The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary was built on the orders of Bishop Pappacoda between 1659 and 1670, on a design by Giuseppe Zimbalo, the architect of many of the most inspired monuments in Lecce, on the site of an earlier Romanesque cathedral.
The Cathedral and the square – indeed the whole city – are dominated by the huge bell tower, one of the highest in Europe at a height of 68 meters. The imposing structure is formed by five levels that taper on the way up.
You’ll no doubt have noticed that the Cathedral has two facades, one looking onto a smaller square and the other onto Piazza Duomo. Although this facade is on one side of the church, it is the most important. It is built on two levels, like a triumphal arch. On the lower level is the entrance, flanked by columns and niches with statues of the Saint Justus and Saint Fortunatus, patron saints of Lecce, while the upper level is open and built for decorative purposes only. Here in the central part is a raised element, from which the statue of Saint Orontius looks out, as if from a window.
The idea of a spectacular side facade looking onto the piazza came from Giuseppe Zimbalo, who designed it so that visitors entering the square would not be met with a plain, unadorned wall.
The magnificent triple-nave interior contains some of the most significant works of 16th and 17th-century art from the Salento. Take a look at the opulent high altar, the splendid creation by marble workers from Naples dating to the mid-18th century, and the side chapels, all worthy of attention. Don’t miss the Nativity chapel, on your right as you enter: you can admire the magnificent figures of the scene positioned above and below the columns, crafted in the mid-16th century, perhaps by Gabriele Riccardi.
Two flights of stairs will take you down into the huge crypt, built in the 16th century, featuring an impressive 92 columns. It’s a spectacular sight!
An interesting fact: among the Nativity figures in the Cathedral are the ox and the ass, which we consider essential elements of the scene. You may be surprised to learn that they are not mentioned in the Gospels, and became part of the Nativity tradition much later.
