Discovering Lecce, city of Baroque art

Wonderful example of a square converted in Baroque style, it opens before us like a wing of a theater, on the left the wonderful late 17th century bell tower built by Giuseppe Zimbalo stands out over the square with its majolica dome; in the center the Cathedral with its façade characterized by a balustrade overlooked by the statue of the protector of the city, Sant'Oronzo, and adorned with flowers, angels and lanceolate points, a sublime example of fanzaghesco baroque; the Episcopio with the portico in propylaea, an admirable work by Emanuele Manieri; on the right the Palazzo del Seminario with its rustication and its eclectic baroque, the work of Giuseppe Cino. (Visit outside)

We will admire the view on the ancient Roman Theater, from the Augustan age, which over the centuries had been buried only to be unveiled by an excavation carried out in the 19th century, an evocative place surrounded by the Baroque gardens that frame the open spaces of the terraces, the orchestra, of the proscenium. (Visit outside)

Heart of the city, the ancient Piazza dei Mercadanti of the '700 still finds the signs of its past linked to the influence of the Maritime Republic of Venice, with the Palazzo del Sedile, seat of exhibitions and city assemblies, and with the adjoining church of Saint Mark; the square flanks the ancient Roman Amphitheater, half revealed, a gem set among Baroque, Art Nouveau, Rationalist and Venetian palaces.

World masterpiece of Baroque art, its sublime facade is dedicated to the Battle of Lepanto, and represents the ideal triumph of the Christian and Western European world; the sumptuous decorations and the many symbols fascinate the eye and raise the spirituality even today. (Visit outside)