The Church of The Holy Cross in Lecce

In a city teeming with spectacular buildings, ruins, and monuments, one still manages to stand out above the rest – The Basilica di Santa Croce (Church of the Holy Cross), Lecce’s Baroque masterpiece, which simply demands to be seen.  Begun in 1549 and finished almost 150 years later in 1695, the Church of the Holy Cross has a richly and ornately decorated facade, covered in exquisitely carved grotesques, gargoyles, vegetables, statuary, and coats of arms, amongst them the Griffin, Genoa’s.  The main entablature’s stunning detail is accentuated all the more by the six beautifully smooth and featureless columns which hold the whole aloft and form the church’s impressive frontispiece.

Once inside, you will be presented with an interior which is serene and sedate in comparison with the baroque excesses of the building’s exterior carvings.  Designed on a latin cross plan, this church is one of Lecce’s crown jewels, and must be seen to be truly appreciated.  Whether you’ve arrived in this most absorbing of cities by plane, train, on foot or by hire car, you must ensure that the Church of the Holy Cross is one of the first stops you make when you get to the city of Lecce.

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Lecce: A destination for food lovers

Lecce is easily the loveliest town in the Italian province of Puglia.  Under sunlight, its architecture is a visual feast that will amaze you as you drive your car hire down its quiet streets.

One of its main draws, however, has long been the local food.  With its long tradition of cucina povera, which sees simple ingredients transformed into extraordinary gastronomic masterpieces, Lecce has been a favorite destination for food lovers wishing to both partake and learn of its special art.

As expected with “poor” cuisine, dishes are served across local restaurants without much ceremony.  Dive in, though, and the lack of presentation will be easily forgotten.  Many of the best restaurants will be decked out in homely and family-looking attire, so you’ll be quickly at ease as soon as you take a sit.  Try some of the famous broad bean dishes, along with new season cheeses, lamb-innard sausages (turciniedde) and the various pasticcerie.

Nightlife is a quiet affair in Lecce, with great-tasting dinners often the evening’s highlight.  Still, various wine bars and cocktail lounges scatter about town, some with DJs on weekends, to cap your day off in a party mood.

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