Who wouldn't want to visit this building?

The Basilica di Santa Croce represents the highest example of Lecce Baroque. The first phase of construction began in 1549 and ended in 1582 with the completion of the lower part of the façade. The dome was completed in 1590. Francesco Antonio Zimbalo, Cesare Penna, and Giuseppe Zimbalo were later involved in completing the church. The façade is supported by six smooth-shafted columns supporting an architrave. The main portal (1606) has a pair of Corinthian columns displaying the coats of arms of King Philip III of Spain, Marie de' Enghien, and Walter VI of Brienne. Above the architrave is a row of telamons, depicting grotesque figures or allegorical animals, supporting a balustrade. The balustrade is decorated with thirteen putti embracing the symbols of temporal power (the crown) and spiritual power (the papal tiara). The second level of the façade is dominated by a large central rose window, highlighted by the Corinthian columns on either side. These columns separate the central area from the lateral areas, which have niches housing statues of St. Benedict and Pope Celestine V, respectively. At the ends of the second level's outline stand statues representing Faith and Fortitude. A pediment tops the façade, depicting the triumph of the Cross in the center. Following an iconographic scheme typical of the Benedictine and Augustinian spiritual tradition, the façade depicts the triumph of the "container of the Cross," as indicated by the dedicatory plaque at the main entrance. The complex symbolism of the telamons encompasses all cultures and human backgrounds (depicting the Capitoline Wolf, the dragon of the Borghese popes, Aragonese and Turkish soldiers), emphasizing Christ's redemptive power over all humanity.