Elegant and refined, Lecce is known as the"little Florence of the South" or "baroque Florence" but also appreciated for its vast artistic and architectural heritage.
Its historic centre is a real tribute to the baroque art of the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, thanks to the "Lecce stone" (Pietra Leccese), a local limestone particularly malleable and therefore easier to work and carve. This feature, combined with the unique artistic talents of local workers, gave birth to Lecce's Baroque artistic style.
