Places We Love: Lecce, Puglia (a quick one here!)
Often referred to as the “Florence of the South”, Lecce is the main city on Puglia’s Salento Peninsula (the heel of Italy to be exact!) and an absolute gem to discover. It is a mecca of elaborate and ornate architecture knowns as “barocco leccese” and jam-packed with gorgeous Baroque monuments. Lecce’s “centor storico” is quite small so quite easy to explore on foot.
Some of the best sights to see include:
* Piazza del Duomo – a lovely square of “barocco leccese” with its crown jewel, the Cathedral Madonna Assunta
* Via Vittorio Emanuale – Lecce’s main street lined with nice shops, restaurants and cafes
* The Roman Amphitheater – this partially excavated “ampiteatro” dates back to the 2nd century and is located smack in the middle of modern and baroque Lecce
* Santa Chiara Church – famous for its ceiling with paper mache’ decorations
* Basilica of Santa Croce – if not for its lovely interior, at least pass by to enjoy its remarkable facade
Best time to visit Lecce, in our opinion, is April-June and September/October (summer can get sweltering so head to the coast instead!).
Posted by meganmccaffrey
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1 comments
10 anni fa...I moved from California to Italy, married an (adorable) Italian boy, started a business and slowly but surely adjusted into Italian life. It's been fun, difficult, entertaining, frustrating - but above all, an incredible experience from a little seaside village overlooking the Mediterranean.
Steve Pleydell-Pearce
Just beautiful! I love your blog, it makes me feel good me every time that I visit it! I have just returned from a painting trip to Florence and it was spellbinding, such a beautiful place, it inspired me to produce lots of oils and watercolours, I look forward to going back, and your posts make me want to sooner than ever! Have a great day!