Seniors Discover Treasures in Lecce

 The most recent Condé Nast magazine (May 2016) featured some of the finest luxury hotels and resorts in the world. I was quite impressed with the new La Fiermontina that is in a “hide away” and a super dreamy vacation spot. Senior travelers will find La Fiermontina features a 16-room Five-Star hotel conversion of a 17th century house in Lecce’s historic old town.

Get your coffee and you can read all about the hotel above with the villa that lies within the ancient walls of Lecce, but I discovered that the city has much to offer besides La Fiermontina for a memorable stay.

Senior travelers will find Lecce, a historic city of 95,000 inhabitants, in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, and one of the most important cities of Apulia. Because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments found in the city, Lecce is commonly nicknamed “La Firenze del Sud” or “The Florence of the South”.

 Senior Holiday Destination

Lecce is one of the famous holiday destinations in the south of Italy. As a baroque city, it has a historic center full of extravagant architecture. A journey through the Province of Lecce will take you from prehistoric civilizations, through Medieval architecture and to the masterpieces of the Baroque architecture, via ancient traditions and the skills of master craftsmen.

In terms of industry the “Lecce stone” is the city’s main export, because it is very soft and workable, thus suitable for sculptures. Lecce stone is a kind of limestone.

Lecce is also an important agricultural center, chiefly for its olive oil and wine production, as well as an industrial center specializing in ceramic production. The soft local stone is known as baroccoLeccese (‘Lecce Baroque’), thus the name of the city.

 Seniors Find City With Greek Affinity

The city has a long traditional affinity with Greek culture going back to its foundation; the Messapii who founded the city are said to have been Cretans in Greek records.

To this day, in the Grecìa Salentina, a group of towns not far from Lecce, the griko language is still spoken.

Lonely Planet notes that…“If Puglia were a movie, Lecce would be cast in the starring role. Bequeathed with a generous stash of baroque buildings by its 17th-century architects, the city has a completeness and homogeneity that other southern Italian metropolises lack.“

TripAdvisor has been to Lecce and mentions 70 things for seniors to see and do. Better plan on a week or two in Lecce to take this all in.

Enjoy your travels to the boot of Italy and all the amenities that Lecce has to offer senior travelers. -jeb