Lecce Cathedral

Grecìa Salentina (Griko for "Salentine Greece") is an area in the peninsula of Salento in southern Italy, near the town of Lecce which is inhabited by the Griko people, an ethnic Greek minority in southern Italy who speak Griko, a variant of Greek.

Lecce ( Italian: [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.

The Accademia di Belle Arti di Lecce is an academy of fine arts located in Lecce, Italy. It was founded in 1960.

The Archdiocese of Lecce (Latin: Archidioecesis Lyciensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Apulia, southern Italy. The diocese has existed since the 11th century. On 28 September 1960, in the bull Cum a nobis, Pope John XXIII separated the diocese of Lecce from the ecclesiastical province of Otranto and made it directly subject to the Holy See. In the bull Conferentia Episcopalis Apuliae issued on 20 October 1980, Pope John Paul II created the ecclesiastical province of Lecce, with the Archdiocese of Otranto becoming a suffragan diocese.

The province of Lecce (Italian: provincia di Lecce; Salentino: provincia te Lècce) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. The province is called the "Heel of Italy". Located on the Salento peninsula, it is the second most-populous province in Apulia and the 21st most-populous province in Italy.The province occupies an area of 2,799.07 square kilometres (1,080.73 sq mi) and has a total population of 802,807 (2016). There are 97 comuni (SG: comune) in the province. It is surrounded by the provinces Taranto and Brindisi in the northwest, the Ionian Sea in the west, and the Adriatic Sea in the east. This location has established it as a popular tourist destination. It has been ruled by the Romans, Byzantine Greeks, Carolingians, Lombards, and Normans. The important towns are Lecce, Gallipoli, Nardò, Maglie, and Otranto. Its important agricultural products are wheat and corn.

Lecce railway station (Italian: Stazione di Lecce) (IATA: LCZ) serves the city and comune of Lecce, in the region of Apulia, Southern Italy. Opened in 1866, it is the southern terminus of the Adriatic Railway (Ancona–Lecce), and is also the terminus of two regional lines, the Martina Franca–Lecce railway and the Lecce–Otranto railway. The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building is managed by Centostazioni. Train services on the Adriatic Railway are operated by or on behalf of Trenitalia. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), Italy's state-owned rail company. Services on the Martina Franca–Lecce railway and the Lecce–Otranto railway are operated by Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE).

Basilica di Santa Croce (Italian for 'Basilica of the Holy Cross') is a Baroque style church that was completed in 1695 in Lecce, Apulia, Italy.

The University of Salento (Italian: Università del Salento, called until 2007 Università degli Studi di Lecce) is a university located in Lecce, Italy. It was founded in 1955 by Giuseppe Codacci Pisanelli. The university of Salento commenced activities in the academic year 1955-1956 under the "Salentine University Council". In 1960, it became the "Free University of Lecce" and passed to Government authority in the 1967–1968 academic year. Since 2005, the University of Salento is a partner of the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC). University of Salento is ranked 251-275 among the top world's university and fifth in Italy, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings released on 2015. In 2018, it was ranked 501–600, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The Castle of Charles V (Italian: Castello Carlo quinto; Leccese: Castellu Carlu Quintu), also known as the Castello di Lecce, is a castle in Lecce, Italy. It was first built in the Middle Ages, and was strengthened by Charles V in 1539, to a design by the architect Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya. To build this fortress two constructions were pulled down: the Chapel of the Trinity and the Monastery of the Benedictine Order of the Saint Cross. The castle did not have only defensive functions, in the 18th century one of its rooms was used as a theatre. From 1870 to 1979 it was used as military district. Nowadays it is the seat of the Cultural Affairs of the township of Lecce, a backdrop for many cultural initiatives. Visitors can remain charmed with the delicate ornaments of the interiors: the capitals and the decorated big room, with imposing big stained glass windows. The rooms of the upstairs are sustained by imposing stone columns. There is a legend linked with this castle: it tells that the family which owned this castle in the 14th century, the Orsini del Balzo family, kept a white bear in the moat of the castle. This animal was a status symbol and, at the same time, it scared prowlers.

The Lecce Courthouse (Italian: Palazzo di Giustizia di Lecce, lit. 'Palace of Justice of Lecce') is a judicial complex located on Viale Michele De Pietro in Lecce, Italy. The building houses the judicial offices, the criminal court, and the Court of Appeal of Lecce. The civil court, on the other hand, is located in a building on Via Brenta.

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 and located at Via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Apulia, Italy. Although Lecce's earliest botanical garden dates to 1814, it began an irreversible decline in 1866 after its acquisition by the province, and today's garden is a separate undertaking begun in 1994 by the university's biology department. It currently contains several hundred species.

Rudiae (Rusce ['Ruʃe] in the local dialect; Ῥοδίαι in ancient Greek) was a former human settlement in late 9th or early 8th centuries BCE. It is presently an archaeological park beside the San Pietro in Lama that runs south-west from the city of Lecce. The place was identified as the former home of the poet Ennius by the Renaissance Humanist, Antonio de Ferraris.