What to see in Lecce in one day, is the leitmotif often heard. The Salento city needs more time to be admired in its beauty. For this reason, we have created a guide to Lecce on what to see and do. However, for hurried travelers, we have prepared a short itinerary that takes us to visit Lecce in one day.
A very fitting idea is a weekend or a short stay in Lecce, the delightful capital of Apulian Baroque, resting on a small plateau that dominates the entire Salento.
A good starting point can be the seventeenth-century Piazza del Duomo, the baroque and religious heart of the city, designed by the Duomo, the Bishop’s Palace, and the Seminary.
The sea is not visible, but it is so close that one can sense its breath. Omnipresent is instead the wind, or rather, the winds: the humid and warm sirocco from the south, the cold and dry tramontana from the north; depending on which blows, residents choose whether to go to the sea on the Adriatic beaches or those of the Ionian.
Wind aside, what strikes about Lecce is the extraordinary combination between the “blue Salento” sky and the amber hues of Lecce stone, a ductile material (limestone, formed from the remains of marine fossil organisms), with which the buildings and many churches enclosed within the ancient walls were built.
Besides the sumptuousness, richness, and sophistication of the decorations, the solemnity of the entire complex stands out above all. Taking via Libertini up to Porta Rudiae, one can admire valuable religious buildings, such as the church of Santa Teresa, the church of Sant’Anna with the former Conservatory, or the church of the Rosary, with a Greek cross plan and the original wooden ceiling covering.
Another focal point is Piazza Sant’Oronzo, with the column on which the statue of the saint stands, blessing the passersby. The square is largely occupied by the Amphitheater, built in the time of Emperor Augustus and brought to light only in the early 1900s.
Overlooking the Roman ruins, stands out the Seat, a cubic building with high arches, built at the end of the 16th century as the seat for the mayor’s hearings and remained the town hall until the 19th century. Not to be missed is the Castle of Charles V, north of the square, a solid fortress with a 14th-century central tower, built to defend the city from the Turkish armies.
The Basilica of Santa Croce, the largest and most famous celebration of Lecce baroque (1549-1689), the adjacent Government Palace (former Celestine convent). The church of Santa Chiara, the Roman Theatre, and the Romanesque church of Saints Nicolò and Cataldo, internally decorated with frescoes so precious that photographing them is forbidden.
