Amphitheatre

The Roman amphitheatre is a great window into the history of Lecce, that takes you on a journey back through the centuries. Located in the central piazza Sant'Oronzo, the very heart of city, it is surrounded by buildings of Fascist architecture and by the inebriating fragrances of traditional patisserie wafting out of the many bars of the piazza.

Featuring an elliptical layout, it's partly buried and partly supported by arcades resting on tuff columns. The amphitheatre of ancient Lupiae lies on what once were the eastern outskirts of the Roman city of Augustan Age, and was capable of seating a max. of 14.000 spectators, arranged in two tiers of seats, of which only the lower one still remains.

Particularly interesting are the fragments of friezes unearthed during excavations and the Latin inscriptions, which are to be found in the gallery dug into the rocks surrounding the arena. Recommended to the visitor, are the groups of historiated capitals and some bas-reliefs depicting scenes of venationes.

In the nearby of the amphitheatre, today an elegant culture venue hosting shows and concerts, there's a pre-Roman necropolis, where  Messapian inscriptions have been found.