(1682) Nativity of Jesus which contains a 16th-century creche the martyrdom of Saint Giusto (1674) Saint Anthony of Padua (also from 1674) the Immaculate Conception (1689) Saint Philip Romolo Neri (1690) the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Blessed Sacrament (1780) Saint Orontius of Lecce (1671) Our Lady of Sorrows Saint Giusto (1656) Saint Charles Borromeo Saint Andrew the Apostle (1687) They are pictorially rich with images by talented artists including Giuseppe da Brindisi, Oronzo Tiso, Gianserio Strafella, G. Domenico Catalano and G. A. Coppola. The main altar is made of marble and gold-plated bronze, and was constructed by bishop Sersale. It was consecrated in 1757 by bishop Sozi Carafa, who also commissioned the large central painting, the Assumption of Mary by Oronzo Tiso (1757) as well as the two lateral images of the Sacrifice of the Prophet Elias and the Sacrifice of Noah after the Flood (1758). The choir stalls and bishop's chair, made of walnut, were designed by Emanuele Manieri and were commissioned by bishop Fabrizio Pignatelli in 1797. The 12th century cathedral crypt underwent Baroque modifications in the 16th century. It has a longitudinal space that contains two Baroque chapels with paintings that is crossed by a long corridor consisting of ninety-two columns with capitals decorated with human figures. Bell tower The bell tower was constructed in 1661-1662 by Lecce architect Giuseppe Zimbalo at the request of bishop Luigi Pappacoda. It was built to replace the previous Norman bell tower, erected by Goffredo d'Altavilla, which crumbled at the beginning of the 17th century. It has a square shape and appears to be made up of five tapered levels, the last of which is surmounted by an octagonal majolica dome, on which there is an iron statue of Sant'Oronzo. The top four floors have a single window on each side, and each has a balustrade going completely around its perimeter. Engraved on plaques located over the mullioned windows are Latin inscriptions taken from the writings of Giovanni Lecce Camillo Palma. At a height of 72 meters, the bell tower offers views of the Adriatic Sea, and on clear days even the mountains of Albania are visible. It leans slightly due to a partly sunken foundation. References Sources Lecce elegia del Barocco, Michele Paone, Congedo Editore, Galatina (Lecce) 1999 External links Diocese of Lecce official website Inizio di un VirtualTour in QuickTime with written descriptions Panorama of the campanile before