Archaeologists in Lecce, Italy, have uncovered a Byzantine fortress dating to the 5th–6th century AD. The discovery is reshaping knowledge of the city’s medieval past.
The excavation is led by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto, funded by the Ministry of Culture, and supported by the municipal administration.
Work centered near the Roman amphitheater
The dig is focused between Piazza Sant’Oronzo and Via Alvino, near the Roman amphitheater that still dominates the historic center. Street resurfacing in late 2024 had already revealed familiar parts of the ancient monument, including the cavea, the ring wall, and three perimeter pillars.
Unexpected walls reveal a fortress
What researchers did not expect was the emergence of massive walls just north of the amphitheater. Excavations revealed these belonged to a fortification system that incorporated the Roman structure.
The main wall, 3.7 meters wide and preserved in some sections to more than two meters high, was built using the “a sacco” method. Its core contained earth and stone, while the outer faces were constructed from large reused blocks taken from the amphitheater and nearby monuments.
Fortress built in a turbulent era
The wall begins at the amphitheater’s perimeter pillars, runs north for about sixteen meters, then turns east beneath modern buildings bordering the square. Stratigraphic evidence dates its construction to the 5th–6th centuries AD, a turbulent era of political instability and insecurity.
By then, the amphitheater had already lost its function following the spread of Christianity and Emperor Honorius’s 404 decree banning gladiatorial games.
Tower strengthened defenses
In a later stage, still within the Early Middle Ages, the defenses were reinforced with a circular tower about twelve meters in diameter. Built from the same reused blocks, the tower likely responded to new tactical needs or threats of siege.
The straight wall along Via Alvino resembles a reused-block structure identified by archaeologist Cosimo De Giorgi in the early 20th century during the construction of the Bank of Italy building. Researchers now believe both belonged to the same fortified complex, which reused the bulk of the amphitheater, the most imposing structure of Roman Lecce.
The amphitheater became a Byzantine kastron
This transformation reflects a wider trend across Italy, where Roman monuments were repurposed into fortresses. In Lecce, the amphitheater transitioned into a Byzantine kastron (from the Greek word κάστρον, meaning fortress), serving as both a military stronghold and political center. The adoption of this Greek term highlights the cultural and administrative imprint of Byzantium in southern Italy.
Roman Amphitheater – Lecce, Puglia, South Italy pic.twitter.com/SIEhaPuKwX
— Roman History (@romanhistory1) February 2, 2021
The 12th-century geographer Guidone described the city as a small community whose inhabitants had entrenched themselves within the amphitheater.
Excavations fill gaps in history
The findings provide rare material evidence from the Early Middle Ages, a period long considered poorly documented. They also underscore the reach of the Byzantine Empire, which ruled much of southern Italy during this era and introduced its military and administrative models.
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