BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE, Exterior

Work on the construction of the Basilica resumed in 1606, when Francesco Antonio Zimbalo added the main portal with two pairs of Corinthian columns to the facade, as well as the two side doors, with a distinctive, striking design far removed from the style of Riccardi. Take a look at how the central door overlaps the blind arches, and how the coats of arms at the top of the side doors break up the harmonious circular design of the rose windows.

The upper part of the facade is the work of Giuseppe Zimbalo, the son of Francesco Antonio, the finest architect of the area in the 17th century, assisted here by the creative genius of the sculptor Cesare Penna, also from Lecce.

Penna sculpted the extraordinary Baroque rose window, one of the finest in the history of modern art, featuring elaborately decorated leaves and circles, framed by two Corinthian columns and flanked by niches containing statues of Saint Benedict and Saint Celestine.

Giuseppe Zimbalo was responsible for the overall design and for the topmost part, known as the fastigium....