Tourist information - Lecce
Lecce was first a Greek city, then a Roman town, so it is fitting to begin our walk at piazza Sant'Oronzo, site of one of the most important local Roman ruins: a 25,000-seat ampitheatre from the 1st century BC and a column which originally stood in Brindisi to mark the end of the Appian Way. Walk some yards to the church of Santa Croce, whose baroque façade is as exuberant as its large Renaissance interior is austere. Next to the church is the Palazzo Del Governo (Town Hall); step back and also view the whole block-long complex to actually appreciate the scope of its decorations. Within the other part of the church is the Celestine monastery, which is far more restrained.
Walk throughout the quiet streets of the old town, beneath delicate wrought-iron balustrades, curving whitewashed arches as well as soft amber street lamps, and you will see something to capture your fancy on almost every building. In Corso Vittorio Emanuele I, the church of S. Irene boasts whimsical, yet highly stylized carvings. The same can be said for the 17th-century façade of the Cathedral, just several blocks away beneath its 210-foot bell tower. The Palazzo del Vescovado (Bishop's Palace) and also the Palazzo del Seminario (Seminary) complete the loveliest piazzas in Europe; walk into the seminary's courtyard to view the delightful little wellhead along with its two angelic guardians.
Stroll down Via Palmieri, stopping to enjoy artisans working the local sandstone in their shops. Eventually you will reach Piazza Falconieri, dominated by the splendid Palazzo Marrese, whose portal is flanked by two caryatids and whose balcony rests on gloriously carved shelves.
Now follow Via Libertini until you reach the basilica of San Giovanni Battista, whose façade incorporates a slightly different look: even though center is pure leccese, the edges are marked by two simple columns topped with attractively detailed pine cones. Walk down Via Rubichi to the 18th-century Palazzo Carrafa. The shop at Via Rubichi 21 is an excellent place to find bargains on most of the local crafts; nearby is a wine shop that sells the excellent Salento wines. A little further on is the lovely church of Gesù as well as Palazzo Costantini, which has a most unusual balcony. Also worthy of note is the wonderful concave-convex façade of the church of San Matteo.
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