Lecce, Fresh Pasta

Because of its sumptuous architecture Lecce (in Italy's "heel") is sometimes called the “Florence of Puglia,” or the “Baroque Florence.” No city of comparable size is so heavily endowed with dignified Baroque churches, gateways, and houses. It’s famous for the luxuriant splendor of its Baroque monuments that are built of a local stone, an easily carved yellow limestone.

We parked right in front of a store where we bought some fresh pasta that we watched them make, right then and there. Emmy later pronounced the pasta as excellent, as good as it gets, so good we drove to Lecce a couple of days later to buy some more. The man who owned the store spoke English and gave us directions so we could visit Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral, and several churches on our way to downtown Lecce.

Right in the heart of the city, the spectacular Piazza Sant’Oronzo with the remains of the Roman Amphitheater, represents the historic and artistic character of the town. Dating from the 1st century B.C., the Amphitheater accommodated 20,000 fans, who came to watch bloody fights between gladiators and wild beasts. About one-third of the structure remains, with maybe twelve or fifteen rows of seats leading from street level, down to what remains of the playing field.