Sun, sea and wind. Nature strikes in the first place, when one gets to this land stretch in balance between two seas. Lecce, in the Puglia region of southern Italy, is sometimes called the Florence of the South because of its wealth of artistic Baroque monuments. Lecce is for experiencing—for wandering the narrow streets of golden sandstone, for finding hidden piazzas, for lazy lunches in wine bars with a glass of local rose and a view of an extravagantly carved baroque church. The Baroque architecture here is so unique, so beautiful, elaborate, and lyrical that it has its own name in architectural textbooks, and is known as the “Barocco Leccese”. There are countless chapels and churches, vast palazzi carved from the soft, local, golden limestone – pietra Leccese – which artisans of the past joyfully sculpted to decorate the facades. Today Lecce is a vibrant cultural center, with plenty of artisan workshops, music festivals and culinary gourmet.
Lecce
