Teatro Romano di Lecce (Lecce Roman Theatre), Lecce

Picture stumbling upon a slice of ancient Rome while digging your neighbor鈥檚 garden鈥攖hat鈥檚 exactly how Lecce鈥檚 Roman Theatre saw daylight in 1929, buried beneath the D鈥橝rpe and Roman Palaces. Legend has it that Octavian 鈥� pre-Emperor Augustus and definitely not yet sporting a laurel wreath鈥攆ound refuge in Lupiae (which is Lecce's ancient name) and repaid the favor by commissioning not one but two theatres. Now that's a grateful guest!

As far as this one is concerned, it looks more like a grand coliseum dance floor than an amphitheater. The stage here was set for clever quips and heartfelt tragedies. The seating fans out like a giant pizza in six wedge-shaped slices, each boasting a dozen marble-stepped tiers. If you snagged a seat in the front row, you鈥檇 lounge on three pristine white limestone steps, your very own VIP box, while the choir walked into the orchestra pit via a slender passageway.

Decorative fragments whisper of the Augustan era, while the marble statues鈥攐nce eye-candy for the crowd between 138 and 182 AD鈥攈int at the theatre鈥檚 heyday. Though more modest than its amphitheater cousin, this intimate venue still accommodated around 5,000 ancient citizens eager for a dose of drama鈥攏o tigers or chariot races here, just pure, unadulterated storytelling.

Today, the Roman Theatre stands as Lecce鈥檚 hidden time capsule: a perfect reminder that sometimes the best discoveries happen when you鈥檙e just trying to plant a rosebush. So next time you鈥檙e wandering near those Baroque palaces, remember鈥攜ou may be only a trowel鈥檚 depth away from antiquity.

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.

Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Teatro Romano di Lecce (Lecce Roman Theatre)
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

黑料吃瓜网