I discovered Italy’s ‘golden’ city that’s just like Florence without the crowds

The city has an ancient history that stretches back more than 2,000 years (Picture: Getty Images)

‘The best way to experience Lecce is to walk around looking up.’

That’s what I was told shortly after arriving in the second-largest city in Italy’s Puglia region, often described as the ‘Florence of the South’.

And not because it’s a place filled with skyscrapers like New York or Dubai. Rather, as I soon learned, because so much of its beauty is built into its exquisite architecture. 

The cobbled streets are steeped in history, and every Baroque-era building tells a story, much like its northern sister. 

Florence attracts millions of tourists each year, many of them drawn by world-famous masterpieces.

There are frescoes by Giotto, canvases by Botticelli, and sculptures by Michelangelo — it is the cradle of the Renaissance, after all.

Last summer, I was one of them. David and Ponte Vecchio were ticked off my bucket list, and while that was wonderful, it was also suffocatingly busy.

I’d been yearning to explore a quieter side of Italy, and so I find myself in Lecce.

Alicia Adejobi explored as much of the city as she could in 48 hours (Picture: Alicia Adejobi)

Arriving from Brindisi Airport (about 40 minutes by taxi), I was immediately taken by the city’s quiet charm, its yellow stone-washed buildings and, my word, the heat.

In the final days of August, Lecce is oppressively hot, well over 40°C.

‘You’ve managed to visit on the hottest days of the year,’ I was told by two locals, who urged me to rest for an afternoon siesta.

I didn’t, though; if anything, the blazing temperatures only made what is known as the ‘golden city’ more beautiful, the stone glowing and resplendent beneath the sizzling sun. 

The Roman amphitheatre of Lecce, discovered accidentally in 1929 (Picture: Filippo Maria Bianchi) Its ruins are the heart of the city (Picture: Alicia Adejobi)

I’d just missed the Festa di Sant’Oronzo (Feast of Saint Orontius), a huge annual festival that honours the city’s patron saint.

From videos shown to me by a friendly local, Lecce truly came alive, its streets filled with music, dancing and fireworks. 

I might have missed all the fun, but the carnival spirit still hung in the air.

Ready to pound the pavement, I set out to discover Lecce’s best attractions, and they did not disappoint.

Lecce sits in the Salento peninsula of Puglia, and its honey-drenched limestone is its dominant feature.

Much like Florence, you’re never far from a church. Again and again, I see an unassuming facade and find an incredible duomo inside. 

Nothing compares to Lecce Cathedral, built in the 12th century in the heart of the historic centre, the Piazza del Duomo.

You could spend hours taking in the intricacies of the artwork: pillars romanticised with tiny cherubs, altars carved in gold and huge stone fonts.

Remembering the advice, I looked up at the ceiling and found a version of The Last Supper, this one painted by Giuseppe da Brindisi. 

Behind unassuming doors are the spectacular duomos (Picture: Alicia Adejobi)

After a brief turn in the crypt (there are human skeletons in the burial tombs), I climbed to the bell tower for a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape, then strolled over to the Basilica di Santa Croce.

You should never judge a book by its cover, but this basilica really is all about the facade — it’s the crown jewel of Lecce and a perfect example of pure Baroque style.

With the heat beating down on me, it was time to retreat. And no better place than my home for the weekend: the five-star Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce Hotel, a beautifully renovated, marble-carved 19th-century palazzo in the centre of the city, steps from the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre.

You can see it from the windows, and imagining the gladiatorial combats that might have happened there is a surreal experience. There’s ancient history inside the hotel, too.

A cave where merchants bought and sold goods is now the spa’s indoor pool, a brilliant way of fusing the past with the present.

Drinks with a view from the roof of the Tivoli Palazzo 1880 (Picture:: Alicia Adejobi)

Crowning the hotel is a rooftop terrace that captures a captivating vista of the skyline dominated by the cathedral bell tower, whose chimes provided the soundtrack to my aperitivo in the evening.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Italy without venturing to as many local restaurants as time allows.

Lecce is a mecca for good food, and you are spoilt for choice in its centre.

Pizzeria da Michele prides itself on making the ‘true Neapolitan pizza’, and it delivers. 

For authentic Salentine cuisine with a view of the Roman Amphitheatre, the hotel’s street-level restaurant Godot couldn’t be better placed – the pan-seared salmon and rich tomato-based linguine are standouts.

And for a sweet finish, it’s worth braving the queue outside Cafe Alvino for its decadent gelatos (I inhaled the Croccantino Al Rhum). 

You never know what you might find in these streets (Picture: Alicia Adejobi)

By night, the streets of Lecce are a gorgeous setting for walking off hearty meals, shopping and finding hidden gems like secret gardens in courtyards. 

On my stroll, I wondered why Lecce remains under the radar.

It is smaller than Florence and (mercifully) less crowded, but to me it is just as impressive. 

This city might be big on siestas, but it’s certainly not one to be slept on.

Alicia Adejobi was a guest of the Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce Hotel, but don’t expect us to sugarcoat anything — our reviews are 100% independent.

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