Atenze

Lecce


You'll eat handsomely at the in-house restaurant of the Patria Palace Hotel, right in the heart of old Lecce. The food is Puglian, mainly elevated examples of robust peasant cuisine, such as risotto with Gallipoli's famous red prawns, burrata (cream-filled mozzarella) and lime, or tuna tournedos in herb crust with Salento olives.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lecce attractions

1. Museo Ebraico

0.02 MILES

This fascinating museum outlines the Jewish history of Lecce and the greater Salento region. Entry is by 30-minute guided tour only, running every 45…

2. Basilica di Santa Croce

0.05 MILES

It seems that hallucinating stonemasons have been at work on the basilica. Sheep, dodos, cherubs and beasties writhe across the facade, a swirling…

3. Palazzo del Governo

0.05 MILES

The graceful baroque structure next to Lecce's Basilica di Santa Croce, once a convent for Celestine monks, now houses the local government.

4. Colonna di Sant'Oronzo

0.13 MILES

Two Roman columns once marked the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi. When one of them crumbled in 1582 some of the pieces were rescued and subsequently…

5. Roman Amphitheatre

0.15 MILES

Below the ground level of the piazza is this restored 2nd-century-AD amphitheatre, discovered in 1901 by construction workers. It was excavated in the…

6. Chiesa di Sant’Irene

0.17 MILES

Dedicated to Lecce's former patron saint and modelled on Rome's Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle, this church was completed in 1639. Inside you'll find…

7. Chiesa di Santa Chiara

0.21 MILES

A notable 15th-century church given a baroque makeover between 1687 and 1691, Santa Chiara is one of the most important and admired churches in Lecce…

8. Castello di Carlo V

0.21 MILES

While the Normans built the original castle in the 12th century, it became associated with the Spanish Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who enlarged it…