Lecce Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide by a Local

Porta Rudiae is one of the historic gates of the city of Lecce that allowed access to the city by crossing its defensive walls. The current structure, built in 1703, is a baroque reconstruction realized thanks to Prospero Lubelli.

In the past, the square was known as the “Courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace,” an area reserved exclusively for the clergy and surrounded by religious buildings that isolated it from the rest of the city.

The Cathedral of Lecce, also called the Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Assunta e Sant’Oronzo, is the center of the city’s religious life. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1659 on the ruins of a previous church, which had been demolished because it was no longer adequate to accommodate the growing population of believers.

The Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Lecce is over 70 meters high and is adorned with balustrades, flower vases, pyramids and other elaborate decorations. Amazing view from the top!

The Roman Theatre, one of the most significant testimonies of the ancient imperial city of Lupiae. Built during the first decades of the 1st century AD by order of the emperor Octavian Augustus, the theatre, together with the amphitheatre which I will tell you about later, represented an important entertainment centre for this city of the Roman Empire.

It was the emperor Octavian Augustus, in the first decades of the 1st century AD, who wanted the construction of this great Amphitheater. Studies suggest a capacity of about 20,000 spectators.

Piazza Sant’Oronzo represents the true vital center of the city of Lecce, not only from an artistic point of view, but also symbolic and social. Piazza Sant’Oronzo is located in the heart of what was once the Roman Lupiae.

The Basilica of Santa Croce is considered the symbol of Lecce Baroque. Its construction began in 1549, on the initiative of the Celestine Fathers, a religious order, after the demolition of the previous temple and convent founded in the second half of the 14th century in the area of the Carlo V Castle.

The Charles V Castle is the largest castle in Puglia. Built in the 12th century AD, it was named after the Spanish king Charles V because, in 1539, the emperor ordered the reconstruction of the previous castle, considered unsuitable to defend the city from Turkish incursions in the Mediterranean.