Palazzo dei Celestini (Palace of the Celestines), Lecce

Once home to the cloistered Celestine fathers鈥攁n ascetic branch of the Benedictines known for their strict devotion and love of solitude鈥攆or three whole centuries, this grand edifice is now Lecce鈥檚 Government Palace鈥攁 title that sounds far less poetic than its origins as the Palace of the Celestines.

Back in 1352, Gualtieri VI of Brienne, Count of Lecce and Duke of Athens, laid the monastery鈥檚 first stones. A bit later, in 1549, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V decided the old convent needed to make way for beefed-up city walls. Architect Gabriele Riccardi stepped in with a bold new design, but the building we see today didn鈥檛 reach its full Baroque glory until much later鈥攆inished in 1695 by Giuseppe Zimbalo, the same artist who had just wrapped up work on the stunning Basilica of the Holy Cross.

Zimbalo鈥檚 vision was a fa莽ade sculpted from golden Lecce limestone, trimmed with lance-tipped window crowns and swirling cornice friezes, perfectly echoing the basilica next door. Today, the former Celestine retreat presides over Lecce鈥檚 civic life, its lavish stonework reminding us that even government buildings deserve a little divine inspiration.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lecce. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Palazzo dei Celestini (Palace of the Celestines)
Sight Location: Lecce, Italy (See walking tours in Lecce)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Lecce Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Lecce, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Lecce

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lecce is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Lecce Introduction Walking Tour

German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius called Lecce 鈥渢he Florence of the Baroque era.鈥� The city traces its beginnings around the time of the Trojan Wars, which took place around the 11th century BC. However, it first steps firmly into the record in the 3rd century BC as Lupiae under Roman control. The name is thought to come from lupus, the Latin word for wolf, recalling the animals that once... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Lecce's Baroque Churches Walking Tour

Lecce isn鈥檛 shy about its reputation鈥攊t鈥檚 often called the 鈥淐apital of Baroque,鈥� and one stroll through the old town makes it clear why. This southern Italian city turned its soft local limestone, Lecce stone, into an architect鈥檚 playground. Elaborate fa莽ades, swirling details, and sculptures bursting from the walls made the 17th century feel like one long design competition. And with... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles

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