Former Church of San Marco

The small Church of San Marco, located next to the Sedile, in the center of Lecce, dates back to the 16th century.

The church was built in 1543 at the behest of the thriving colony of Venetians residing in the city and therefore dedicated to San Marco.

Until the first decades of the nineteenth century it was inserted within the residential fabric, the Venetian quarter, and in the past ran the Logge dei mercanti and the seat of the Venetian Consulate.

The Venetians, wishing to have a church to celebrate their religious offices, expressed this need to the bishop of Lecce G. B. Castromediano who gave them the chapel of San Giorgio, located in the central area of Piazza dei Mercanti (today Piazza Sant'Oronzo).

They then gave the task of transforming the old structure to the most famous architect active in the city, Gabriele Riccardi.

Map: Former Church of San Marco