Lecce (Italy

The province of Lecce (Italian: provincia di Lecce; Salentino: provincia te Lècce) is a province in the region of Apulia in southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. Located on the Salento peninsula, the province is called the "Heel of Italy". Located on the Salento peninsula, The province has a population of 761,927 in an area of 2,799.07 square kilometres (1,080.73 mi2) across its 97 municipalities. It is the second most-populous province in Apulia and the 22nd most populous province in Italy. It is surrounded by the provinces Taranto and Brindisi in the northwest, the Ionian Sea in the west, and the Adriatic Sea in the east. This location has established it as a popular tourist destination. It has been ruled by the Romans, Byzantine Greeks, Carolingians, Lombards, and Normans. The important towns are Lecce, Gallipoli, Nardò, Maglie, and Otranto. Its important agricultural products are wheat and corn. Lecce stone extracted from the province has been used to decorate several historical monuments and is widely used for interior decoration.