While the newer part of Lecce is lovely, with elegant townhouses, a grand castle and blossom tree-lined streets, it’s the old town which really steals the show. Nicknamed the ‘Florence of the South’, the style is mostly baroque, with beautiful buildings carved and sculpted from the area’s creamy-coloured sandstone, Pietra Leccese.
There’s an ancient, half-crumbled amphitheatre; the spectacular Piazza del Duomo, home to the city’s cathedral as well as a couple of palazzi; and a handful of churches with fantastically ornate façades. The main thoroughfare, Via Giuseppe Libertini, is lined with restaurants, trattorias, bars and cafes. Join the locals in the evenings for passeggiata, followed by drinks and dinner at an al fresco table.
