We went back to the Lecce Cathedral in the morning going inside for the full tour. While the first documents indicate the existence back to the Norman period, the old building was demolished to make way for the new cathedral in the mid-16th century. At this point the square was given a new monumental appearance fitting for one of the most important artistic and cultural centers in Southern Italy.
These statues flank the entrance to the plaza.
They are saints or Fathers of the Church and give the impression they are guarding the entrance.
The cathedral has a Latin cross with three naves divided by pilasters and columns, and the main altar is placed at the eastern end of the church. The central nave and the transepts covered by a wooden ceiling with coffers created in 1685. This was our first wooden ceiling and it was fantastic – The Last Supper.
Each of the altars was more decorative than the last one. There was a lot of detail everywhere!
I’m sure you could come back every day for years and find something new. This scene was above one of the side altars.
Near the pulpit was a staircase leading to an underground area containing the hidden jewel of the Cathedral: the crypt. The cross vaults inside are supported by a veritable forest of columns. Each of the 92 capitals featured a different decoration of medieval inspiration. I sooooo wanted to take photos but I respected the wish of the church for this sacred spot – no photos.
Next door was the bell tower. The tower was constructed in 1661–1662 and was built to replace the previous Norman bell tower, which crumbled at the beginning of the 17th century.
It has a square shape and appears to be made up of five tapered levels, the last of which is topped by an octagonal majolica, on which there is an iron statue of a local saint.
The bell tower offers views of the Adriatic Sea, and on clear days even the mountains of Albania are visible. It was hazy the day we visited. so no sea or mountains.
It was s.u.p.e.r windy on the day we went to the top. The only way we got Eric up there…….in 2022 a modern lift provided access to the balconies on the third floor. No steps for him but he will do an elevator. Ha!
Lecce is also the spot of a Roman amphitheater that is being excavated and offers a glimpse into the city’s history as a Roman resort and trading port.
The amphitheater which could hold 15,000 spectators was hidden from view until 1901 when construction began on a bank. Not sure what happened with the bank, but I would guess they weren’t exactly thrilled that the land they were going to build upon, would not be an archeological site.
All this running around was creating an appetite. Time to find some nourishment. This was our stop for a lunch.
Can I just say……very interesting placemats. Yes, those are records.
These homemade chips were a starter, getting us ready for the main course – one of my favorites.
Pizza!
There’s one more church I want to mention in this post – Chiesa di San Matteo. The Church of San Matteo was built between 1667 and 1700 to replace the ancient chapel of S. Mattero, now small and in mediocre condition. This turned into one of my favorite churches.
I read that this church embodies the canons of the Baroque style so much that it has earned the title ‘the pantheon of Lecce Baroque’.
The perimeter of the interior is marked by twelve columns on which statues of the apostles stand. Each represented something specific about that apostle – could be their origin, what they stood for or where they ended. This church had an excellent audio guide & map sharing descriptive information.
The weather was so gorgeous we enjoyed walking around the town and found this city park. Kids were playing on a playground, others had brought a book to read and a few couples were sitting quietly taking it all in.
Barely noticeable, but Adrienne and Eric were in the background of the photo. There was a bridge that connected the space between the fountains.
Those two followed me around while I got photos of flowers. The redbud trees were starting to bloom – something we can’t grow in Florida. Kind of cool that flowers could be seen along the trunk of the tree, not only on the branches. Yep, there is Eric and Adrienne in the background again.
Eric found an interesting place for supper and made reservations earlier that day. Once the sun started to set, the temps went down quickly. He needed to go back to the apartment for warmer clothes. Our apartment was a few doors behind him.
Tonight we headed to Vico dei Sotteranei.
They are described as a cozy restaurant in the historic town center sourcing local ingredients and paying attention to the details, mixing in tradition with innovation. Nice. Those two drank some of the local wine while I went for a local blonde ale beer – it was a nice change for me.
Some snacks arrived while we waited for our appetizer. The olives, round italian crackers and the olive spread – which was excellent by the way. The carrots………..let’s just say that Adrienne has a love/hate relationship with carrots. Actually, it’s hate/hate relationship! No way is she going to eat a carrot.
We started with a smoked swordfish carpaccio with burrata cheese, walnuts and roasted fruits. Not exactly my thing, however I did like the cheese and the fruit.
Adrienne and Eric both ordered the 40-day dry-aged beef with sauteed vegetables. They loved it.
I ordered the ‘sfoglia’ – fresh sheet pasta with slow-cooked beef, pecorino cheese, smoked paprika and rosemary essence. It was okay. I ate most of the beef and left the pasta – I was getting full.
But what made the meal memorable……………..the dessert. They were called spumone but was nothing like any of us had ever eaten. We ordered two but I only got one photo, you couldn’t really tell them apart, until after you started eating them. Technically they were called Spumone al pistacchio, nocciole e cuore al croccante and Spumone al cioccolato fondente con copeta e fichi.
Looks kind of unassuming right? It didn’t matter what they were called, we ate every last crumb. Once you broke through the outer layer of ice cream, more flavors and goodies were inside. Delicious!
Walking home was quick and easy. Sharing the photo so you can see how narrow the streets were and we had to step aside for the cars and motorcycles to get by.
Darden Travels 