We were very fortunate to have had Max as our tour guide. We began with a quick tour of the "underground" Jewish museum and learned how the synagogue became a church, then a home, and evolved into the Jewish museum. It was not an easy journey for the researchers to uncover the origins of the Jewish community in Lecce. Today, no Jews reside in the city and there was no local source for the history. Next, we learned about the exterior of the beautiful Cathedral de Santa Croce and went inside for more history and glorious photos. Max lead us past the Roman colosseum and its discovery and excavation. Nearby was the grand column that was adorned with St. Oronzo, the adjacent early church and city hall, city walls, amphitheater, the duomo, and so many other tidbits of interest about Lecce. Max's English was perfect and he was cautious for our safety. Plus, he was always open for conversation and questions. Since we were traveling in the off-season of mid-March, we had a private tour that was well worth it.