Cimitero di Lecce, Historic cemetery in Lecce, Italy.

The Cimitero di Lecce is the old part of the municipal cemetery, entered through a monumental gate that leads to the cypress-lined main avenue. A side path opens onto the rectangular "funeral garden", where tombs, mostly of local Lecce stone, are packed close together along an irregular web of winding paths, especially near the entrance.

The cemetery was founded in 1845 and features a memorial portal at the entrance honoring those who participated in Italian unification. This entrance monument reflects the political and social importance the site gained from its establishment.

The cemetery displays a mix of neoclassical and modernist styles across its burial monuments. These architectural forms reflect the artistic trends that shaped funeral design in Italy over the decades.

The cemetery is located on Via San Nicola and open during regular visiting hours. Visitors should know that a connection to the neighboring church exists and the grounds can also be accessed from that side.

The cemetery's oldest building is the church of Santi Niccolò e Cataldo, built in the 12th century on the orders of Tancredi d'Altavilla together with a monastery. Benedictines settled there first, and from 1497 the Olivetans, who stayed until religious orders were expelled from southern Italy in 1807. The church adjoins the burial ground; the monastery does not.