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The visitor crossing via Libertini where it meets via Palmieri may stop short at the unexpected spectacle that opens up before him: Piazza Duomo.
A monumental gateway frames one of the major tourist attractions of Lecce. It is a splendid baroque atrium that sets the stage for an impressive monumental entrance and marked off by a rhythmic sequence of baroque buildings: the Duomo (Cathedral), the seminary and the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palace).
The great five-story tapered bell-tower by Giuseppe Zimballo towers over the piazza. The side view of the Duomo (dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption), also by Zimballo, is a rich triumphal arch completed in honour of Saint Orontius.
The preciously-adorned gate is covered with finely-carved festoons and dancing putti, emblems of the confectionary style of Lecce baroque. The sober front façade of the Duomo faces the Episcopio (the Bishop’s Palace) (1632) with its spacious loggia, and the seminary (1701) with a balanced façade decorated with a slight rustication that is carried through the high pilasters.