Piazza Duomo is one of only a small number of squares in the world with just one entrance gate, which was once closed at night. The spectacular entrance you can see today was built by Emanuele Manieri in the 18th century, and is composed of two facades that lead into the magnificent piazza. If you look carefully at the statues on top of the balustrade, they almost seem to accompany the visitor inside, looking first in the direction you arrive from and then turning their faces towards the square.
As well as the Cathedral, you’ll find the Bell Tower on the left. On the right is the Bishop’s Palace and the Seminary, with each building conceived as a whole. The warm hue of the local stone brings an elegant allure to the overall effect.
The Seminary is the magnificent building you can see adorned with windows across the facade and a distinctive entrance with a loggia. It was built in 1694 by Giuseppe Cino, who took his inspiration from the Convent of the Celestine Order at the Church of Santa Croce.
Inside the Seminary is a courtyard with arches, built by Cino at the beginning of the 18th century, in an extravagantly decorative style. You can also visit a chapel with some elaborate stucco work, dating to 1696, and, on the second floor, the Diocesan Museum and a Library.
The spectacular facade to the left of the Seminary, with bossage work, or relief stone, on the lower part and arches on the top part, is a sort of introduction to the facade of the Archbishop’s Palace, where the same design continues.
The facade of the Bishop’s Palace is a masterpiece from 1758 by Emanuele Manieri, featuring a magnificent Baroque central element composed of a lofty entrance arch, numerous arches and a receding upper part. This building spectacularly completes the perspective of the square, complementing the side facade of the Cathedral. On the upper part is the clock created in 1764 by Domenico Panico from Lecce.
An interesting fact: when the Seminary was inaugurated in 1709, the local people were so proud of this marvel of their home town that they referred to it as the eighth wonder of the world.
