Lecce, the capital of Salento, is the city in Puglia that, more than any other, has retained its historic and cultural identity. It is located mid-way between the Ionic and Adriatic coasts, and overlooks a large plain with some rolling gentle hills, a frontier land at the extreme eastern end of the peninsula.
Lecce has been called the little Florence of the South because of its Baroque atmosphere and the beauty of its monuments. The baroque style in Lecce is typical of XVIth century sculpture and architecture, which has spread throughout the province and makes good use of the malleable Lecce stone, a compact limestone. Homogeneous and honey-coloured, it decorates the streets, balconies, palaces and churches.
All this Baroque style, abundant in the churches and palaces, gives a general theatrical 17th century appearance to the city centre, even though it is dotted with modern constructions.
Still today, in the workshops, the craftsmen equipped with plane and chisel give sculptural life and produce easing objects. One of the symbols of the city is the church of Santa Croce (1549), which has recently been restored, and this is found in the immediate vicinity of Piazza S’Oronzo, the living heart and soul of the city.