The "Florence of the South", as Lecce has always been called. A small jewel set between the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea which in the last decade has had an absolutely important tourist boom. Just think that the Salentoof which Lecce is the undisputed queen, has had an exponential increase in tourists in recent years. And the important thing is that tourism is starting to be international and seasonally adjusted. For this, they can meet tourists English, French, Spaniards, Germans, Austrians and not only in summer. It would be impossible to describe all the works present, but today we focus on the history of Lecce and its main architectural works.
The history of Lecce
Lecce is a city rich in history, architectural and artistic culture. Just stroll through the streets of Lecce to fall in love with the city where the Baroque probably has its strongest roots. The deaf city on an ancient Messapian settlement. The testimony comes from the numerous finds of tombs and from small stretches of walls.
Basically, the city was a small village built near the Ancient Rudiae. Here a famous Latin writer was born: Quinto Ennio. He was born in 239 BC in Rudiae, near Lecce (the Romans had bought Salento in 266 BC). In the second second BC, the Romans called the city with the name of Lupiae. It was during the Roman reign that the Amphitheater and the Theater were built. With the emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lecce acquired economic prosperity and had a strong building expansion. For a short time there was a Greek domination. After that period, Lecce remained under the control of the Romans for about five centuries.
One of the moments of glory of the Salento town was the fifteenth century, during which the castle, the surrounding walls and a triumphal arch were built in Lecce. This was built to remember Charles V. Today this monument is called Porta Napoli. With the emperor Charles V Lecce had a period of great cultural revival: the Salento Renaissance.
After the unity, Lecce developed further between 1895 and 1915. In this period several public works were built. In 1927 the province was detached from that of Taranto and Brindisi. From this moment we started talking about Salento for the province of Lecce, even if, geographically, the Salento peninsula also includes part of the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto.
Piazza Sant'Oronzo
Already in ancient times, the center of the city was Piazza Sant'Oronzo. In 1592 the seat was built in the square, called "Seggio", and around 1660 the column of S. Oronzo was brought. Sant square'Oronzo it was named after the patron saint of Lecce since 1656. In ancient times it was called Piazza dei mercanti. The morphology of the square, in the early 900s it changed due to the excavations carried out and the discovery of theRoman Amphitheatre. Many commercial activities have sprung up in the square and others are ready to open in the coming months. Much more recent is the birth of the other square, named after Mazzini, which is purely a commercial place.
The Basilica of Santa Croce
One of the architectural wonders of Lecce is the Basilica of the Holy Cross. It is a church in the historic center of Lecce, in via Umberto I. The Basilica has recently undergone restoration. Together with the adjacent former Celestine Convent, the Basilica constitutes the highest manifestation of the Lecce Baroque. The Basilica is known for its facade which is very worked and majestic, a classic of the Baroque. The façade is made up of six smooth shaft columns that support the entablature and divide the structure into five areas.
But the Salento city is much more: it is culinary culture, it is scenic beauty, it is love for country sport. In short, Lecce is one of the cities you absolutely must visit in Italy. On the other hand, it is the Florence of the South, or, as the people of Lecce say nicely, it is Florence that is the Lecce of the North.
Source of the photograph: Pepemanuele - Own work - CC BY-SA 4.0
