Santa Maria di Leuca, Leuca Piccola Apulia - Oggi: 07/01/2009

LEUCA PICCOLA - on the ancient road of pilgrims


It is precisely to help devotees who walked for days to visit the Blessed Virgin Mary, that don Annibale Francesco Capece , baron of Barbarano between 1685 and 1709, made built in the suburb of the small city, on the ancient road which led from Lecce to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca, the complex with the small chapel of S. Maria di Leuca del Belvedere, known as Leuca Piccola. This building was a polyfunctional complex because it was provided not only with religious and cult rooms but also with rest and refreshment rooms for pilgrims and animals, allowing devotees to resume the pilgrimage the following day. Indeed at the entrance of undergrounds a slab of stone says like this:
“Don Annibale Capece or mi feconda
Se un tempo sviscerar fece il mio seno;
entra qui, dunque,e ti trattenga almeno
l’ombra, il fresco, la mensa, il vino e l’onda.”

A curiosity that tourists should know and which confirms the wisdom of our ancestors, is given by the fact that, according to the village elders, a time on the front of the inn there was a slab of stone with the 10 P engraved:
parole poco pensate portano pena perciò prima pensare poi parlare.


"Words little reflected upon bring pain, therefore, first think, then speak."