Colonna di Sant'Oronzo - Lecce, Italy - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Two Roman columns once marked the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi. When one of them crumbled in 1582 some of the pieces were rescued and subsequently donated to Lecce (the base and capital remain in Brindisi). The old column was rebuilt in 1666 with a statue of Lecce's patron saint placed on top. Sant'Oronzo is venerated for supposedly saving the city of Brindisi from a 1656 plague.

The Sign Reads

Dominating the Piazza and giving it its name (from 1871) stands the celebrated votive column supporting a statue of the saint-protector of the city, Sant'Oronzo. In 1656, when southern Italy was ravaged by the plague, from which Lecce and the region of Otranto were miraculously spared, the people and the entire clergy of Lecce attributed the miraculous event to the action of the city's bishop, Oronzo, whose cult in Lecce along with that of the Saints Giusto and Fortunato has much earlier origins.

In 1901, when the ancient amphitheater was discovered, the layout of the Merchant's Square was changed and the column was moved to its present position. In 1945 the plinth was remodeled on three sides and the original 17th century inscriptions were copied to commemorate the construction of the column and the donation of the city of Brindisi.

Group that erected the marker: Lecce Municipality URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Piazza Sant'Oronzo Lecce, Italy

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