One of the best city to visit in Italy is Lecce, in the Apulia region, in the south of the country. Art, history, culture are visible in every corner of Lecce and the main monuments are in the historical center of the city.
One of the attractions in Lecce is the Castle of Charles V. Built by the architect Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya by order of Charles V, it has a trapezoidal shape with four bastions. You can reach the defense structure, which was surrounded by a moat, filled in 1872, through two doors – one to the east, named ‘False Door’, and the other to the west, named ‘ Royal Door’. The interior has been largely changed over the years. The most ancient part is represented by the quadrangular ‘mastio’ dating back to the Angevins, whose hypogeum was used as a chapel, with a baroque altar inside. The other chapel in the castle is dedicated to Saint Barbara.
Another attraction is the Church of Saint Matteo. It was built between 1667 and 1700 by the architect Carducci by command of the bishop Pappacoda. Its facade, where convex and concave volumes contrapose, recalls the Borrominian baroque. The elliptical shaped interior with a single nave shows a women’s gallery along the perimeter. Noteworthy, the statues of the 12 Apostles, made in Lecce stone by the sculptor Placido Buffelli, alternating with the altars.
And then there is Church of Saint Nicola. The Church, with the Monastery next to it was built according to the will of the patrician Belisario Paladini from Lecce Its sober front shows on the portal the statue of the archangel Michael defeating Lucifer; the interior has a stucco-painted vault and the high altar rich with intaglios.
It is a good idea that you check out these places of attraction in Lecce while you are in Italy. You could hire a car and explore the city of Lecce and check out the places of tourist attraction. car-rental-italy caters to all the commuting needs of the tourists who visit Italy all year through. They have on offer a wide variety of cars to cater to your individual needs from 2 door economy cars to 9 seat Minivans, automatic transmission cars and much more, to give you a hassle free commuting experience.