Лечче: История и архитектура «Флоренции Юга»

the city in Italy

Lecce ('/l//ɛ//tʃ//eɪ/ ˈlettʃe) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce, with the second highest population in the Apulia region. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is nicknamed "The Florence of the South". "Lecce stone"—a particular kind of limestone—is one of the city's main exports, because it is very soft and workable, and thus suitable for sculptures. Lecce is also an important agricultural centre, chiefly for its olive oil and wine production, as well as an industrial centre specializing in ceramics. Lecce is home to the University of Salento.

According to legend, a city called Sybar existed at the time of the Trojan War, founded by the Messapii. It was conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, receiving the new name of Lupiae. Under the emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD) the city was moved to the northeast, taking the name of Licea or Litium. Lecce had a theater and an amphitheater and was connected to the Hadrian Port (the current San Cataldo). Orontius of Lecce, locally called Sant'Oronzo, is considered to have served as the city's first Christian bishop and is Lecce's patron saint. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth king Totila in the Gothic Wars. It was restored to Roman rule in 549, and remained part of the Eastern Empire for five centuries, with brief conquests by Saracens and Lombards. After the Norman conquest in the 11th century, Lecce regained commercial and political importance (count Tancred of Lecce was the last Norman King of Sicily), flourishing in the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevine rule. The County of Lecce was one of the largest and most important fiefs in the Kingdom of Sicily from 1053 to 1463, when it was annexed directly to the crown. From the 15th century, Lecce was one of the most important cities of southern Italy, and, starting in 1630, it was enriched with precious Baroque monuments. To avert invasion by the Ottomans, a new line of walls and a castle were built by Charles V (who was also Holy Roman Emperor), in the first part of the 16th century. In 1656, a plague broke out in the city, killing a thousand inhabitants. In 1943, fighter aircraft based in Lecce helped support isolated Italian garrisons in the Aegean Sea during World War 2. Because they were delayed by the Allies, they couldn't prevent a defeat. In 1944 and 1945, B 24 long range bombers of the 98th Heavy Bomber Group attached to the 15th U. S. Army Air Force were based in Lecce, from where the crews flew missions over Italy, the Balkans, Austria, Germany and France.

Column of statue of St Oronzo: (Lecce's patron) was given to Lecce by the city of Brindisi, because Saint Oronzo was reputed to have cured the plague in Brindisi. The column was one of a pair that marked the end of the Appian Way, the main road between Rome and southern Italy. Torre del Parco ("Park Tower"): is one of the medieval symbols of Lecce. It was erected in 1419 by the then 18 year old Giovanni Antonio Del Balzo Orsini, prince of Lecce. The tower, standing at more than , is surrounded by a ditch in which bears (the heraldic symbol of the Orsini del Balzo) were reared. The whole complex was the seat of Orsini's tribunal and of a mint, and after Giovanni Antonio's death, it became a residence for the Spanish viceroys. Palazzo Sedile: was built in 1592 and was used by the local council until 1852. Castle of Charles V: built in 1539–49 by Gian Giacomo dell'Acaja. It has a trapezoidal plan with angular bastions. It is attached to the Politeama Greco Opera House, inaugurated on 15 November 1884. Triumphal Arch (Arco di Trionfo, commonly called Porta Napoli, "Neapolitan Gate"), which is one of the three gates to enter Lecce's historical city centre, erected in 1548 in honor of Charles V. It replaced an older gate, Porta S. Giusto, which, according to tradition, lay over the tomb of the namesake saint. Also built over pre existing medieval gates are the current Porta San Biagio ("St. Blaise Gate") and the Porta Rudiae which are the other two gates to Lecce's Historical city centre. Both are in Baroque style, the latter having the statue of St. Oronzo on the top and mythological figures on the sides. Palazzo dei Celestini: now seat of the Province of Lecce. It was built in 1659–95 and designed by Giuseppe Zimbalo. The city's obelisk: erected in 1822 in honour of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.

Orto Botanico di Lecce, a botanical garden.

The Roman 2nd century amphitheatre, situated near Sant'Oronzo Square, was able to seat more than 25,000 people. It is now half buried because other monuments were built above it over the centuries. The theatre is currently used for different religious and arts events. The archaeological museum Sigismondo Castromediano. The archaeological museum Faggiano. The archaeological park of Rudiae, three kilometres south west of the city but within its limits. The place was identified as the former home of the poet Ennius by Antonio de Ferraris, a Renaissance Humanist who was from the region. This was once the more important city until Roman times and has an amphitheatre of its own, a necropolis and remains of substantial walls. The Porta Rudiae, built on the road leading from this site, is named after it.

Lecce experiences a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa).

Lecce is home to Serie A football club U. S. Lecce. Since 1966, they have played at the 33,786 seater Stadio Via del Mare.

Lecce is served by Lecce railway station. The local public transport includes trolleybus service, introduced in 2012.