Lecce

Lecce is a Italian city of approximately: 93000 inhabitants, located in the province of the same name in the Pouilles ( Italian Puglia in ), in the south of the Italy.

City of intermediate size of south-east of Apulie, located at center of Salento (the Péninsule which forms the “heel” of the Italian “boot”), Lecce was, during centuries, an arts center and commercial prosperous. Today it is active in the sectors of agricultural industry and ceramics.

The town of Lecce is, in addition, a town of art, considered as the capital of the Baroque architecture, and for this reason received from the flattering nicknames such as the “ Florence baroque ” or the “ Florence of the South ”.

The Baroque art, which developed there between, completely transformed the city and gave him an aspect light, air, refined, which one nowhere does not find elsewhere in Italy. The piazza del Duomo, which evokes a stage set, gathers a whole of buildings baroques which emphasize the beauty of the local stone (in Italian will pietra leccese or leccisu in gentilé), with the fine and gilded grain. The baroque leccese precisely finds its originality in the use of this calcareous stone, tender, blanchâtre, which takes growing old a beautiful hot color, gilded.

Momument more the symbolic system of the Baroque art of Lecce is certainly the basilica Santa Croce , rebuilt starting from 1549 and completed in 1695. The fertile imagination of the artists could be expressed there with complete freedom and produced a decoration of an amazing richness, whose beauty even comes from the profusion, a decoration which marks the glance by this decorative madness carried to its paroxysm.

Geography

Lecce is in the center of the Péninsule Salento. It is one of the most important cities of Apulie. Although located inside the grounds, it has the advantage of being near the Adriatic coast and of the Ionian Mer.

History

Of Greek foundation - it was formerly called “Athens of Pouilles” - Lecce has to face, during its long story, with a certain number of invasions. The foundation of the town of Lecce would go back at least to fourth century BC. But according to the legend, Lecce existed already before the Trojan War and bore then the name of Sybaris , become Lupiae thereafter (old name of Latin Lecce in ).

Between 269 av. J. - C. and 267 av. J. - C., the Romains, which extends their domination towards the south of the Italian peninsula, make the conquest of the Salento and the town of Lecce.

Much later, the city does not escape various invasions, plunderings and destruction: the Ostrogoths of the king Totila seize some. Begun again by the Byzantine , it is reached by Lombards, then by bands of Slavic plunderers and Magyar. The city does not escape either the pirate buckwheats which threaten the city since the end of the 9th century.

Between 1055 and 1069, the Byzantines must fight against Normands, increasingly pressing and seeking to extend their domination on all the south of Italy. Lecce falls to the hands from the latter and becomes a county pertaining to a member of the family Hauteville, perhaps with the one of the many brothers of Robert Guiscard, Godefroi de Hauteville, count of Brindisi.

The city is the stronghold of the king Tancrède of Sicily (before 1180), which inherited the county by his/her mother Emma de Lecce, girl of the count Achard II of Lecce. The dynasty Norman reigns on the county until in 1210.

Administration

Hamlets

Communes bordering

Arnesano, Cavallino, Lequile, Lizzanello, Monteroni di Lecce, Novoli, San Cesario di Lecce, Squinzano, Surbo, Torchiarolo (Br), Trepuzzi, Vernole

Higher education

Lecce has a university, created in 1955. The Université of Lecce is a modern institution, attended by 18.000 students, registered in various faculties which compose it:

  • Economy and Commerce ( Economia E Commercio );

  • Engineering ( Ingegneria );
  • Foreign languages ( Ling E letterature straniere );
  • Letters and Philosophie ( Lettere E filosofia );
  • Mathematical ( Scienze Matematiche );
  • Right ( Giurisprudenza );
  • Sciences of the Formation ( Scienze della Formazione );
  • Physical sciences and Naturelles ( Scienze Fisiche E Naturali );

Monuments and sites of interest

  • the Santa Croce de Lecce|Basilica Santa Croce] , true architectural treasure, which is undoubtedly the most succeeded expression of the baroque leccese ;

  • the Duomo and its place, dominated by the Bell-tower of five stages (70 Mr. height), rebuilt by Giuseppe Zimbalo between 1651 and 1682, and the cathedral , founded by the Norman at the 12th century, and entirely refitted by Giuseppe Zimbalo with the XVII {{E}};
  • the Piazza Sant' Oronzo , with in the center the column Sant' Oronzo which gives its name to the place, true heart of the city, bordered until the beginning of the 20th century of sumptuous palate, dating for some from the 13th century, whose demolition allowed the discovery of important archaeological remainders, of which a Roman amphitheater.
  • L Roman Amphitheater of Lecce , built between, one of testimonys of Antiquity best preserved Salento, partially exhumed at the beginning of the 20th century.
  • the church Saint Nicolas and Holy Cataldo , founded by the Norman ones at the 12th century.
  • Palazzo dei Celestini is built between 1659 et1695. This palate, carried out by Giuseppe Cino and Cesare Penna on a project of Giuseppe Zimbalo, represents an example of style baroque different compared to the churches from the same period, because it is more sober. Today it is the seat of the administration départamentale.
  • Castle of Charles Quint . According to studies of the university of Lecce, this castle was built during the 14th century and was modified by order of the emperor Charles Quint during the 16th century. It permettai to defend the city against the invasions of the pirates Turkish.

Museums

  • Art gallery of art franciscain and library Caracciolo ( Pinacoteca d' Arte francescana E Biblioteca Caracciolo );

  • Museum of the popular Traditions ( Museo delle Tradizioni Popolari );
  • Museum Chinese missionary and of Natural history ( Museo missionario cinese E di Storia naturale );
  • provincial Museum ( Museo provincial );

Personalities born in Lecce

Personalities related to the commune

See too

  • List of the Italian cities of more than 25.000 inhabitants

External bonds

  • Lecce told by a couple of French expatriates

  • Lecce
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