CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI EVANGELISTA, Presentation - Ai Voice

The Church of St. John the Evangelist is one of the oldest architectural gems in Lecce, although the building you see today is no longer the original medieval structure. In 1607, the church was completely transformed, taking on the sober and harmonious appearance that you can admire today.

You should know, however, that its origins go back much further. In 1133, the Norman Count Accardo II decided to found here a monastery for Benedictine nuns. For centuries, this was the place chosen by Lecce’s most prominent families to send their daughters who were not meant to marry. The young women lived in comfortable quarters, each with a small private garden and even a personal oratory.
Despite the suppression of religious orders in 1866, which stripped the monastery of many of its possessions, the community of nuns has managed to survive to this day....