Church of Santa Maria della Porta

It is a church in the historic center of Lecce, situated in Via Giuseppe Palmieri, near Porta Napoli.
It was originally a small chapel outside the walls that guarded an image of the Virgin, considered miraculous, and dedicated to Mary who finds Jesus disputing with the Doctors. On the occasion of the rebuilding of the walls, around 1548, and for the fame of the miracle performed by the Virgin in 1567 in favor of a woman named Laura Macchia, it was decided to expand the building and build it inside the walls. From 1606, the church is home to a parish. The present building was rebuilt in neo-classical style from 1852 to 1858.