The Lecce Duomo bell tower, the Baroque city from 43 metres.

Lecce is a flat city: from the street you see no further than the next facade. That is why it is worth going up the Duomo bell tower, which rises on a corner of Piazza del Duomo. There are no stairs to climb: since a lift was installed, you reach the third level of the tower effortlessly.

What you will see

At the top there are four balconies at 43 metres, one on each side. You see the flat roofs and domes of the historic centre, Piazza del Duomo just below like a closed courtyard, the facade of Santa Croce between the houses and, around the city, the flat olive country of the Salento. The organisers say that, with good visibility, the view reaches the Adriatic and the coast of Albania.

There are interactive totems and viewers that help you identify what you see, and staff on the balconies during the shift.

Price, time slots and hours

The climb, called UP! il Campanile del Duomo, costs €12. It runs in time slots every 20 minutes, with a maximum of 15 people, so in high season it is wise to buy your slot in advance. The timed ticket can be bought on the website up to two hours before.

It is open every day: from 10:00 to 18:00 in the winter period and from 9:00 to 21:00 in the summer.

If you are also going to visit the churches, buy the full ticket (€21), which combines the bell tower with the LeccEcclesiae ticket for the Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Chiara, San Matteo and the Old Seminary (see Lecce's Baroque).

When to go up

The best times are the last hour of the afternoon, when Lecce stone turns golden, and the first hour of the morning, with the air cleaner for seeing the sea. At midday in summer the light is harsh and flattens the facades. It works well with children: the lift avoids the stairs and the visit is short.