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Puglia - Lecce PDF Print E-mail

Lecce

Lecce, a splendid city of art, is famous for its unmistakeable style. When the city flourished, it constructed a theatre and amphitheatre, and connected itself to Porto Adriano (currently San Cataldo). In ‘600, the majority of the religious and civil buildings were constructed; realized with a unique style of architecture and sculpture that is found nowhere else in the world. This style, called baroque-lecce, is characterized by rich decorative elements: a jubilation of balustrades, ribbons of flowers, pinnacles, columns, and rose windows, which derive from the inspiration of the farming culture to the classic motives of the patricians. Among the buildings in this particular style, we make note of the Palazzo dei Celestini, the adjacent Basilica di Santa Croce, as well the Church of Santa Chiara and the cathedral.

 
Foto:Marcello De Benedittis (www.marcelus.it)
 

The centre
   
To visit this city, we are going to start from the Sant’Oronzo Piazza, which is in part occupied by the beautiful Roman amphitheatre from the 1st-2nd century A.D. In the piazza is where the column with the statue of Sant’Oronzo, protector of the city, is erected. Here in this piazza is also where we can find the Palazzetto del Sedile, which is the ancient municipal building. Also worth visiting is the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. On the street Via dell’Arte della Cartapesta is where the Roman Theatre is located, which was discovered in 1929 and dated to the same era of the amphitheatre. Now let’s go back to discovering the baroque-lecce style: the central Piazza Duomo is a great example. On the left side of the piazza is where the powerful bell-tower, masterpiece of Giuseppe Zimbalo, is erected; while at the centre of the piazza is where the cathedral and the bishop’s residence is. The cathedral is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Italy. It was completely restructured between 1659 and 1670 by Zimbalo, who also designed the adjacent 70 metre-high bell-tower. The façade of the cathedral features statues of Saints Peter, Paul, Gennaro, and Ludovico. There is also a balustrade above the portal; in the centre is where the statue of Saint Oronzo is erected, while below this is where the statues of Saints Giusto and Fortunato are held. The inside is in a Latin-cross form, with three naves, 12 altars, and is rich with paintings by the best artists of Salento.
 
Foto:Marcello De Benedittis (www.marcelus.it)

Basilica di Santa Croce
   
But the best example of baroque is the Basilica di Santa Croce: rich with symbols, statues, and decorations, it was created between 1549 and 1695 by skilled architects with the help of master carvers who worked with the soft, local stone. The façade of the cathedral is full of social and spiritual symbols and every tiny space is occupied by a perfect sculpture. The rose window is large, extremely decorated, and represents the magnificence of the divine light. While the church of Saints Nicolò and Cataldo is an example of romanico-baroque style. It was built in 1180 by Tancredi, the last of the Norman kings. Next to this church is the Convent of the Olivetani, featuring a beautiful cloister.
 
Foto:Marcello De Benedittis (www.marcelus.it)
 


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