Lecce - Duomo di Lecce

A legend tells, that a city called Sybar existed at the time of the Trojan War. It was conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, receiving the new name of Lupiae.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth troops of king Totila. In 549 it was taken by Byzantium and remained part of the Eastern Roman Empire for five centuries, interrupted by brief invasions by the Saracens, Longobards, Hungarians and Slavs.

After the Norman conquest in the 11th century, Lecce regained commercial and political importance, flourishing in the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevine rule. From the 15th century, Lecce was one of the most important cities of southern Italy, and, starting in 1630, it developed into a centre of Baroque architecture. This was made possible by the soft tuff stone found in the area, perfect for that architecture.

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The cathedral is located on the southeast corner of the "Piazza del Duomo" in the centre of the city. It first built in 1144, it underwent modifications later and was rebuilt in 1659 by the architect Giuseppe Zimbalo (aka "Zingarello") by order of bishop Luigi Pappacoda, in thy Baroque style typical for Lecce. The architect did not change the general layout but added an enormous, Baroque portal. This portal is considered to be a masterpiece of Baroque art.

The campanile was built between 1661 and 1682. It was built to replace the Romanesque one, which had collapsed at the beginning of the 17th century. At a height of about 70 m the bell tower offers views of the Adriatic Sea and was used as a watchtower in former times.