- HISTORY -
Lecce is the product of a very slow cultural stratification guided through different civilization. Lecce was founded by the messapians around a village called Sybar. Latinised from Romans in the 3rd century b.c. the village became Lupiae. Between 600 and 700 a.c. Lecce grew as a city and knew an important artistic and cultural flowering. Recognized as an elegant and sophisticated city, Lecce is famous for several wonderful monuments (above all churches) of different epochs and to an uncommon, exuberantand and genial baroque manufactures: architect like Zimbalo and chisel master with the patronage of bishop and nobles desirous of representing their lineage prestige gave to Lecce its actual lustre. There are a lots of monuments praiseworthy: Duomo Square, S. Croce Basilica, S. Matteo Church, S. Oronzo Square and Roman Amphitheatre.

- GASTRONOMY & LOCAL DISHES -
The traditional taste of local cuisine is connected to the farm and country world. Vegetables and legumes are frequent in local dishes also match with olive oil and red wine from autochthonous vine (negramaro, primitivo).

ciceri e tria: tagiatelle of durum wheat ; taieddha: baked rise with zucchini, potatoes, and shelled mussel; fave e cecore: fava bean purèe with chicory as side dish; moniceddhi: roasted slugs; gnumerieddhi: roulade made up of lamb entrails; pizzo: squashed chilly bread with onions and tomatoes ; friseddhe: round baked bread tenderize with water and with winter tomatoes; puccia: bread with black olives