Lecce

Lecce: history & character

Lecce, the capital of Salento and nicknamed the 'Florence of the South', began as a Greek and then Roman city before becoming one of Europe's greatest 17th-century baroque centres. Pietra leccese — a soft, golden local limestone — allowed local sculptors to cover façades, balconies and doorways with floral motifs and grimacing figures of unmatched virtuosity, creating a style known as 'barocco leccese' that culminates on the façade of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Under the main Piazza Sant'Oronzo lies a 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre (capacity 25,000); 600 metres south, Piazza del Duomo forms one of Italy's most spectacular enclosed squares. For travellers with a dog, Lecce is a revelation: a centro storico walkable end-to-end in 15 min, dog-tolerant Salento café/trattoria culture, year-round dog beaches at Punta Prosciutto and Frassanito 30-45 min away, and a cost of living well below central or northern Italy.