Church of Saint Mary 'della Porta'

A Lecce where there is no shortage of masterpiece churches might seem normal but ...

Santa Maria della Porta was initially a small chapel outside the walls which housed an image of the Virgin considered miraculous and dedicated to Mary who finds Jesus to argue with the Doctors. On the occasion of the reconstruction of the walls, around 1548, and for the fame of the miracle performed by the Virgin in 1567, in favor of a woman named Laura Macchia, who recovered from paralysis, instead of demolishing it, it was decided to transform it into a real church and own. Inaugurated on March 16, 1606, it was rebuilt in neoclassical forms between 1852 and 1858 by the architect Giuseppe Maiola who modified the facade, adding the Ionic columns and transformed the plan into an octagonal one, demolishing part of the ancient altars In the church, in addition to the neoclassical facade in Lecce stone, there are the chapels of Sant'Oronzo and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the left, and those of San Luigi and the Crucifix on the right. In the central chapel on the right, delimited by a marble balustrade, within a niche above the altar there is a sculpture of the Madonna della Porta. On the counter-façade there are the organ and the choir with a mixtilinear profile.

We could only see the church from the outside because it was not possible to visit the inside as it was closed

Lecce, city of a thousand churches, Santa Maria stands out in Porta Napoli for its dome and for the simplicity of the interiors.

The Church, with an octagonal central plan, presents itself on the outside with a compact and geometric volume. Noteworthy is the dome of the church which is currently located next to Porta Napoli, but which was originally outside the walls.

Originally, the Church of Santa Maria della Porta was a simple chapel in which the image of the Virgin was outside the city walls, which, according to popular belief, worked wonders for those who prayed to her with all their hearts. In 1548, when the city walls expanded, the chapel It was destroyed, and the sacred image of the Madonna was moved to another place. But already in 1567, when one woman who could not walk, was healed, was declared a miracle, and the rumor spread that the grace was done thanks to the intercession of the Madonna, therefore the church anta Maria della Porta was rebuilt inside the city walls in one of the main entrance, namely Porta Napoli, and its prestige grew. To the right of the entrance, in the central chapel, above the altar, is the statue of the Madonna della Porta. The architectural structure of the church is currently the result of the work of the architect Giuseppe Maiole da Maddaloni, who in the period from 1855 to 1858 reconstructed the building, inspired by the neoclassical style. Outside the building does not catch the eye, only the dome allows you to think. But inside you can find the originality of its surface, decorated with majolica tiles, and similarities with the Pantheon. Earlier in the church there was a fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary Leuki, which was very revered by the inhabitants of Lecce, for this devotion the saint protected the harvest of farmers from aridity. And every year on April 13 a procession was held by all the clergy of the main Cathedral in the city in her honor.

Small but particular church. You might notice it with difficulty, despite being right next to the Porta Napoli, one of the most iconic places on the walls of the historic center. This is not so much because of its size, but because seen entering through the Napoli gate it can seem like the wall of a normal building