Roman Amphitheatre & Piazza Sant'Oronzo
Anfiteatro romano di Lecce
A 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre sunk below the central square of Lecce, with a column bearing the statue of the city's patron saint, Sant'Oronzo, standing beside it.
Piazza Sant'Oronzo is the heart of Lecce. In the early 20th century, while a bank was being built, workers unexpectedly uncovered a 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre. About a third of it has been excavated, and it lies sunken on one side of the square, where you can look down from the railing over the tiers and arcades. The rest still lies beneath the surrounding buildings, and it is estimated to have once held more than 20,000 spectators. Atop the Column of Sant'Oronzo stands a statue of the city's patron saint. The column came from the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi. Around the square are old cafés and the municipal clock tower, and during the Christmas season large nativity scenes are often set up in the amphitheatre. Nearby is a small Roman Theatre Museum.
Opening hours
Square open all day; theater interior hours vary
Nearby sights
- Lecce Old Town
- Castle of Charles V
- Basilica of Santa Croce
- Museo Faggiano
- Lecce Cathedral & Piazza del Duomo
- Porta Napoli
- Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, Galatina
- Nardò