In the heart of Cutrofiano, a town in southern Puglia long known for its ceramic tradition, a different kind of craft is on display. La Memoria dei Segni opens the photographic archive of Donato De Donatis and follows life in the province of Lecce between 1975 and 1987.
Twelve years through a photographer's eyes
Some exhibitions shout. This one invites you to slow down and look.
The archive documents the life and the land of the area across more than a decade. Each frame works as a small piece of collective memory, a sign left behind by a place that was changing quickly.
The title says it well: these are the segni, the marks that people, work and landscape leave on a territory. Reading them takes time, and that is part of the pleasure.
Why the setting matters
The exhibition sits in the town's Museo della Ceramica and library. It is a good match: ceramics and photography both preserve traces of daily life.
You walk from the weight of terracotta and glaze to the lightness of black-and-white or colour prints. Both tell the story of a community and its hands, faces and habits.
How to enjoy the visit
- Take your time with each print: the small details in the background often say the most.
- Look for the rhythms of everyday life, from public spaces to private moments, that the archive preserves.
- If you grew up in the province, bring someone older along and let them name what they recognise.
- Pair the photographs with the museum's ceramic collection for a fuller picture of Cutrofiano.
The exhibition suits couples and solo visitors who like quiet reflection. Families can turn it into a gentle lesson in how much a place changes in a few decades.
Make a day of it
Cutrofiano is easy to combine with other stops in the Lecce countryside. Nearby Galatina, with its celebrated basilica and pastry shops, and Soleto, with its old stone lanes, are a short drive away.
Melpignano, whose info point shared news of the exhibition, is also close. It is a pleasant detour in the village-hopping style of inland Puglia.
Best moments to go
The inland towns are at their best in spring and autumn, when the light is soft and walking is easy. In summer, a visit makes a cool, shaded break from the midday heat before an evening in the surrounding villages.
Admission is free or not specified, so check the latest details before you set out. Either way, this is a chance to see the province of Lecce as it looked not so long ago.