Alvaro Siza's Parco delle Cave Opens in Lecce After 14 Years

The Parco delle Cave in Lecce, designed by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, officially opened to the public on November 19, 2023, after a complex 14-year process. The 7-hectare park, located adjacent to the railway station, rehabilitates former quarries that supplied stone for Lecce's Baroque architecture. Siza's team, including Carlos Castanheira, Luigi Gallo, and Pedro Carvalho, won the international competition in 2009. The project received €11 million in ministerial funding. Construction faced delays, including an anti-mafia injunction in 2020 against the contractor, resuming in summer 2021 with Agostinello. A first inauguration in May 2022 opened the Tagghiate Urban Factory for community activities. The park features 700 trees, over 8,000 meters of paths, two performance areas with optimal acoustics, and furniture designed by Siza in local Lecce stone. A café is planned. The park is named after Marco Vito and is open daily from 8:00 to 20:30. Guided tours of the 16th-century Ninfeo delle Fate continue via Masseria Tagliatelle – Stazione Ninfeo, which received €500,000 from Fondazione Con il Sud.