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Basilica di Santa Croce

A signature Lecce Baroque façade, with three portals, a central rose window and a richly carved upper order.

  • Lecce
  • Church
Plan your visitSee tours
Where
Lecce
Best for
Lecce Baroque architecture
Allow
30 minutes

Santa Croce rewards a slow look, from its Renaissance lower order to the richly carved Baroque register above. Work on the present basilica began in 1549 and continued over about a century. A stone balustrade divides the façade; above it, the central rose window is framed by floral carving, fruit and cherubs. Human and animal figures mingle with angels and saints. Gabriele Riccardi, Cesare Penna and Francesco Antonio Zimbalo all contributed to the church’s construction and decoration.

Inside, the Latin-cross plan opens into three naves beneath a hemispherical dome and a wooden coffered ceiling. Francesco Antonio Zimbalo’s altar of San Francesco da Paola has twelve reliefs depicting episodes from the saint’s life; its central nineteenth-century painting replaced an earlier statue. Continue exploring Lecce with our Lecce city guide.

Pale stone façade of Santa Croce seen obliquely, with three lower entrances, round windows, a figured balustrade and upper rose window.
An oblique view of Santa Croce’s carved façade, from the three portals to the rose window and crowning scrolls.
Sources and citations (6)
  1. LeccEcclesiae / ArtWorkLecce Antica, accessibility guidancePage 1, INFORMAZIONI SULL’ACCESSIBILITÀ (undated visitor guide).Read source
  2. LeccEcclesiae / ArtWorkTickets and visitor information, LeccEcclesiaeTicket prices; Ticket offices; Visitor conduct.Read source
  3. Regione PugliaBasilica di Santa Croce, Regione PugliaIndirizzo; Descrizione della basilica e del suo apparato decorativo.Read source
  4. LeccEcclesiae / ArtWorkTariffe e informazioni, LeccEcclesiaeTariffe; Ticket; Validità dei ticket; Il progetto LeccEcclesiae.Read source
  5. LeccEcclesiae / Archdiocese of LecceSanta Croce Church, LeccEcclesiaeHistorical and architectural notes; Façade; Altar of San Francesco da Paola.Read source
  6. LeccEcclesiae / Arcidiocesi di LecceBasilica di Santa Croce, LeccEcclesiaeNote storiche e architettoniche; Facciata; Altare di San Francesco da Paola.Read source

Look closer

Circular rose window encircled by carved foliage, fruit and small figures, beneath a high central crest between neighboring buildings.
The rose windowFloral carving surrounds the central rose window above the stone balustrade.
Dark paneled entrance door within a carved Greek-key surround, four small niche figures and paired columns beneath stone urns and shields.
The central portalColumns, niche figures and layered carving frame the central entrance, grounded in a 2022 photograph.
Three carved animal forms in source order beneath leafy soffits: scaled open-mouthed figure, feathered bird form and a forward-facing mane-framed figure.
Sculpted supportsThree animal forms beneath the balustrade show the different textures of scales, feathers and a mane.

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. Rose window and balustrade

    The central rose window is framed by floral carving, fruit and cherubs, just above the stone balustrade.Upper façade

  2. Three portals

    Three entrances punctuate the lower order; the central portal carries the richest carved decoration.Lower façade

  3. Figured supports

    Look for human and animal forms among the sculpted supports, with angels and saints elsewhere across the façade.Façade

  4. San Francesco da Paola altarFrancesco Antonio Zimbalo

    Twelve reliefs show episodes from the saint’s life. A nineteenth-century painting at the centre replaced an earlier statue.Interior altar

  5. Three naves and a wooden ceiling

    The Latin-cross interior has three naves, a hemispherical dome and a wooden coffered ceiling.Nave and crossing

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Ticket options
Sold at the basilica and online; check your chosen ticket
Time needed
30 minutes
Best time
Allow about 30 minutes as an editorial planning estimate. For an interior visit, choose a time outside religious services; tourist visits are suspended during worship.
Getting there
The basilica is on Via Umberto I in Lecce’s historic centre.
Accessibility
The operator’s undated visitor guide identifies an access route for visitors with mobility impairments from Vico della Saponea. Confirm the current route with LeccEcclesiae before your visit. The guide also lists a tactile rose-window model and Braille descriptions at MuDAS, the separate Museum of Sacred Art.

Entry requires a ticket. The published €11 circuit includes the Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Chiara, San Matteo, Antico Seminario and MuDAS; the €21 circuit also includes the Duomo bell tower. These are multi-site fares, not a published standalone Santa Croce price; the operator says to ask its ticket office about other ticket types. Tickets are sold at the basilica and online. Some ticket options have a selected visit time, so check the conditions for the option you choose. Modest dress is required, and tourist visits pause during religious services.

Read the façade from the three portals up to the balustrade and rose window; binoculars can help with the carved figures high above street level.

See toursOfficial website
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Tours worth booking

A few we would book ourselves, to get more from your visit.

Booking through these links may earn Italia Magnifica a commission, at no cost to you.

  1. Guided Tour of the Historic Attractions of Lecce Private

    • Viator
    • 3h
    • 5.0★ · 21 reviews
    from €60Book this tour

  2. Private tour to discover Lecce

    • Viator
    • 2h
    • 5.0★ · 20 reviews
    from €250Book this tour

  3. Lecce History and Street Food Tasting Private Tour

    • Viator
    • 2h 30m
    • 5.0★ · 12 reviews
    from €110Book this tour

  4. Secret Lecce

    • Viator
    • 2h
    • 5.0★ · 10 reviews
    from €20Book this tour

  5. Lecce Private Tour with pasticciotto tasting

    • Viator
    • 2h
    • 5.0★ · 5 reviews
    from €110Book this tour

  6. Lecce Guided Tour : Baroque City + Church Access Included

    • Viator
    • 2h
    • 5.0★ · 4 reviews
    from €50Book this tour

Good to know

Is entry to Santa Croce free?

A ticket is required. The published €11 and €21 fares cover multi-site circuits; the operator asks visitors to contact its ticket office about other ticket types.

Can I buy a ticket at the basilica?

Yes. Tickets are sold at Santa Croce and online. Some options have a selected visit time; check the ticket conditions for the one you choose.

What should I look for on the façade?

Compare the Renaissance lower order with the Baroque upper one. Then look at the rose window, stone balustrade, three portals and the mix of human, animal and sacred figures.

How much time should I allow?

Allow around 30 minutes for an independent visit focused on the façade and main interior features. This is an editorial planning estimate.

More to see nearby

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