Lecce - "Florence of the South"

Our TomTom tells us we are a 90 minute drive from the main city of Puglia, Lecce and its lovely historic center.  We got up a little earlier to make sure we would have time to take in all the sites of this fabled city.  The city is over 2,500 years old but the 17th century was a period of great prosperity for Lecce due to its strong rural economy and it being a religious center.  This lead to grand developments and the wholesale construction of palaces and churches.  In fact, over the course of a hundred years or so, Lecce's face changed completely, mostly into the fashionable Baroque style.   

The main city gate, Porta Napoli, was built in 1548 to honor Emperor Charles V and is modeled on a Roman Triumphal Arch.

 In 1901, during the construction of the Bank of Italy building this 2nd century BC Roman Amphitheater was discovered in the Piazza Sant Oronzo in the core of the city.  It was completely covered under the city and even now is not 100% visible as the side that is still covered has several historic buildings sitting above it that cannot be demolished.  Originally there were two levels but only the lower deck survives and it would have had a capacity of holding 25,000 spectators.

Located in the huge Piazza del Duomo, the Duomo of Lecce built in 1659 is considered to be a masterpiece of Baroque art.

Inside the Duomo of Lecce, the main alter was finished in 1685    and the side chapel of the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Blessed Sacrament was completed in 1780

 Started in 1549 and completed a century later, this beautiful building is the Convento dei Celestina.  Today is houses the offices of the Provincial Government of Lecce.

There are over 40 churches inside the old town of Lecce, these are two more of the Baroque style churches we came across. Lecce is home to soft, creamy limestone which made it easier to carve and create these wonderful Baroque monuments, statues and columns.  

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