Otranto Cathedral

The Basilica of Santa Croce is a marvel of Lecce's Baroque architecture, a form of Baroque that was influenced by Spanish Plateresque architecture. The first phase of construction, which began in 1549, was completed in 1582 and saw the construction of the lower part of the façade, up to the balcony. The dome was completed in 1590 and a second phase of work, begun in 1606, saw the construction of three more decorated portals, the construction of the upper part of the façade and the rose window.

The church of Sant'Irene dei Teatini was built from 1591 on a project by the Francesco Grimaldi Theatre (1543-1613) and was completed in 1639. The Baroque building is reminiscent of the model of the Basilica of Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome, where the architect Grimaldi himself worked.

The cathedral of Lecce was first built in 1144, and a century later, in 1230, it was rebuilt in Romanesque style. In 1659, the Bishop of Lecce Luigi Pappacoda entrusted the local architect Giuseppe Zimbalo, known as Zingarello, with the task of rebuilding the cathedral church in the baroque style of Lecce. The construction was carried out between 1659 and 1670 and the architect chose not to modify the plan of the Romanesque cathedral.