The Convent of Santa Chiara in Turi: History, Secrets and Traditions of a Hidden Treasure

Wandering through the narrow, winding streets of Turi’s historic centre, one can still sense the essence of a distant past, filled with scents, sounds, and echoes of life in a small community newly freed from Norman rule. Walking among quiet alleys and stone courtyards, it almost feels possible to hear the voices and footsteps of the peasants of old, until you reach a building that quietly dominates the heart of the town.

There are no symbols of power here: the houses seem to naturally arrange themselves around the convent with respect and distance. Today, the building houses Turi’s Public Library, but it was once the convent of the Poor Clares of the Order of Saint Clare, located in Piazza Gonnelli.

Lieutenant Stefano De Carolis of the Carabinieri, working with the Art Heritage Protection Unit, carried out meticulous historical research, shedding new light on one of Turi’s most fascinating historical sites.

Origins and Splendour of the Monastery

The Santa Chiara Monastery was built between 1623 and 1631 by the initiative of brothers Elia and Vittore de Vittore.“In the early 18th century,” explains De Carolis, “the complex – including the cloister, church, and two belvederes – was the wealthiest property in Turi, with around 1,000 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, vegetable gardens, and arable land. Its holdings included farmsteads, olive presses, mills, and woodlands.”

Within its walls, the nuns led a disciplined and industrious life. Alongside prayer and singing, they excelled at sewing, weaving, and embroidering fine linen and cotton fabrics.

Convent Cuisine: Devotion and Female Skill

The Poor Clares were also skilled cooks and pastry chefs. From their hands came traditional recipes – taralli, preserves, vincotti, rosoli, and almond sweets – made with ingredients from their own lands: oil, milk, wine, vegetables, meat, and fruit.Religious rules dictated even their cooking, following the fasting and abstinence of the liturgical calendar.“The cloistered nuns were mostly educated women from notable families. They spoke Latin and Italian and organised convent life with logic and discipline. The Mother Abbess led the convent, while the lay sisters handled cleaning, gathering herbs, and preparing meals for fellow nuns and the needy,” adds De Carolis.

A Place of Community and Hospitality

The convent kitchen was not only functional but also a central hub of communal life. The cellar, accessible from both inside and Piazza Francesco Curzio, showcased the convent’s organisational autonomy.In the early 20th century, the municipality rented out the premises, but the kitchen and bakery continued to serve as a point of contact with the outside world. Here, peasants bringing their farm produce were thanked with sweets and treats, including the famous faldacchea of Turi, also known as the “lady’s bite.”

The Faldacchea of Turi: A Sweet Legacy

The faldacchea, recognised as a Slow Food Presidium, has convent origins and has become a symbol of Turi’s pastry tradition, handed down through generations.

From Convent to School

In 1892, the municipality acquired the convent, which two years later became an elementary school. By 1905, in a state of disrepair, parts of the original structures, including the convent kitchens, were demolished.Today, behind the walls housing the Public Library, the memory of centuries of prayer, labour, and female expertise lives on, preserving the secrets of the Poor Clares of Santa Chiara.