PIAZZA SANT'ORONZO, First Part

Hi, my name’s Jill, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the heart of Lecce and a symbol of its ancient history.

The square is dedicated to Saint Orontius, the patron saint of Lecce, said to have been appointed as the city’s first bishop by Saint Paul, no less. In the center is a 29-meter-high column topped by a statue of the saint imparting a blessing on the city. It was built by Giuseppe Zimbalo with pieces of one of the Roman columns that marked the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi.

Work on the square began in 1660 and lasted until 1686. The column was built to give thanks for a miracle by Saint Orontius who, legend has it, brought a sudden end to the plague that had wiped out thousands of the city’s inhabitants in 1656....