Cartapesta

Stone-leccese

Terracotta

Crafts typical of Lecce is the paper mache. In the shops they are working religious statues or crib figurines and entities representing the peasant figures and the ancient crafts of the past.

Another form of local crafts is represented by the processing of the local stone, locally known as “leccisu”, a rock belonging to the family of calcarenite, extremely versatile for processing and for this very used for the realization of decorative elements and furnishings . Its peak and use joined him during the Baroque period. This stone gave birth to the beautiful churches and palaces which are visible in all the Salento.

In Salento, the production of terracotta dates back to ancient times, the oldest specimens (trozzelle, craters), leading to the Messapi and can still be seen in the Museum of Lecce.
To have an idea of the vast repertoire of Salento pottery and ceramics is advisable to visit the rich craft shops of holy water fonts, puppets of the crib, whistles, bells, and their most representative centers in Salento.