Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Piazza Sant'Oronzo)
A statue of Lecce's patron saint perches precariously on a column in the
piazza. The column, originally from Brindisi, marked the end of the Via Appia - the Ro-
man road that stretched from Rome to Brindisi.
HISTORIC SITE
Museo Teatro Romano
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 0832 27 91 96; Via degli Ammirati; adult/reduced €3/2; 9.30am-1.30pm & 5-7.30pm Mon-Fri,
9.30am-1.30pm Sat)
Uncovered in the 1930s, this small Roman theatre has well-preserved
russet-coloured Roman mosaics and frescoes.
Castello di Carlo V
MAP
CASTLE
GOOGLE MAP
( 0832 24 65 17; 9am-1pm & 5-9pm)
This 16th-century castle was built around a
12th-century Norman tower to the orders of Charles V and consists of two concentric
trapezoidal structures. It's been used as a prison, a court and military headquarters; now
you can wander around the baronial spaces and visit the occasional art exhibition.
LECCE'S NOTABLE CHURCHES
On Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the interior of 17th-century
Chiesa di Sant'Irene
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
contains a
magnificent pair of mirror-image baroque altarpieces, facing each other across the transept. Other notable
baroque churches include the following:
4.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat) A notable baroque church with every niche a swirl of twisting columns and ornate statu-
ary.
south of Chiesa di Santa Chiara; and the last work of Giuseppe Zimbalo.
Chiesa del Rosario
(Via Libertini) Instead of the intended dome roof, this church ended up with a quick-fix
wooden one following Zimbalo's death before the building was completed.
Chiesa dei SS Nicolò e Cataldo
(Via San Nicola; 9am-noon Sep-Apr) The Chiesa dei SS Nicolò e Cataldo,
near Porta Napoli, was built by the Normans in 1180. It got caught up in the city's baroque frenzy and was re-
vamped in 1716 by the prolific Giuseppe Cino, who retained the Romanesque rose window and portal.
Courses
Awaiting Table
COOKING
