Towards the end of the 16thcentury, a number of religious orders arrived in Lecce, amongst them Jesuitsand Franciscans; their arrival inspired wealthy patrons who poured money intothe building of elaborate palaces and churches, for this was the beginning ofthe Baroque period. The result is a perfect little gem of a Baroque city, thecrowning glory being the Church of the Holy Cross, completed in 1695. Next tothe church is the Government Palace, a former convent and the cathedral is oneof the most important in Italy, with an enormous five-story campanile thattowers 70m above the square.
