Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Lecce

The Basilica of Santa Croce is the emblem of Baroque architecture in Lecce and the most famous church in the city. The magnificent interior of the Basilica is divided into three naves by 16 splendid marble columns which are paired at the dome in order to support the weight more effectively. If you observe the capitals of the columns, they seem as if they are blossoming, but if you look closely, you’ll see the head of an apostle peeking out.

The square is dedicated to Saint Orontius, the patron saint of Lecce, said to have been appointed as the city’s first bishop by Saint Paul, no less. In the center is a 29-meter-high column topped by a statue of the saint imparting a blessing on the city. It was built by Giuseppe Zimbalo with pieces of one of the Roman columns that marked the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi.

Piazza Duomo is one of only a small number of squares in the world with just one entrance gate, which was once closed at night. The spectacular entrance you can see today was built by Emanuele Manieri in the 18th century, and is composed of two facades that lead into the magnificent piazza. If you look carefully at the statues on top of the balustrade, they almost seem to accompany the visitor inside, looking first in the direction you arrive from and then turning their faces towards the square.

Palazzo Celestini used to be the Convent of the Celestines, a branch of the large Benedictine Order. Today it houses the Prefecture of Lecce. This building is part of a single complex along with the Basilica of Santa Croce, and was built at the same time, starting from 1549, based on a project by the same architect, Gabriele Riccardi, who also designed the cloister.

The Castle of Charles V, the formidable fortress in Lecce that is one of the largest in Apulia. Construction of the Castle began in 1537, on the orders of the emperor, Charles V, by the expert military engineer from Naples, Gian Giacomo dell'Acaya, along with the magnificent city walls, part of which are now gone. Designed in accordance with the most modern military techniques of the time, the fortress incorporated an earlier castle, from the 13th century, of which the powerful square keep, or main tower, is still visible.