Lecce has been dubbed the Florence of the south. Whereas many
people (not understandably) skip it in favor of the nearby beach towns of the
Salento peninsula, this city, distinguished by its elaborate style of baroque
buildings, has at least a couple of days of attractions worth seeing.
To Get there by plane
Lecce is easily accessible by the airports in Brindisi (30 minutes by train)
and Bari (2hours by train). There are discount flights available from London,
Rome, Milan, etc. For a complete list, check out the Apulian airports website
To Get there by train
There are FS trains from Foggia, Turin, Rome, Naples, Venice
and Milan. You can also reach Lecce by Eurostar train from Bologna through
Rimini and Bari. Travel times from Rome and beyond can be long, and night trains
with sleeping couches are also available.
The trains arrive at the Porta Napoli station, 1km from the
city center. Be aware that taxis to the center can be expensive (expect to pay
up to 15 euros, especially if you have luggage items), so you may want to check
with your hotel the public transportation options available.
Piazza S. Oronzo - Situated in the heart of the
city and named after the patron saint's statue erect in 1666 after the
population had defeated the plague which had broken out ten years before.
Cathedral - A wonderful example of baroque style,
most of the cathedral was designed by G.Zimbalo, the most celebrated
architect of that time. He also designed the five floor belfry (1682).
Porta Napoli - Also know as Arch of Triumph, it
was erected in 1548 to pay homepage to Charles V and thank him for having
fortified the town. Twenty meters tall, the arch is situated in a square
named after it, where S.Giusto once was.
The Obelisk - Was erected in 1822 thanks to Vito
Carluccio at the time when Ferdinando I Borbone came to visit the town.
Paisiello Theatre - Once the permanent theatre of
the town. Founded in 1758 and rebuilt in 1870, it was opened with the
performance of Giuseppe Verdi' s 'Un ballo in maschera". Because of its rich
decorations, this theatre - which can only contain 320 spectators - is
nicknamed "The wedding souvenir".
The Holy Cross Church - Is a symbol of the baroque
style in Lecce built in 1646, thanks to three well-know architects - Gabriele
Riccardi, who devoted himself to the general plan and the lower part of the
facade; Francesco Antonio Zimbalo who made the twin column porch and the
portal aside; Cesare Penna who conceived the high level of the facade. The
big Romanesque central rose window, the rich frame, the four columns, and
the niches as well as the telamons, the imaginary creatures, the animals, the
mythological and historical characters of the facade are all what makes this
church unique and renowned over the world.
Based on work by
Steffen Mokosch and
Colin Jensen, Wikitravel user(s)
W66LinkBot and Pz-engl and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.
