In Italy, children from 3 to 36 months can attend a nursery (asilo nido); from 3 to 6 they move on to preschool (scuola dell’infanzia). In Lecce you can choose between four nurseries owned by the city, where fees depend on family income, and a number of private nurseries and smaller micronidi.
This guide covers how municipal registration works, what it costs, the help available from INPS, and the main nurseries in the city. It was checked against the City of Lecce’s nursery page in October 2026. Details change every school year, so confirm with the nursery or the city before you plan around them.
Registering for a municipal nursery
Places in the municipal nurseries are assigned through a public notice (bando), which the city usually publishes by February for the school year starting in September. Applications are made online through the procedure set out in the notice, and announcements appear on the city nursery page and the city’s news channels. Each nursery welcomes visits by appointment before you apply.
The nursery office (Ufficio asili nido) is at Viale Ugo Foscolo 31/A, and the city switchboard is 0832 682111. Children must be up to date with Italy’s mandatory vaccinations to attend a nursery.
What municipal nurseries cost
Monthly fees are set by income bands based on your ISEE. The bands still referenced on the city’s nursery page were set by council resolution 568 of 21 June 2013. The top rate applies to families with an ISEE above €40,000 and to non-residents, and a second child at a municipal nursery has been entitled to a 50% reduction. Check the current notice for the fees that apply this year.
| ISEE | Monthly fee (2013 table) |
|---|---|
| up to €7,500 | €50 |
| €7,501 to €10,000 | €69.50 |
| €10,001 to €13,000 | €128 |
| €13,001 to €15,000 | €167 |
| €15,001 to €20,000 | €206 |
| €20,001 to €25,000 | €245 |
| €25,001 to €30,000 | €284 |
| €30,001 to €35,000 | €323 |
| €35,001 to €40,000 | €362 |
| above €40,000 or non-resident | €440 |
The INPS nursery bonus
The national bonus asilo nido reimburses nursery fees, public or private, up to €3,000 a year, or €3,600 for children born from 1 January 2024 in families with an ISEE up to €40,000 (calculated without the Assegno Unico). Lower amounts apply at higher incomes. You apply online to INPS each year and upload the paid receipts. It also covers home care for children under 3 with a serious chronic illness.
The four municipal nurseries
All four city-owned nurseries are outside the historic center, so choose by where you live. Visits are by appointment.
Ilaria Alpi
Via Bari 70. Run by Società Cooperativa Sociale Gialla. Phone 388 727 7813 (number from the city’s page).
Nicholas Green
Via Persano, San Pio. Phone 0832 288535 or 349 348 5503. The nursery also hosts a free play space for children up to 6 and their parents, part of the national Villaggio per Crescere project.
Piccolo Principe
Via Nino Della Notte. Run by the GeNSS social cooperative. Phone 0832 407562, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 13:30 and Thursday 15:00 to 17:00.
Il Cerbiatto
Via Cuoco, Santa Rosa. Also run by GeNSS, same phone number: 0832 407562.
Private nurseries in Lecce
Private nurseries set their own fees, hours and enrollment dates, and many also run a preschool or an afternoon play center. Every nursery must be authorized by the region; the city’s nursery page explains how to check the regional register on Sistema Puglia. The list below is a starting point, not an endorsement: visit, ask about the staff ratio, meals and outdoor space, and contact each one through its own page.
L’Allegra Officina
Via Dalmazio Birago 73. A preschool with an afternoon play center (ludoteca).
Il Giardino dei Saperi
Viale Taranto 177. A nursery and school set in a park, with indoor and outdoor activities and a vegan meal option.
La Tribù dei Piedi Scalzi
Via Petrarca 14 and Viale Gallipoli 21. A nursery and preschool on two sites, with workshops and outdoor activities.
La GiocOfficina
Via 95° Reggimento Fanteria 31. A play-based early-years center for children from 3 months to 3 years, with meals.
Asilo Nido Madre Teresa
Via Petrarca. A nursery for children from 3 to 36 months, with camera monitoring.
L’Albero del Pane
Via San Pietro in Lama 31. South of the railway station, with large indoor and outdoor spaces, taking children from 3 months.
Piccole Pesti
Via Pitagora 5, Castromediano. A nursery in the Castromediano district.
Micronido Bimbincircolo
Via Geremia Re 12. A small nursery (micronido) with outdoor activities.
Centro Infanzia Zeronovanta
Viale della Repubblica 23. A nursery, a sezione primavera for 2-to-3-year-olds, and an accredited preschool.
Next steps
Once you have a place, register your child with a pediatrician; see our list of English-speaking pediatricians in Lecce. Outside nursery hours, the Museo dei Bambini, Lecce’s children’s museum, is a hands-on space where children from 6 months to 12 years play and explore with their parents.
More Lecce guides: our Lecce hub.
