Lecce
Seal
Location of the city of Lecce (red dot) within Italy.
Coordinates: 40°21′N 18°10′E / 40.35, 18.167
Region	Apulia
Province	Province of Lecce
Founded	200s BC[1]
Government
- Mayor	Paolo Perrone
Area
- Total	238 km² (91. Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea In Italy, a Province (in Italian provincia) is an administrative division of intermediate level between Municipality ( Comune The Province of Lecce (Provincia di Lecce is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 9 sq mi)
Population (December 2004)
- Total	102,570 (54th)
- Density	350/km² (906. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ISTAT data updated 2007 January 1. Figures are based on last 2001 Census plus data from official bilancio demografico ( demographic balance Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 5/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal codes	73100
Area code(s)	0832
Patron saints	Saint Oronzo
Website: http://www.comune.lecce.it

This is about the Italian city of Lecce. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Saint Orontius of Lecce (Sant'Oronzo Oronzio Aronzo is venerated as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church, along with two other figures associated with his legend For the football club, see U.S. Lecce. Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply US Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia.

Lecce (Griko: Luppìu, Greek: Alission) is a historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce as well as the one of the most important cities of Apulia. Griko, sometimes spelled Grico, is a Modern Greek dialect which is spoken by people in the Magna Graecia region in southern Italy, and it Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Province of Lecce (Provincia di Lecce is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea It is the main city of the Salentine Peninsula, a sub-peninsula at the heel of the Italian Peninsula and is over 2,000 years old. Salento (Salentu in local dialect is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. Th Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three Peninsulas of Southern Europe

Because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments found in the city, Lecce is commonly nicknamed the "The Florence of the South". Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany The city also has a long traditional affinity with Greek culture going back to its foundation; the Messapii who founded the city are said to have been Cretans in Greek records. The Culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years with its beginnings in the Mycenaean and Minoan Civilizations, continuing most notably into Classical Greece Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the ^[2] To this day, in the area where Lecce is situated there are some who speak the Grecìa Salentina language. Grecia Salentina (Salentinian Greece) is a Griko -speaking area in the Peninsula of Salento in southern Italy, near the town of

In terms of industry the "Lecce stone" is the city's main export, because it is very soft and malleable, it is very good for sculptures. Lecce is also an important agricultural centre, chiefly for its olive oil and wine production, as well as an industrial centre specialising in ceramic production. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos) As of 2004, Lecce has a population of around 102,570 inhabitants.

Contents 1 History 2 Main sights 2.1 Churches and religious buildings 2.2 Other buildings 2.3 Gardens and parks 3 Sport 4 Notable people 5 Twin cities 6 References 7 External links

History

According to legend, a city called Sybar existed at the time of the Trojan War, founded by the Messapii Italic tribe. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her Later it was occupied by the Iapyges and conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BCE, receiving the new name of Lupiae. The Iapyges or Iapygians were an Indo-European people who inhabited the heel of Italy (modern Apulia) before being absorbed by the Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC

Under the emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD) the city was moved 3 km to NE, taking the name of Licea or Litium. Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. 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. Saint Orontius of Lecce (Sant'Oronzo Oronzio Aronzo is venerated as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church, along with two other figures associated with his legend

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth king Totila in the Gothic Wars. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern The Ostrogoths (Ostrogothi or Austrogothi were a branch of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late Totila (died Jul 1 552) was king of the Ostrogoths from 541 until his death See Gothic War (376-382 for the war on the Danube The Gothic War was a war fought in Italy and the adjoining regions of Dalmatia, Sardinia It was conquered by the Byzantines in 549, and remained part of the Eastern Empire for five centuries, with brief conquests by Saracens, Lombards, Hungarians and Slavs. Events By Place Byzantine Empire The Ostrogoths under Totila recapture Rome. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary.

After the Norman conquest in the 11th century, Lecce regained commercial importance, flourishing in the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevine rule. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied The County of Lecce was a fief of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1053 to1463, when it was annexed directly to the crown. The Kingdom of Sicily (Regnum Siciliae or Sicilie Regno di Sicilia, commonly abbreviated Regno) was a state that existed in the south of Italy 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. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states

In 1656, a plague broke out in the city, killing a thousand inhabitants. Plague is a deadly Infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis (Pasteurella pestis.

In 1943, fighter aircraft based in Lecce helped support isolated Italian garrisons in the Aegean Sea fighting Germans during World War 2. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed Garrison (various spellings (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, "to equip" is the collective term for a body of Troops Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Unfortunately they were delayed by the Allies, so it was too little too late. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose

Main sights

Lecce is known for its important Baroque monuments. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc

Churches and religious buildings

• The most important is the Church of the Holy Cross (Chiesa di Santa Croce). Basilica di Santa Croce ( Italian, Church of the Holy Cross) is a Baroque church in Lecce, Apulia, Italy It was begun in 1353, but work was halted until 1549, to be completed only in 1695. The church has a richly decorated façade with animals, grotesque figures and vegetables, and a large rose window. Next to the church is the Government Palace, a former convent.
• The Duomo (cathedral) is also one of the most significant in Italy. It was originally built in 1144, and rebuilt in 1230. It was totally restored in the years 1659-70 by Giuseppe Zimbalo, who also built the 70 m-high bell tower. The latter has five floors and an octagonal loggia. Loggia is the name given to an Architectural feature originally of Italian design which is often a gallery or Corridor generally on the ground
• The church of San Niccolò and Cataldo is an example of Italo-Norman architecture. It was founded by Tancred of Sicily in 1180. Tancred (died February 20, 1194) was King of Sicily from 1189 to 1194 In 1716 the façade was rebuilt, with the addition of numerous statues, but maintaining the fine original portal. The interior has a nave and two aisles, with ogival arcades and a dome in the centre of the nave. The frescoes on the walls are from the 15th-17th centuries.
• The Celestines' Convent (1549-1695), ewith Baroque decorations by Giuseppe Zimbalo. The courtyard was designed by Gabriele Riccardi.
• The church of the Theatines (St. Irene, built from 1591)
• Santa Maria degli Angeli
• Santa Chiara (1429-1438), rebuilt in 1687

Other buildings

• The Roman Amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century and 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 column holding the statue of Saint 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. Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The The column was one of a pair that marked the end of the Appian Way, the main road between Rome and southern Italy. The Appian Way ( Latin and Italian: Via Appia) was the most important ancient Roman road. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
• The Sedile was built in 1592 and was used by the local council until 1852.
• The Castle of Charles V was 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 November 15, 1884. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Gardens and parks

• Orto Botanico di Lecce, a botanical garden. The Orto Botanico dell'Università di Lecce (2 hectares also known as the Orto Botanico di Lecce, is a Botanical garden operated by the University of Lecce Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes

Sport

Lecce is also home to Serie B football club U.S. Lecce. Promotion and Relegation At the end of the season, three teams are promoted to Serie A and four teams are relegated to Serie C1. Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply US Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia.

Notable people

• Franco Causio (born 1949), footballer world champion 1982
• Ennio de Giorgi (1928-1996), mathematician
• Cloe Elmo (1910-1962), opera singer
• Marco Materazzi (born 1973), footballer world champion 2006
• Tito Schipa (1888-1965), tenor

Twin cities

• Murcia, Spain (since 2002)
• Skopje, Republic of Macedonia (since 2005)
• Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland (since 2006)
• Melbourne, Australia

References

External links

• Calendar of events in Lecce and Province (Italian)
• Photos of Lecce on flickr (Italian)

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