Wednesday 13 May 2015

Ancient ruins of the Roman Empire. Lecce

Roman amphitheater, seat and column
11 Feb 2015 | From Massimo of Italy
POSTCROSSING FRIEND

The Province of Lecce (Provincia di Lecce) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce which is known as the Florence of the South because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments. The province itself is called the "Heel of Italy". Lecce is a historic and beautiful baroque town packed with upmarket boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and bars.

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. To this day, in the Grecìa Salentina, a group of towns not far from Lecce, the griko language is still spoken. Lecce had a theater and an amphitheater and was connected to the Hadrian Port (the current San Cataldo). 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 theatre is currently used for different religious and arts events.

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