The Sigismondo Castromediano Archaeological Museum is Lecce's key stop for the ancient history of Salento. Its collections reach back before the baroque city, into Messapian, Greek, and Roman layers that explain why this corner of Puglia mattered long before ornate churches arrived.
It is a useful balance to Lecce's exuberant streets. After enough carved stone facades, the museum resets the timeline with tomb goods, inscriptions, ceramics, and regional archaeology that connect the city to the wider Mediterranean.