Editing Lecce (section)

{{About|the city in Italy|the football club|U.S. Lecce|people with the surname|Lecce (surname)}}
{{Distinguish|Leece|Lecco}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Lecce
| official_name       = Comune di Lecce
| native_name         = ''Lècce'' ([[Salentino dialect]])<br/>
{{lang|el-latn|Luppìu}} ([[Griko]]) <ref name="L'Italia dialettale, 1976 250">{{cite book | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TwtdAAAAMAAJ&q=ellenofona+Melpignano+Ver-+nole%2C+Lecce |author=L'Italia dialettale |title=L'Italia dialettale, Volume 39 |publisher=Arti Grafiche Pacini Mariotti |year=1976 |page=250 |quote=Dialetto romanzi, in centric he circondano, senza allontanarsene troppo, l’area ellenofona, cioè Melpignano (dove il dialetto griko non è ancor del tutto morto), Vernole, Lecce, S. Cesario di Lecce, Squinzano, San Pietro vernotico, Cellino S. Marco, Manduria, Francavilla Fontana, Maruggio: può essere perciò legittimo pensare ad un'origine grika del verbo in questione, con estensione successiva al dialetti romani. Il neogreco presenta una serie di voci che si prestano semanticamente e foneticamente }}</ref> 
| image_skyline       = {{Photo montage|photo1a=Lecce - Santa Croce - 16.jpg|photo2a=Lecce - Porta Rudiae - 1.jpg|photo2b=Lecce Amphitheater-3276.jpg|photo3a=Duomo (Lecce) 03.jpg|photo3b=Lecce - Duomo - 01.jpg}}
| imagesize           =
| image_alt           =
| image_flag          = Flag of Lecce.svg
| image_caption       = Clockwise from top: Church of Santa Croce; Roman Amphitheatre; Lecce Cathedral ("''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta''"); the cathedral's bell tower; and Porta Rudiae
| image_shield        = Lecce-Stemma.svg
| shield_alt          =
| image_map           =
| map_alt             =
| map_caption         =
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt     =
| coordinates         = {{coord|40|21|N|18|10|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| region              = [[Apulia]]
| province            = [[Province of Lecce|Lecce]] (LE)
| frazioni            =
| established_title   = Founded
| established_date    = 200s BC<ref>The date given is for the [[Roman Republic]] named city Lupiae; dates for previous inhabitants such as the [[Messapians]] and [[Iapyges]] are lost to history.</ref>
| mayor_party         =
| mayor               = [[Adriana Poli Bortone]]
| area_footnotes      =
| area_total_km2      = 238
| population_footnotes =
| population_total     = 94,783
| population_as_of     = 01-1-2023
| pop_density_footnotes =
| population_demonym  = Leccese
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m         = 49
| twin1               =
| twin1_country       =
|istat=| saint               = [[Orontius of Lecce|Orontius]]
| day                 =
| postal_code         = 73100
| area_code           = 0832
| website             = {{URL|https://www.comune.lecce.it/}}
| footnotes           =
}}
<!--LEAVE IMAGES HERE TO AVOID BLANK LINES-->
[[File:Lecce - Night - 01.jpg|thumb|''Piazza del Duomo'' at night]]
[[File:Ancient Roman theatre (Lecce) 03.jpg|thumb|The Roman theater]]
[[File:Lecce - Piazza Sant'Oronzo - 5.jpg|thumb|Roman amphitheater, palazzo Sedile and column of St Oronzo]]
'''Lecce''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|tʃ|eɪ}};<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Lecce|access-date=30 June 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|it|ˈlettʃe|lang|It-Lecce.ogg}}){{#tag:ref|{{langx|scn|label=[[Salentino]]|Lècce}}; {{langx|el-Latn|label=[[Griko]]|Luppìu}}; {{langx|la|Lupiae}}; {{langx|grc|Λουπίαι|translit=Loupíai}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Rohlfs |first=Gerhard |title=Toponomastica greca nel Salento |url=http://emeroteca.provincia.brindisi.it/Ricerche%20e%20Studi/1970/Articoli/Toponomastica%20Greca%20nel%20Salento.pdf |url-status=dead |quote=Ancient Greek name of Lecce according to [[Strabo]]. |date=1964 |page=13 |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801041216/http://emeroteca.provincia.brindisi.it/Ricerche%20e%20Studi/1970/Articoli/Toponomastica%20Greca%20nel%20Salento.pdf |archive-date=1 August 2017 |language=it}}</ref>|group=Lang}} is a city in [[southern Italy]] and [[Capital (political)|capital]] of the [[province of Lecce]]. It is on the [[Salento|Salentine Peninsula]], at the heel of the [[Italian Peninsula]], and is over two thousand years old.

Because of its rich [[Baroque architecture]], Lecce is nicknamed "The [[Florence]] of the South".<ref>{{cite web |title=Lecce: Italy |url=http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/puglia/lecce |publisher=Lifeinitaly.com |date=10 November 2009 |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref> "Lecce stone"—a particular kind of [[limestone]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19055530 |title=Investigation on porosity change of Lecce stone |access-date=9 October 2008 |archive-date=23 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523230056/http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19055530 |url-status=dead }}</ref>—is one of the city's main exports, because it is very soft and workable, and thus suitable for sculptures. Lecce is also an important [[agricultural]] centre, chiefly for its [[olive oil]] and [[wine]] production, as well as an industrial centre specializing in [[ceramic]]s.

Lecce is home to the [[University of Salento]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://ustat.miur.it/dati/didattica/italia/atenei-statali/salento | title=Università del Salento | website= Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca | lang=it}}</ref>