The Mysteries of Santa Croce - Lecce
A unique experience that, through the skillful play of shadows and penumbrae, of sacred silence and attention-grabbing sounds, will take you on a journey where slowly will be revealed artistic and architectural details, paintings, ceilings, moving from the narration of the life of Pope Celestine V to the admiration of the naves and altars, up to the total explosion of lights that enhance the majesty of the Basilica.
Exclusive experience in the evening hours after closing to the public.
The experience lasts 45 minutes.
The Basilica of Santa Croce, built between 1549 and 1646, at the behest of the Celestine Fathers, is a jewel of Lecce Baroque.
Her central rose window, decorative richness, and the exuberance of the facade among celestial figures of Angels and Saints and figures of mythological animals make it a jubilation to Christianity.
The interior structure, with its 16th-century dome, features Baroque altars among which the altar of St. Francis of Paola stands out for its artistic significance, rich in minute decorations evoking lace embroidery and fine lace.
The most important sculptors and architects of the Lecce Renaissance and Baroque contributed to the construction and decoration, including Gabriele Riccardi, Cesare Penna, Francesco Antonio Zimbalo.
In an evocative and extraordinary journey, in a perfect combination of architecture and art, silence and music, darkness and light, the Basilica of Santa Croce will appear to you in all its dazzling beauty.