The churches, the aristocratic palaces, the ornamental decorations: everything in Lecce and in Salento was desired and created with the one material that seemed more than any other suited to rich Baroque decorations. Lecce limestone, in addition to being readily available, also guarantees intrinsic qualities of being easily processed and an extraordinary capacity to increase its hardness and resistance with the passing of time. From a chemical point of view, this is a calcareous rock belonging to the calcarenite group and can be traced back to the Miocene period; it varies in colour from white to amber. Today, traditional stonecutting techniques have been partially replaced by modern machinery that allows the creation of works in less time, even if there are still local craftsmen capable of chiselling the stone by hand. Today, Lecce limestone boasts artistic recognition on an international level, making it one of the most frequently requested materials for constructing villas and buildings abroad.