Lecce Italy Travel Guide, Lecce Italy Travel, Lecce City Guide, Lecce Tourism & Tourist Attractions

A 2nd century A.D Roman column, Colonna Romana, was erected in Piazza Sant’Orozo, which is where the most important Roman ruins in Lecce can be found. The column initially stood in Brindisi to signal the end of the Appian Way. This column was brought down by a lightning strike in 1528. The people of Brindisi did not care about the loss and in 1661 the denizens of Lecce brought the column and set it up in their abode of St. Oronzo. Piazza Sant’Orozo was named after this and now stands proudly atop the square. The square was used for various purposes during the ages and in fact once served as a market with many shops. It was then called the Piazza dei Mercanti (Merchant’s Square).

Very near this piazza, is a Roman amphitheatre which can seat about 25,000 people. This was built in the 1st century B.C and many a wild fight between gladiators and beasts of the wild had taken place here. It was built part in travertine and held by strong arches in other places. Dug out in 1938, today only imperfect terraces, separated from the arena by a mezzanine, are seen.

A strange monument called the “Sedile” stands on top of the amphitheatre and it is quite popular here. The Sedile was built in 1592 and was considered the “Seat of the town hall” till 1851. It has glass windows to maintain secrecy of meetings and discussions of the administrators.

Piazza del Duomo is present in a closed square and has a double-façade. Zingarello re-built this building between the years 1659 and 1670. Very near the Duomo are the 210 feet high campanile towers and the Bishop’s Palace, the residence of Lecce’s archbishop even now.

Lecce has a lot of Palazzos but it can’t get better than the Palazzo del Seminario. Also designed by Giuseppe Cino, this is one of the finer illustrations of Baroque architecture in this city. The Palazzo is adorned with friezes and tall pillars and the courtyard has a beautiful well which is decorated with garlands and also bunches of fruits and flowers.

From Piazzas and Palazzos to museums. The Sigismondo Castromediano Province Museum is the oldest in Puglia. Many archaeological findings and discoveries of historical significance are displayed here. These give a deep insight to the different ages the city has gone through. The picture gallery showcases the influence of Venetian and Byzantine art on the art works of Lecce. The Fransiscan Picture Gallery, in the Convent of the Minorites, also has a rich collection of paintings. It has more than fifty holy paintings. Situated in the same convent is the Natural History and Chinese Museum which contains two sections-one containing an intriguing collection of sea fossils and minerals and the other, ornamental bronze and ivory objects, musical instruments and chinaware.

One of the more popular landmarks in Lecce is the “Porta Napoli”, which is also called the “Triumphal Arch” and consists of two slender Corinthian pairs of columns. These were built way back in 1548 to hail Emperor Carlo V who had turned the city into a booming cultural and architectural hub.

The fringes of Lecce abound with holms and pine which attract people unfailingly. In fact the avenues of Otranto and Gallipoli, the Naples Gate, Garibaldi Villa are all star attractions.

A show at the prestigious Paisiello Theatre is a must for visitors but they take place only in particular seasons, so the planning should be done accordingly.