The weather in Salento in January

The weather in Salento in January is perfect for sightseeing. Now is the time to linger in Lecce and soak up the Baroque splendor of the Santa Croce basilica, to meander around the Piazza del Duomo, gazing up at the campanile. In the summer a steady stream of tourists snakes through the narrow streets. Now they’re quiet and peaceful, a wintery sun bathing the old buildings in a pale golden light.

At Castello di Ugento, a luxury boutique hotel, cookery school and museum and contemporary exhibition space in Salento, meanwhile, the next batch of students from the Culinary Institute of America arrives in January for their semester in Italy. The kitchen buzzes with excitement. In the walled 18th-century garden the winter artichokes are ready to be picked. In the kitchen the chefs are pickling and fermenting…

As the night draws in guests relax with a glass of deep, dark Primitivo wine, cradled by the castle’s ancient walls. Beneath the vaulted ceiling of the gourmet restaurant, Il Tempo Nuovo, hearty local specialities, such as orecchiette alle cime di rapa, pasta shaped like a small ear with broccoli rabe are dished up and artichokes  are a must on every table.