Artisan Tour in Lecce

Many of Salento’s ancient crafts have nearly disappeared, but a handful of artisans still keep them alive, working by hand as their predecessors did for centuries. In Lecce, papier-mâché is the town’s own signature craft: born in the 17th century, when local artisans began modelling paper, glue, and iron wire into statues and altar figures for the city’s new Baroque churches as a lighter, cheaper alternative to marble and wood. Today, you can glimpse this tradition in the Museo della Cartapesta and in workshops across the historic centre.

Alongside it, terracotta is a craft historically rooted throughout Salento. In Lecce and the towns around it, artisans still shape clay by hand into vases, plates and traditional decorative pieces, using techniques passed down largely unchanged from one generation to the next.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose between different tours and crafts.