About
In the middle of the city, an ancient ruin was unearthed.
The historical center of Lecce is marked by a unique, yellowish appearance, owing to the use of a limestone that is peculiar to this area of southern Italy, sometimes called the “Lecce stone.” This is true of the many Baroque churches around the city, the Lecce castle, and the ancient Roman amphitheater that lies in the middle of the city forum. Italy is not exactly wanting for Roman ruins, but it’s not every day you find an ancient and well-preserved amphitheater right in the heart of town. The Roman amphitheater of Lecce was situated in the main piazza of the old town. Even more interesting, it was completely hidden from view and its existence unknown until as recently as 1901. The marvelous theater spent centuries buried under the earth and structures built over the years obscured its existence until construction workers uncovered it while digging to build a bank.
