Our final ride was from the masseria near Otranto to Lecce, the “Florence of the South.” Full of over-the-top, ornate, Baroque architecture. It also appeared to have a higher cathedral/basilica density than any other city we’ve ever been to in Europe.
Bike route to Lecce
The church at the end of the street (in Vernole, on the way to Lecce)
The baroque style begins appearing as we near Lecce
Killer pickup truck
The symbol of Lecce above a church door – an ilex tree with a she-wolf at the foot
Lecce town square immediately outside of the centro storico
Roman amphitheater in the Lecce square
The Basilica di Santa Croce, the highlight of the city, from our hotel rooftope. Predictably for us on our trips, it was undergoing renovation while we were there
The ornate, make-every-space-a-little-sculpture approach to emblishment on the basilica that’s characteristic of the baroque style
Another jade-colored door on the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazia around the corner
Characteristically baroque chapel in the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazia
Pirate altar!
Another ornate chapel
Tomb in the church’s crypt
Painting in a chapel in the crypt . . .
What the what?
Piazza Duomo – the plaza in front of yet another big-ass church in Lecce
The Lecce duomo is a little unusual – it had grand entrances both in the front and on the side, closer to the Bishop’s Palace, to the right
Detail of unusual duomo door
Even more detail (hey, it was cool)
Glass orbs at the top of the door for the sun and moon; inside the light streamed through these in a pretty spectacular way (that also f’d up the ability to take a decent picture of the effect)
The very cool Porta Rudiae at the other end of the centro storico
The Basilica di San Giovanni Battista right inside the Porta Rudiae – the culmiation of the over-the-top baroque style
Detail on the Basilica di San Giovanni Battista
The Basilica di Santa Croce’s celebrated rose window
Lecce at night before we headed out to our last meal
Actual travel date: September 8, 2013
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