Lecce is an ancient city and like many towns and cities in this corner of the world, you do not have to go far to find evidence of ancient civilizations. It’s not unusual for new construction to turn into an archeological discovery of a Roman Empire amphitheater right in the center of town. Or for a property owner attempting to upgrade his sewer pipes, discovering a nunnery from 500 years ago and before that, a Templar home from 1000 years ago, and then digging deeper and deeper and finding layer after layer of artifacts to chronicle the history of the past 2000 years.
Lecce is known as the “Florence of the South” for its many baroque churches. There is one ornate church after another, many open to the public free of charge. The exteriors are made from the pale yellow Lecce stone the city is famous for and the soft limestone lends itself to incredibly intricate sculptures on the facades of the churches and cathedrals. The opulence is admittedly a bit over the top but the craftsmanship is simply divine.
The various piazzas throughout the old town, beg you to linger, enjoy an espresso and a pasticciotto, and while away the hours people watching. Pasticciotti is a specialty of the region. A shortbread pastry typically filled with custard, but there are variations such as lemon curd, or fruit preserves. Delicious.
If you headed to the Piazza Sant’Oronzo for your morning caffeine and were not careful, you might find yourself tumbling into the sunken amphitheater partially excavated right in the center of the Piazza. It dates back to the Roman Empire, possibly during Emperor Hadrian’s time. The amphitheater was revealed after centuries of being covered up when in the early 1900s, construction workers started digging for the foundation of a new bank. Only about two-thirds of it has been exposed due to the other buildings in the vicinity sitting on top of the remaining sections. It is striking to turn the corner to find this sunken ruin dominating the Piazza. Depending on who you believe, the amphitheater at the time was built to hold anywhere from 12,000 to 25,000. All sorts of fun stuff took place here. Animals fighting other animals, men fighting animals, gladiator fighting each other, and public executions. Good times.
Perhaps one of the more unusual stories of excavation in town is the story of Mr. Faggiano. According to his website http://www.museofaggiano.it
“Everything started almost by chance: in 2001 Mr. Luciano Faggiano, the property owner, was forced to break the floor of the house in order to change the sewer pipes that were causing continuous problems of humidity. It was precisely during such work that unexpectedly began to re-emerge the first archaeological evidences. It then continued with a long excavation work, lasted 7 years, made by Luciano and his three sons (Marco, Andrea and Davide) and financed entirely by Faggiano’s family, under the supervision of the Archaeological Superintendence of Taranto.”
Museo Archeologico Faggiano
The home has four levels of excavations with escape tunnels, tombs, frescos, and more, much of it on display right there. I highly recommend a visit to this unique look through the ages of Lecce.
There is more to Lecce than churches, basilicas, and Roman ruins. The main square and the numerous winding side streets are filled with bars, restaurants, gelaterias, and coffee shops along with antique, pottery, and clothing shops. There are, of course, the usual touristy tchotchke, but those shops tend to blend into the surroundings, rather than be in your face.
Just on the edge of the old town are the public gardens and park Giardini Pubblici Giuseppe Garibaldi. It is a popular spot even on a cool Sunday evening in early April with kids running back and forth and friends chatting as they leisurely strolled to Piazza Mazzini on the other side of the park, the main shopping district in Lecce. Here you will find wide pedestrian-only streets and high-end stores, wine bars, and restaurants. This is where the locals go for their ‘la passeggiata,’ otherwise known as the time-honored evening stroll held in towns and villages all across Italy.
Lecce is the perfect spot in Puglia to spend a few days and to use as a central location to discover the rest of what Puglia has to offer. From Gallipoli on the Ionian coast to Otranto on the Adriatic coast and everything in between is all within easy driving distance from Lecce. The food is tremendous, especially the fresh seafood, the wine is superb and the crowds are few compared to its more northerly neighbors