22 Ott The Wonderful Churches in the province of Lecce – Your Catholic Wedding Rite in Salento
Beautiful Churches in Salento: Where Were We?
Here we are!
I am sure we still have all in our eyes the wonderful pictures of the churches I showed you last week: the beautiful churches of Salento, and in particular those of the city of Lecce.
But I had promised you five more, hadn’t I? (otherwise it wouldn’t have been “5+5“, of course), so this time I will show you the churches in the province of Lecce!
Actually, the whole province is as rich of art and culture as its capital city and almost every town is a little gem in itself.
So you can imagine how difficult it has been to me to select only five more examples to show you: the choice is soooo wide! You could fill an entire book talking about them, not only a blog post!
Therefore, take this list (and the previous one, too) for what it is: a way to help you understand that in Apulia, and in Italy more in general, you can find beauty, and a perfect venue for your wedding, basically everywhere!
And this is also a way to invite you not to limit yourself to the most known and common options, but to explore new paths and discover what amazing surprises our country has for you! (and our Venue Search Service is surely another way to discover how many great unexpected options you have!)
5 Churches in the Province of Lecce
Here are our five choices, we hope you’ll like them!
Otranto – The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata
Otranto is the most eastern municipality in Italy and is a very ancient town.
Its Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria Annunziata, reflects this long past: built in 1068 on ruins dating back to pre-roman and Roman times, it was subjected to many events, such as the Turks’ attack in 1480.
This church is a mix of different styles and is characterized by the wonderful mosaic that covers the whole floor.
Front view of the beautiful Cathedral of Otranto
An inner view of the Cathedral of Otranto
Gallipoli – The Cathedral of Sant’Agata
The Cathedral of Sant’Agata, the most important church of Gallipoli, is dedicated to the saint patroness of this wonderful city of Salento.
It is in Baroque style and it might be compared to an art gallery for the great number of paintings it contains. It also contains the relics of another saint, San Fausto.
It was raised to the rank of Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII and National Monument by King Vittorio Emanuele III.
Gallipoli: the basilica of Sant’Agata
Painting in the Basilica of Sant’Agata in Gallipoli – The Martyrdom of Saint Agata
Galatina – Basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria
Galatina is in the centre of Salento and like many other towns is very ancient: it is said that Saint Peter stopped here during is journey to reach Rome.
The church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria was built in the 14th century to keep the relics of the saint. It is in Apulian Romanesque style and the interiors are completely covered by frescoes in the style of Giotto.
It is a minor basilica and a national monument.
The front view of the basilica of Santa Caterina of Galatina
The beatiful paintings of the basilica of Santa Caterina in Galatina
Galatone – Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso della Pietà
A very ancient town, whose origins date as far back as Neolithic and whose history is full of events such as foreign invasions and dominations.
This church, raised to the rank of Sanctuary in 1796, is the greatest expression of Baroque architecture in the town and one of the best ones in the whole province.
The majestic façade of Sanctuary of Santissimo Crocifisso – Galatone
Sanctuary of Santissimo Crocifisso in Galatone – detail of the sculptures on the façade
Nardò – Church of San Domenico
Like many other centres of Salento, Nardò has very ancient origins that date back to the prehistory, as it is testified by many finds belonging to different historical periods.
The church of San Domenico was built at the end of the 16th century but was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1743. It was then rebuilt following the Catholic-Reformation style. It contains 15 altars, the most beautiful is the one dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Rosary.
Church of San Domenico in Nardò – the façade
Church of San Domenico in Nardò – the central nave
So, our tour among the most beautiful churched of Salento is over: did you like it? Let us know in the comments below!
And don’t forget to contact us for any information you might need about your wedding in Apulia!
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Lots of (Apulian) love!
♥♥♥ Claudia
[your friendly neighborhood wedding planner]
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