Baroque Devotion

Amid the folds and draperies of papier-mâché, ecstatic faces and divine rapture, "Baroque Devotion" is put on display in the spaces of the former St. Anne Conservatory. The exhibition, curated by Caterina Ragusa and Valerio Giorgino, offers an opportunity to get closer to the statues of XlX-XX papier-mâché artists such as Antonio Maccagnani, Luigi Guacci and other masters. The works, owned by the municipality, are those of the church of Sant'Anna and testify to the richness of Lecce's production, also the result of "pietas religiosa," to which an artistic and sometimes overlooked value must be acknowledged. Little has remained of the many craft workshops that once dotted the city's historic center, but their art, made of the humblest of materials, has nevertheless crossed the threshold of decades and shaped popular devotion.

The exhibition is open and can be visited until Jan. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8:30 p.m.