Monastery of Saint Chiara - Lecce

The Convent of Saint Chiara, located in the Historic Center of Lecce, was founded between 1410 and 1430 by Tommaso Ammirato. Beginning in the second half of the seventeenth century, after a phase of development in the life of the Monastery, the decision was made to demolish the Church and the Convent due to the deterioration of the fifteenth-century structures, attributable to the devastating action of the fires that occurred during the sixteenth century. In 1691 there was an initial alteration of the Convent on the original structure, and during the eighteenth century an increasing impoverishment and indebtedness with consequences for the state of the building, which, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, appeared precarious and in need of renovation and restoration.

Between 1827 and 1831, reinforcing walls were rebuilt and some roofs were redone, and in 1837, given its poor static condition, the monastery was partially demolished (central corridor, refectory, kitchen, pantry, dormitory and other service areas); reconstruction work ended in 1839 with the execution of major foundation consolidation works. An adaptation project was implemented in the years 1866 - 1869 with the change of use to the State Treasury, Civil Engineering Office, Post Office and State Property Office. From 1993 to 1999, interventions were carried out by the Soprintendenza ai Beni Ambientali aimed exclusively at the consolidation of the masonry and vaults, as well as the restoration of the elevations facing the Roman Theater and part on Via della Cartapesta.

The restoration and consolidation works involve the restoration of conditions of accessibility, the elimination of the causes of degradation and instability present, the improvement of the strength of the masonry structures, the restoration of constructive and decorative elements and the adaptation to safety standards. The striking monumental complex now houses, following the described intervention, the MUST - Historical Museum of the City of Lecce. This reopening has given the city of Lecce an important center of cultural aggregation, where the city's historical depth converges with its current liveliness. In fact, the MUST houses the historical museum of the city of Lecce in the rooms on the second floor, with sections devoted to artifacts and evidence from various eras of Lecce's history, from the Messapian and Roman ages to the 500s and 900s. In addition, on the ground floor the must is also a contemporary art gallery featuring a permanent exhibition of the works of Salento sculptor Cosimo Carlucci and temporary exhibitions and educational workshops for children and families.