Church of San Niccolò dei Greci

The Church San Niccolò dei Greci ( Klisha and Shën Kollit in Albanian) , also known as the Greek church, is located in the historical center of Lecce.and is the seat of the Parish of San Nicola di Mira, which belongs to the Eparchy of Lungro ; inside are carried out functions of Byzantine rite .

The church is of ancient origins, probably dating back to the Byzantine appropriations of southern Italy (9th century) . The new church was rebuilt from scratch in the neoclassical period , exactly in 1765 by the colonies of Albanians merchants who lived in the city . Since the end of the 15th century, a strong migration of the Albanian population had affected Italy, in particular the southern area , forced by Turkish persecutions. The Albanians in Italy had built new communities throughout Italy, in the province of Salento and over time small groups had moved into the city of Lecce, creating a compact and homogeneous community, with its own church in Byzantine rite.