Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
Museo Archeologico
Provinciale Ribezzo
( 0831 56 55 08; Piazza del Duomo 8; 9.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sat & 3.30-6.30pm Tue, Thu & Sat)
This superb museum covers several floors with well-documented exhibits (in Eng-
lish) including some 3000 bronze sculptures and fragments in Hellenistic Greek style.
There are also terracotta figurines from the 7th century, underwater archaeological finds,
and Roman statues and heads (not always together).
MUSEUM
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale
( 0831 41 85 45; Via Ruggero de Simone; 8am-8pm)
Located 4km north of town towards the
airport, this church was built by Prince Philip of Taranto around 1300. The church mixes
up Puglian Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine styles, with a Byzantine banquet of interior
frescoes. The immense
Last Judgement
on the entrance wall, full of blood and thunder, is
the work of Rinaldo di Taranto.
CHURCH
Roman Column
(Via Colonne)
The gleaming white column above a sweeping set of sun-whitened stairs lead-
ing to the waterfront promenade marks the imperial Via Appia terminus at Brindisi. Origin-
ally there were two, but one was presented to the town of Lecce back in 1666 as thanks to
Sant'Oronzo for having relieved Brindisi of the plague.
MONUMENT
Cathedral
(Piazza del Duomo; 8am-9pm Mon-Fri & Sun, to noon Sat)
This 11th-century cathedral was sub-
stantially remodelled about 700 years later. You can see how it may have looked from the
arches - all that remains of the Knights Templar's main church.
CATHEDRAL
Tempio di San
Giovanni al Sepolcro
CHURCH
