Between the columns of the Convitto (boarding school) there is the church of San Francesco della Scarpa, better known as one of the curiosities of Lecce, called "church without a facade". It is actually a deconsecrated church, which now often hosts exhibitions and conferences. Its peculiarity is its bell tower, which in 1874 was used as a weather station by Cosimo de Giorgi.The name of the church refers to the division, which took place in the sixteenth century, between the Conventual Franciscans and the Observants: the latter, in fact, did not wear shoes. It was built in the 12th century on land owned by the Guarini family and was then renovated between 1699 and 1714. The absence of a richly decorated exterior facade, like most churches in Lecce, has given it the nickname of "church without a facade. It is said that in 1222 Saint Francis, on his way to the Holy Land, stopped here and left one of his sandals as a gift.
