Lecce hides secrets and treasures even outside its historic center. A few steps from the municipal villa stands a monumental complex called Fulgenzio. At first glance it may seem like a simple neo-Gothic style church. Inside, a path develops that will leave the visitor enchanted and allow you to discover legendary traits of an unknown Lecce.
The itinerary develops on three architectural levels and allows you to discover the rooms of the church of Sant’Antonio da Padova, those of the hypogeum Nymphaeum and those of the Palazzo Della Monica and the Roberto Caracciolo Art Gallery.
The Church of Sant’Antonio a Fulgenzio is a fascinating example of neo-medieval architecture, which amazes visitors with its beauty and spiritual atmosphere. Founded by the Franciscan friars after the suppression of religious orders, the church was built thanks to the generosity of Letizia Balsamo, who donated the villa of Fulgenzio della Monica to them.
Designed by the engineer Carmelo Franco, the church was built between 1901 and 1910. The neo-Romanesque façade, characterised by two bell towers and a large central rose window, is an invitation to explore the interior, where the wall decorations, created between 1926 and 1937 by Friar Raffaello Pantaloni, enrich the environment with bright colours and gold.
The “Roberto Caracciolo” Art Gallery is located in the building adjacent to the church. It houses works from the Franciscan convents of Southern Puglia.
The works mostly encompass the period between 1500 and 1700, of a sacred nature, especially of Franciscan origin. The paintings are part of the Baroque production of the Kingdom of Naples, following the artistic influence of the Counter-Reformation.
Among the works on display, one can recognize some famous Salento painters such as Oronzo Tiso, Gianserio Strafella and Serafino Elmo, undisputed protagonists of local seventeenth-century painting.
In addition to the ancient collection, the Pinacoteca preserves works from the 20th century, linked to the production of Raffaello Pantaloni, Giuseppe Casciaro, Stanislao Sidoti and Ezechiele Leandro.
Among the highest artistic and scientific expressions of the Pinacoteca, you can observe a very particular crucifix. There are five of them in the whole world. It is a work halfway between artistic and scientific realization. In fact, the crucifix shows the innards of the human body, the ribs and the internal organs of the lower abdomen. In short, a rather extravagant crucifix.
Coming down from the Pinacoteca, after crossing the sublime seventeenth-century orange grove, one looks out into the esoteric and mysterious world of the Nymphaeum of Fulgenzio.
The motif of the three arched doors harks back to the allegorical interpretation of the three ways inspired by a drawing from the “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili” of 1499 which lead to wisdom according to the “tripartite philosophy”.
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