Lecce in the history of Rome

When Lupiae became a Roman municipality, the necropolises were moved outside the city walls, as was typical of Roman customs, and the rite of cremation was introduced. The world of the living was thus separated from the world of the dead. It was later promoted to a colony led by duumvirs.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF RUDIAE

Rudiae is an ancient Messapian city founded near ancient Lupiae, in the Cupa Valley and among the centuries-old olive trees where today the Roman amphitheatre dominates, brought to light during the excavations started in 2011. Therefore Lecce actually had two amphitheatres and two theatres, one in the city and one in Rudiae.

Its archaeological park is located on the road to San Pietro in Lama and contains part of the remains of the ancient Messapian centre of Rudiae, the birthplace of the poet Quinto Ennio's father, destroyed in 1147 by Guglielmo il Malo.

Traces of the monumental Messapian fortifications that must have extended for about 100 hectares have been found on the site. Paved roads and a place of worship from the 1st century BC have also been found, with a nearby T-shaped underground tomb from the Hellenistic period.

But the main monument of Rudiano is its amphitheatre, in the centre of the ancient city and brought to light only in 2011, which is almost entirely preserved and was built in the Trajan era between 98 and 117 AD. Measuring 85 x 50 metres, it could accommodate almost 8,000 spectators.

Unlike the Roman amphitheatres that were built just outside the city walls, also to prevent the small town from filling up with foreigners, the Rudiae amphitheatre was built in the centre of the previous Messapian settlement, in an area that, thanks to the presence of a natural sinkhole, made its construction easier.

During the first excavations, a necropolis and several finds were also brought to light, which are currently preserved at the Sigismondo Castromediano museum in Lecce.

THE ROMAN RECONSTRUCTION

However, it is in the Augustan age that the great urban transformation of the city takes place, which is reformed into a chessboard with two orthogonal streets. It is said that Octavian, returning from the East after the death of Caesar, arrived in Lecce in 44 BC and was welcomed here as the new Caesar.

The theatre and the amphitheatre were built in this period, as well as the city forum in the area of ​​the current Piazza Duomo, located at the intersection of the cardo and decumanus maximus. The first cathedral was built in the early Christian era, replacing the civil space of the Basilica with the religious space of the church.

According to some scholars, however, in place of the Cathedral there was not a basilica but rather a large temple, positioned between the Cathedral square and the Roman theatre.