An interesting walking tour regarding the origins of the town and the different populations who founded it and built some impressive sights.
Itinerary: the Roman Amphiteater, the Roman Column and the Castromedian square, the Roman Theatre.
In addition in this tour you may visit some museums situated inside the above mentioned historic sites (the roman theatre museum, the Castromedian archeological museum and the MUSA-the historic archeological museum)
Duration: 2 hrs
This tour regards the history of the city and the stories of the most important citizens who lived in that period; therefore this tour is more focused on unknown facts, places, anectdotes and witnesses of the XVIth century than historic sights.
Itinerary : Charles V castle, the Merchants square (today St. Oronzo sq, an important commercial center during the venetian domination, as you can see from the small St. Mark church in the middle of the square and the adjoining Seat), the St. Mary of the Graces church( a beautiful renaissance church built over a previous jewish sinagogue) , the St. Irene church and the Jesus church whose religious services were held by the teatini and the jesuit monks who were the most important brotherhood in town.
Duration: approximately 2 hrs
The Amphitheater was attended by a larger public (25000) and offered more popular entertainment if compared to the sophisticated shows held in the theater. The Amphitheater vas the venue for combats between gladiators and venationes, namely cruel fights between humans and animals, as attested by the subjects carved in to the marble slabs found in the excavation sites. Formerly, these slabs were part of the parapet which divided the elliptic arena from the tiers of stands, of which only one stands today. Today you can see just a quarter of it (it was brought to light by chance by Cosimo De Giorgi during his excavations to build palaces in 1908) the other part is and always be underneath unless the demolition of the “St. Mary of the Graces” church and the entrance of the Charles V castle. The structure of the Amphitheater dates back to the First and Second century AD and was partially built directly on the rock and partially resting on tuff pillars connected to arches. Despite its fragmentary state, the Amphitheater is the most relevant archaeological evidence of the Roman period in Salento.
A flourishing Jewish comunity grew numerous and prolific during one of the welthiest economic periods of the city (XV-XVI century), when Lecce became the County Capital and was ruled first by M. d’Enghien and then by her son Giovanni Orsini Del Balzo later.. At the beginning of the XVI century some anti jewish legislative laws issued by Ferdinand I and Charles V forced this community to leave the city destroying their material and immaterial assets.
However, the name of the streets and the history of the buildings built over the jewish neighborhood area give today an incredible opportunity ro recreate the history of this important community that contributed to the economic and commercial growth of the town – this itinerary starts in the St. Martin tannery (between St. Oronzo sq. And the Holy Cross basilica) and goes on with the visit of the Personè Palace, the Sinagoga street, the Abramo Balmes street and the Castle.
Duration: 2 hrs
The walking tour makes you discover the history of the town from the Messapian and Roman period to the Renaissance and baroque one.Tour starts in Duomo square where you visit the Cathedral, the Bell tower, the Bishop palace and the Seminary. On the way to get the main historic square there is the neoclassical St. Irene church (the former she Patron Saint of the town); when you get to St. Oronzo square you will be amazed by the presence of different sights in a such small area as The Roman amphiteater, the renaissance style Seat, the Roman Column topped by the bronze statue of the patron Saint (Oronzo) and the small St. Mark church symbol of the Venetian settlements in Lecce. Then The Holy Cross Basilica, one of the ten Italian wonderies which is the greatest exemple of the Leccese baroque style. In the end The Charles V castle, a fortress restored during the XVI th century over a previous one of the Middle ages.
Walking tour among the most important sights of the town that go from the messapian and roman period to the wonders of the renaissance and baroque times.
Itinerary: Duomo square (Cathedral,bell tower,the bishop palace and seminary), St. Irene church(previous she-patron saint of the town), St. Oronzo square with its roman, renaissance, and modern sites, The Holy Cross Basilica and the Celestini Palace; both the greatest examples of the renaissance and baroque styles.
Duration: approximately 2 hrs
The underground galleries of the Castle were brought to light during recent archaeological excavations.
The underground galleries are the previous medieval moat of the castle; they were trasformed into galleries during the renovation of the castle run by Gian Giacomo dell’Acaja commissioned by Charles V Emperor. At the moment, it is possible to visit the gallery that connects the southern San Giacomo bulwark with the Trinity one, while the eastern gallery is only partly visible, and needs additional cleaning up activities.
Site of the Castle of Charles V: http://castellocarlov.infolecce.com/sotterranei.html
Contacts
Infopoints Castle of Charles V
Work Address: Viale XXV Luglio
Tel: +39 0832 246517, 0832 279195
Email: castellocarlov@gmail.com Infopoints Seat
Tel: +39 0832 242099
Email: infopointlecce@gmail.com Infopoints Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 16
Tel: +39 0832 682985
Email: infopointlecce@gmail.com
The tour tells the stories of Lecce from the ancient times to the splendors of the Renaissance and Baroque period. A charming itinerary in the magical atmosphere at night, among the squares and the monuments of one of the most beautiful historic centers in Italy.
Lecce capital of Baroque and Lecce Roman city. They are the two most famous faces of this city. But if we focus mainly on these two periods we will always find little space or perhaps no time to tell the story of what was once the Lecce Medieval and Renaissance art and history of its protagonists: Tancred, Maria d’ Enghien and Giovanni Antonio Orsini ‘s Leap are just some of the characters that have laid the foundation for what was the splendor of Lecce of the seventeenth century.
The itinerary suggests a walk to the discovery of a past almost entirely disappeared, traces of which, labile, you can still find some detailed analysis of monuments and walking paths little tourist district almost unknown… in short, rediscovering the historic center of Lecce in its most hidden and suggestive.