The art of papier-mâché
The art of papier-mâché in Lecce dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when Lecce artisans discovered in the art of "plasticizing" paper the potential to create sacred works that drew the faithful to worship during the Counter-Reformation Church's crusade against Lutheran heresy. Lacking access to high-quality materials, these artisans had to rely on other, more basic materials such as straw, rags, glue, and plaster, along with a few modest tools, but above all, a great deal of patience, determination, and creativity.
The first to try their hand at this craft were barbers. These artisans converted the back room of their salons into workshops, and between haircuts, they filled their free time by modeling papier-mâché statues. The oldest papier-mâché artist in Lecce's history was indeed a barber: a certain Mesciu Pietru de li Cristi, so nicknamed for his vast production of crucifixes.
To create a papier-mâché statue, one begins with a bundle of curly straw, shaped with twists of string, which gives a rough shape to a spun iron core. The hands, feet, and head are made separately from clay. The papier-mâché artist, in addition to knowing how to work paper, must be a skilled sculptor and know how to prepare casts. The figure is then dressed with various sheets of paper, glued layer upon layer with flour glue, to which a pinch of copper sulfate is added to repel woodworms. The old masters also added alum to the flour, which is effective against mold. The resulting adhesive was called ponnula. Air or sun drying concludes the first phase of the process.
In recent years, thanks also to the interest of young people in this art, production has shifted towards new and varied models: nativity scenes, dolls, furnishing objects, masks and toys, without however neglecting tradition.
The Lecce stone
Lecce Stone, or Lecce Stone (in the dialect Leccisu), "Chianca Leccese," is a limestone belonging to the calcarenite group that characterizes the Miocene, emerging in the province of Lecce. In architecture, over the centuries, this stone has increasingly become a suitable decorative material. Indeed, strolling through the alleys of the beautiful city of Lecce, one cannot help but notice how this stone, thanks to its malleability and ease of workability, has helped shape the history of the Baroque period.
Because it's so easily carved, artists of the time fashioned it into friezes, volutes, capitals, lace, and cornices, and easily worked it on the lathe. This stone, in any case, represents confirmation of an eternal connection between man and nature, and had already been used in the first prehistoric monuments (dolmens) and megalithic monuments (menhirs) in the Otranto area, as well as in statuary and construction. The largest basin is that of Lecce.
Regarding the processing of Lecce stone, the first phase is called decespugliazione (clearing), and involves removing topsoil, including plants, down to the rock layer. This is followed by excavation, or rather, the removal of the first layer of parent rock, the cappellaccio (rock cap). This is followed by the leveling phase, using electric cutting machines such as the hoeing machine and the end-cutting machine. At the end of this lengthy operation, the actual processing begins. This rock is composed primarily of calcium carbonate, consisting of microfossils and macrofossil fragments of marine fauna, and of calcite cement and clay.
Among the works of greatest cultural and artistic significance, the splendid Basilica of Santa Croce (1548-1646) and the Cathedral (1659-1670) of Lecce are undoubtedly worthy of admiration. However, there are numerous monuments, churches, palaces, and works entirely in Lecce stone, which give the city its unmistakable color and give us a unique Baroque style.
Furthermore, what distinguishes Lecce stone from another local stone, carparo, is the composition of its chemical compounds. Lecce stone is significantly finer, while carparo has a rougher appearance and a darker color.