Lecce - The Baroque Gem of Salento, Italy

Hello my friends. The city of Lecce is one of my favorite places. It is famous for its Baroque architecture and is known as the "Florence of the South". With its beautiful churches made of local pink-beige stone, souvenir shops full of colorful ceramics and its unique atmosphere, it is a fascinating place.

We arrived in Lecce on a rainy day. The city was different from when I visited before. That time, it was a hot summer day and I had only taken a walk, not writing a post. But this time, I wanted to show you how Lecce looks on a rainy day and tell you about it.

We visited the ancient amphitheater, toured a few churches and stopped by some great souvenir shops. We also walked to the old city gates and had a meal at a local restaurant.

Lecce was once the capital of the Salento peninsula. Salento is known as the "heel of the boot" on the map of Italy. The city is considered the capital of Baroque architecture and a unique Baroque style was born here: Barocco Leccese. This style is known for its intense focus on details and decorative elements. The historic center of Lecce is full of the most beautiful examples of this unique architectural style.

While examining these wonderful buildings in Lecce, I noticed how impressive the local limestone is. It is sometimes called poor marble because this stone has such an aesthetic and elegant appearance. Among the details that caught my attention here are interesting balconies: a musketeer with a hat on top, an unknown animal figure, a dinosaur or another figure that looks like a griffon. It's really fascinating and an old building. The entrance has large doors, through which cars could once enter. Now, when you enter through these doors, you encounter an area that opens into a courtyard.

The balconies are adorned with large windows and the portals and decorations are in the Baroque style. They are relly impressive and magnificent. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy when we arrived, so we didn’t have the chance to fully appreciate the grandeur of Lecce's stones, but I still tried to capture some details during our walk. Also, the old horse tie-downs are quite interesting. They are like old parking spots.

We stopped by Piazza Sant'Oronzo. This is the main square, which is not only a lively meeting point for locals and tourists but also holds significant historical importance. In the center of the square, there is an elegant column carrying a statue of Sant'Oronzo, the city's protector. Nearby, the il Sedile (Palazzo del Seggio) stands out. Right next to it, you can see the partially uncovered remains of the Roman amphitheater. If you’re in Lecce, Piazza Sant'Oronzo is not just a visit, but almost like a discovery route.

Another interesting spot was an amazing ceramic shop we entered. Everything sold here is handmade and incredibly beautiful. The colorful ceramics are painted with vibrant colors, each with a unique design. I was really amazed by everything, it was all so beautiful. The shopkeeper was a little flustered because a pigeon had flown into the shop and she was worried it might break something. The pigeon was wandering between the shelves, almost as if it were shopping. Luckily, nothing was broken.

By the way some of the products sold here are very practical. For example, there are specially designed bottles for olive oil and vinegar and even containers with holes for garlic. Everything is so stylish and functional. I loved everything here and wanted to buy it all.

After our lunch break, we visited the Church of Santa Maria della Grazia. Everything inside was very quiet and peaceful. It’s a large and very beautiful church. There is a large painting of the Virgin Mary on the wall, very carefully done. The exterior of the church is very simple, but the interior is very special. Everything is very detailed, the ceilings, the walls, almost every part of it feels like a work of art. It is located right in the center near Piazza Sant'Oronzo. It’s a great place for those who want to rest and see a very old place.

Now let's talk about the famous rivalry between Lecce and Bari. My boyfriend doesn't like going to Salento at all. When I want to go to Lecce, he always objects, doesn’t like the roads, doesn’t enjoy the sea, finds the architecture strange and thinks the food isn't to his taste. So whenever Lecce is mentioned, he always complains. But it’s not just my boyfriend, other men I know also make negative comments about Lecce. When I ask "Do you like Lecce?" I usually get responses like "No, we don’t like it." Many men see Lecce as a showy city, which is why they don’t like it much. This is part of the interesting rivalry between Lecce and Bari.

Lecce is one of the important cities in Southern Italy and I’ve noticed that the competition between Lecce and Bari runs deep. Lecce sees Bari as a kind of rival and this is not just a city rivalry but actually comes from the competition between their football clubs. Both Lecce’s and Bari’s football teams are passionately supported in both cities and sometimes players switch from one club to the other. That’s why the rivalry between the two cities is quite noticeable. Especially football fans, while supporting their own teams, don’t really like the fans of the rival team. This further intensifies the tension between Lecce and Bari.

We also visited the Church of Saint Theresa and the interior was beautiful. The entire church was decorated in Baroque style, very colorful and detailed. On the altar there were paintings depicting scenes from the life of Saint Teresa and they were all very impressive. This place was both peaceful and captivating. Along with the other historical sites in Lecce, it was a real pleasure to visit this church.

When we were walking through Lecce, I was amazed by the impressive facade of the Basilica of San Croce. The construction process took about 100 years and it was initially started by one architect. But later completed by his son. A construction process that long is quite remarkable for the standards of that time. The facade of the basilica is very detailed and complex, with various figures, sculptures and angels adorning it. Each figure is unique and each has its own design, which enhances the building's uniqueness.

Moreover, the Baroque style in Lecce has developed its own distinct style. This style has a somewhat more "provincial" or rural feel compared to other Baroque styles. The buildings made with Lecce's local stones have a special color palette. The stones range from light cream to reddish tones and these stones are frequently used in the Baroque structures of Lecce.

Thank you for reading, my friends. See you in the next travel posts.