Lecce is the most important town on the Salentine peninsula, the very heel of Italy. The town's rich history, stretching back to the times of the ancient Greeks, is one of the main attractions. The centerpiece of the old town is a 2nd century Roman amphitheater. The amphitheater was only rediscovered in the early 1900s during construction work for the Bank of Italy building, and remains half buried. It is now used for concerts. Much of Lecce's historical center's architecture dates from the Baroque period and has earned the city the nickname "Florence of the South." These beauties stand in stark contrast to some of the edifices erected during Mussolini's reign.