Mankind has always felt the need to create collective fantasies which use allegory to interpret the most important elements of life.
The impotence of man against the uncontrollable forces of nature, the mystery of birth and death, the behaviour of people and their relationships, the primordial urge to survive, food and water, the cycles and seasons, dreams, illness, recovery. All these elements together, transformed by the imagination into stories, have become the mythological expression of the values, paths, traditions and aspirations of a people, providing clear images of the evolution and nature of a society.
The Greeks were the first to generate myths, which were passed on orally and transferred into images; they created gods and heros who, through their epic acts, inspired humanity to seek a virtuous life through moral actions which contributed to laying the foundations of western civilisation.
Apulia, and in particular Salento, is one of the landing spots closest to Greece; this region has always been connected to that country through marine routes which allowed for trade and reciprocal enrichement, both material and cultural.
There are numerous stories which are deeply rooted in our region, but two among them are well-known. The first relates to the arrival of Diomedes, the Greek hero who took refuge in Apulia with his companions after the Trojan War and founded various cities; the legend recounts that he turned his companions into birds (diomedea = albatros) which were sociable and meek with the Greeks, but ferocious towards all those who came from barbarian origins.
The second story is related to the legend which tells of the voyage of Iapyx, the son of Daedalus, who, together with a group from Crete, landed at Leuca. Daedalus was famous in ancient Greece for being a very able sculptor; it is said that when he finished his sculptures he would tie them up because they seemed so real that he thought they might start walking and escape. Because of his talent, Minos, the king of Crete, had charged him to design and build his palace, and Daedalus created a large and luxurious royal palace with many corridors in which strangers and those with bad intentions would lose their way.
However, Daedalus also facilitated the union between Pasiphaë, the wife of Minos, and Poseidon, who had taken on the form of a bull, by building a wooden cow inside which Pasiphaë hid herself; as many will know, the Minotaur was born as a result of this union. Minos was furious with Daedalus and ordered his arrest, blocking all ships so that he could not escape. Daedalus had the ingenious idea of constructing wings made from wax and feathers; he built two pairs so that his son Icarus could flee with him.
The story of Icarus is well-known, and while the story says that Daedalus escaped to Trinacria, given the changeable nature of myths, it seems obvious that he stopped at Leuca along the way, leaving signs of his knowledge and talent. Among other things there are many 'dedalesque' symbols in Salento: chequer patterns and labyrinths are identifiable in markers which are found through all the ages, beginning with the "Grotta dei cervi" in Porto Badisco, which dates back to the 14th century B.C.
Then there is the story of Leucasia. In the neighbourhood of Veretum, on a promontory (the current S. Maria di Leuca), there stood a temple dedicated to Minerva; where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet, on the rocks and in the surrounding waters, a legend which dates back to the time of the Messapians was played out. Leucasia, a white and shining mermaid, had established herself there, bewitching passing sailors with her divine singing. One day, having had her advances to the shepherd Melissus spurned, she turned him and his lover into stone, changing them into the two rocky points which embrace the extreme edge of the sea.
From this story it is easy to understand how Leuca, despite being a small town, has inspired artists of all eras with its presence and geographic location; thus, today we want to continue along this same path, which we assume to be fertile, with the intention of leaving clear evidence of our creative enthusiasm.
Santa Maria di Leuca, end of January 2003
Under the sign of Aquarius
Mario Calcagnile
Bibliography
"Mitologia greca e culto" - Edizioni Haitali, Atene
"I luoghi del mito" di Giacomo Annibalis - Schena Editore, Fasano (Br)
"Leucàsia" di Carlo Stasi - Edizioni Ce.S.A.M., Centro Studi Aldo Moro
"Il libro dei labirinti" di Paolo Santarcangelo – Sperling & Kupfer Editore
"Cultura popolare" di Bianca Tragni su "La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno"