When I arrived in Lecce, I was amazed by this luminous stone that captures light like skin absorbs heat — a perfect material for the southern light.
Its color changes from dawn to dusk, giving Lecce its unique style and character.
🌊 A Stone Born from the Sea
One day, a craftsman told me, “You know, this stone comes from very far away, but it has never traveled. It was born here, in the water, and it has stayed here.”
Over 6 million years ago, the sea covered this region. Marine sediments formed a soft limestone, dotted with tiny fossils. This stone is so soft that even today, artisans work it by hand with remarkable precision.
On the Mohs scale, which measures the hardness of stones, it only reaches 3 or 4 (compared to 6 for marble). A softness that does not compromise its durability over time.
The blocks are still quarried nearby, in Acquarica, Melpignano, or Cursi, less than 20 km from the city center.
🕍 Lecce, the Baroque of the South
Lecce offers a version of Baroque that is more joyful and whimsical than elsewhere, almost playful.
Between 1650 and 1750, the city experienced extraordinary artistic effervescence. Churches multiplied, their façades adorned with fruits, angels, dragons, and twisted columns.
📍 Must-See:
- Basilica of Santa Croce: a façade of dizzying richness, to be admired as one would study a fresco.
- Palazzo dei Celestini, its neighbor, with portals carved like mineral tapestries.
In the province of Lecce alone, there are more than 350 churches — enough to discover a new one every day of the year.
🌞 A Living Material, Sculpted by Light
Lecce should be discovered at sunrise.
The stone then appears ivory, almost cold. At noon, it becomes golden and vibrant. In the evening, it takes on an amber hue.
One could say it has moods: some days it radiates intensely; other days, it is more discreet, almost shy.
And that is precisely what moves me: it lives in rhythm with the city.
🛠️ From Raw Stone to Work of Art
Workshops are tucked along the narrow streets of the city center.
Sculptors work the stone by hand, sometimes using tools inherited from their ancestors. They create rosettes, angels, faces, but also contemporary lamps and design objects.
🎁 A Stone You Can Take Home
Shops in the city center now offer various objects made from Lecce stone, from sculptural lamps to small paperweights.
🌿 Local Tip
What is the best time to discover Lecce?
At dusk. Sit in Piazza Duomo, where the city seems to hold its breath.
Watch the light caress the façades. Follow with your eyes the play of shadows, the reliefs, the carved motifs. It is at this moment that the stone truly reveals itself, whispering its story of sea, light, and patient hands.
