99/comune/276/en/Gallipoli-Gallipoli-(Lecce)

Thanks Kevin for sharing these gorgeous photos and helpful tips on Gallipoli. To connect with Kevin, you can find him on Instagram @stereotoy and on Twitter @coldmountaindew.

Have you been to Gallipoli? Share your experience and tips with us in the comments below.