The library and art gallery were instituted in 1963. The first holds 400,000 books and the second a hundred or so 17th and 18th-century paintings from Franciscan monasteries in Salento. The paintings are mainly religious in subject matter such as the Circumcision of Jesus by Fra Ludovico da Gioia, or the Holy Family by D. Bianco. They are intensely emotional pictures thanks to the use of dark coloring and heavy shadows typical of Baroque art. Guided visits are available. There are also a historical and photographic archive, a library and a study room. Admission is free.
This building is more important for its role in Lecce education than for its architecture. The Royal College of St. Joseph run by the Jesuits was housed here from 1816. It was a busy cultural institution that annexed the Lyceum and various faculties of the university in 1852. When the Bourbon kingdom fell, it returned to being a school and was named after the economist, Giuseppe Palmieri. A gallery containing 18th c. art is housed in the building containing shell mosaic pictures and paintings. The rooms of the sacresty and the deconsecrated Church of St. Francis of Assisi stand next to the Oratory.
A visitor entering the square from Corso Vittorio Emanuele is surprised at the apparition of the magnificent white facade of the Duomo. Similar to an arch of triumph in structure, it is decorated with a majestic statue of the city's patron saint, Sant'Oronzo, and by the superb portal with statues of the other two patron saints, San Giusto and San Fortunato. What is unusual is that the façade described is at the side of the cathedral, while the main facade is on the internal side of the square which is not immediately visible and less detailed. This was deliberately designed by Giuseppe Zimbalo in accordance with Baroque standards. It was first built before 1144, then rebuilt in 1230 and renovated between 1659-1670. It is based on a Latin cross and has a wooden ceiling decorated with gold and several painted canvases. There are four large pointed arches in the center of the cross where the transept is. Some of the most important examples of Salentino art are to be seen here such as the magnificent Baroque marble altars and the lovely 16th-century crypt.
This dates back to the time of Augustus, and was discovered in 1929: it has a cavea (19 meters in diameter [62.3 feet]), divided into six sections with tiers of seating radiating from the center. The orchestra, where the choir was placed, has stone slabs and is separated from the cavea by a parapet. The orchestra is separated from the 'stage' by a canal and has structures which helped to hold the wooden scaffolding in place. Statues dating back to the time of Antony have also been discovered inside the theater.
Also known as the church of the Buon Consiglio (Good Advice), it was built in 1574 and is an example of the combination of Lecce Baroque and Catholic Counter-Reformation. The facade has two orders, the first features empty niches followed by pilasters and in between there is the emblem of the Compagnia di Gesù with two angels sculpted out of Lecce stone. On the second order there is a central window, a statue of baby Jesus and the metopes on the frieze represent the Passion of Christ. There are four chapels off the nave with altars decorated in stucco from the 18th Century, one of which is dedicated to the Virgin of Loreto with 18 shrines to saints in Lecce stone. In the transept there is the chapel of the Vergine del buon Consiglio. The main altar is one of the most beautiful and extravagant in the city. It is concave with four spiral columns typical of the Baroque period.
This is an interesting example of Lecce Baroque from the late 17th Century even though the church was rebuilt between 1687 and 1691. The unfinished façade is divided in two orders: the projecting part is created by the flight of steps which give access to the richly decorated central doorway. The sides of the first order are slightly sunken making the façade seem like it leans forward. Volutes divide the second order from the first and end in plinths. The church is elegant but minus the pomp and makes good use of chiaroscuro. There are four niches in the lower order and two in the upper. Inside the church you will find one octagonal nave. The deep presbytery is divided into two orders. One has fluted Corinthian pilaster strips, the other Tuscan pilaster strips two windows and statues of saints. There are four sumptuous, gilded altars from the 18th Century, which are the reason the church is one of the most beautiful in Lecce: they're decorated in great detail with spiral columns and human forms. There are also two altars from the 18th Century dedicated to St. Francis and the Virgin Mary designed by Cino who was given the task of rebuilding the church in 1687. The six chapels are flanked by Corinthian pilaster strips. Over the arches above them you can see the grates through which the nuns would listen to mass.
The library and art gallery were instituted in 1963. The first holds 400,000 books and the second a hundred or so 17th and 18th-century paintings from Franciscan monasteries in Salento. The paintings are mainly religious in subject matter such as the Circumcision of Jesus by Fra Ludovico da Gioia, or the Holy Family by D. Bianco. They are intensely emotional pictures thanks to the use of dark coloring and heavy shadows typical of Baroque art. Guided visits are available. There are also a historical and photographic archive, a library and a study room. Admission is free.
This church, also known as San Giuseppe, has a 16th-century central doorway with two pairs of columns. The rose window was taken from a window in the transept, which was the nave until the 16th Century. The building originally belonged to the Acaya family then, in 1557 it became a church and convent under the Frati Minori Osservanti who remained there until 1807. In 1937 the convent was demolished to make way for an INPS (Social Security) building.
The church has a façade enriched by hanging arches and a cusp on which the statue of Archangel Michael rests. The richly decorated columns, support a trabeation on whose frieze is the statue of the Madonna with Child crowned and adorned with angels and placed in the tympanum of the arch which is full of cherubs. In the triangles on the sides there are the coats of arms of the Peruzzi and Maremonti families. Inside you find sophisticated altars from the 17th Century and various paintings. The first altar on the left was decorated by Giuseppe Zimbalo, which is evident because of its richness and fullness. Note also the painting of the Madonna of the Rosary.
Piazza Santissimo Crocifisso is one of the many picturesque streets in Galatone. Located in the heart of the city and surrounded by shops, restaurants, hotels and many other attractions, Piazza Santissimo Crocifisso is also well known as a venue that hosts outdoor festivals and cultural activities like the Sagra di Piatti Tipici Locali (Festival of Typical Local Dishes).
One of the most striking examples of Apulian Romanesque art and Gothic Puglia, Santa Caterina d'Alessandria is a basilica which dates back to 1369. The interiors of the church are beautifully maintained to this day, and include stunning frescoes in various colors and feature scenes from the Old Testament, making any art lover happy.
Giuseppe Cino designed the facade of this church which has three very decorative orders. On the first order there are two statues of Carmelite saints and prophets. On the second there is a central window and two statues which are thought to be of Mauro Manieri. The third very elegant order features mixtilinear friezes which complete the facade. Oddly, the plan of the church is similar to the outline of a foot which is the effect combination of the curved outer surfaces coupled with the classical lines of a Latin cross. This leads to a unique effect of accented curves paired with a simple lines. Mauro Manieri designed the nave altars between 1731 and 1737. Some are painted, like the Annunciation, that of St. Elmo and the Visitation of the Virgin from the 18th Century.