Lecce

During your holidays in Lecce , you will discover that this capital is called the “Baroque city” for the unmistakable style that characterizes this city of art, and that its architectural heritage, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, is also of notable value.

Lecce and the Lecce Baroque

There are various tours available on the Lecce Baroque, personalized and in different languages.

From the beauty of the photos of Lecce , one can deduce that travellers have been coming to this capital since ancient times, to experience and admire the unmistakable Lecce Baroque style which emerges with extreme elegance between the facades of the historic homes and the majestic churches and convents, until reaching the evocative and ancient streets of the historic centre.

Spending a holiday in Lecce, you will discover that this provincial capital is a city where the development of Baroque art in Lecce stone, a malleable limestone very suitable for working with the chisel, was most elaborate.

This video, in fact, focuses on the Baroque period for the beauty of its monuments , the elegance of its Renaissance forms, and the richness of its decorative elements. It's not for nothing that it's called the Florence of the South or the Athens of Puglia.

The most important monuments to visit in Lecce

Your holidays in Lecce cannot fail to begin with a guided visit to the emblem of Lecce Baroque : the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Its architecture is an icon of royalty given by the balcony supported by allegorical figures, by its splendid rose window rich in frames and by numerous sculptures, capitals and images that propose angels and cherubs, Mediterranean fruits, garlands of flowers, coats of arms and bas-reliefs of extraordinary interest.

The Basilica is flanked by the Palazzo dei Celestini, a former convent of the Celestine Fathers, whose aristocratic façade is rusticated, enriched by precious windows and baroque capitals.

Nearby, we also find the most prestigious Bed and Breakfasts , elegant historic homes and various hotels.

Piazza S. Oronzo, dedicated to the Patron Saint, is considered the beating heart of the social and commercial life of the capital. The square hosts and collects:

• the sixteenth-century seat;
• the former Renaissance church of S. Marco;
• the Roman Amphitheatre
• the votive column with the statue of the Saint
• the city's coat of arms in mosaic depicting the holm oak with the she-wolf
• a part of the nineteenth-century Palazzo Carafa.

Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the main artery of the old town, overlooked by beautiful noble buildings, the Church of S. Irene and Piazza Duomo.

In this extraordinary scenic location you can admire the imposing Baroque Cathedral, the tall rusticated Bell Tower, the elegant Bishop's Palace, two welcoming propylaea balconies and the very refined former Seminary inside which is one of the most beautiful Baroque wells in Salento.

Lecce, also known as the “City of a Hundred Churches” , is rich in numerous examples of sacred architecture and among these we highlight:

• the Church of the Rosary and the Church of Santa Teresa
• the church of St. Anne and St. Elizabeth
•San Matteo with its rare concave-convex facade
• the church of Santa Chiara and San Giuseppe.

If you're planning a sightseeing tour during your trip to Salento , we recommend staying in one of the various Bed and Breakfasts from which you can walk to and visit the Charles V Castle , whose large, white interior rooms convey a sense of wonder.

The municipality of Lecce is the capital of Salento and is particularly active in the agricultural sector (olive oil, wine) and ceramics. On the nearby Adriatic coast, we recommend combining history, art, and pleasure with a refreshing dip in the tourist villages, agritourism farms, and farmhouses near the sandy beaches of the Salento peninsula.

During a holiday or a tourist stay in Puglia , the Lecce marinas are easily reachable in a few minutes by car, where it is possible to stay in seaside tourist villages:

• Fridges
• Casalabate
• Chianca Tower
• Rinalda Tower
• and the main marina of San Cataldo.