SURROUNDINGS
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Go where your heart takes you. Apulia awaits you …
An irresistible magnetism for a land that makes you dizzy for all its always different colors and landscapes, for the olive trees that move with every breath of wind, so they look like dancing. Look at these with the north or the south wind, under the full moon. You will see the foliage swaying. They seem a silver carpet on which living the fairy tale of “The Arabian nights”. It is a wind factory, mixed with bright light and air, that stimulates the senses so much that entering into a “sensory travail”, better known among travelers as an “excitement” that does give birth to the trip named “APULIA”.
Alberobello, “fairy trulliland”, UNESCO World Heritage. Castellana Grotte. The Coastal Dunes, the Oasis of Torre Guaceto and the Selva di Fasano, between Fasano and Ostuni, a natural borough in a huge millennial olive grove overlooking the sea. The Apulian Aqueduct Channel (Canale dell’Acquedotto Pugliese) and its history. The Canale di Pirro (o delle pire), which it is one of the two Apulian depressions along with the Itria Valley (Valle d’Itria), among the most beautiful in Italy. The rugged coastlines between Mola di Bari, Polignano a Mare and Monopoli. The Dinosaurs Quarry (Cava dei Dinosauri) and the Pulo di Altamura, a huge karst sinkhole in the High Murgia. A real ode to the limestone that continues with the underground city of Gravina di Puglia and the city of European culture, Matera (in Basilicata region). The Gravina di Riggio in Grottaglie, a small gorge in the rock in which is located the whole Mediterranean herbarium, as a natural greenhouse which is overlooked by ancient caves frescoed during the Byzantine age and a waterfall. The “Old Bari”, the Cathedral of Trani and the “Old Railway of Circummarpiccolo” in Taranto, will offer you unforgettable walks. And then the Salento. It should be seen in full. Certainly you cannot miss the emotions of a morning sunrise, at the lighthouse of Punta Palascia in Capo d’Otranto, waiting for the first rays of the sun caress the peninsula. Nearly 800 kilometers of coastline surrounded by clear blue sea, awarded by several blue flags. Apulia, tourist land from every point of view, will be able to give you history, memory, music and legend, through the liveliness of wild and rugged landscape of the Murgia, along with its past crossed by thousands of routes, both maritime and land, which remind memorable, mythical and historical wanderings. Trulli, national parks, marine and wildlife reserves, coastal and karst caves, ravines, await you. Accommodation of the highest level: farms, farm holidays, bed and breakfasts, resorts, holiday homes and residences will welcome those who come to our land and want to enjoy our beauties.
Alberobello, capital of trulli, is a town recognized by UNESCO as “World Heritage” for its 1500 trulli, typical of Apulia. The trulli were classified a National Monument in 1996, when the districts Aia Piccola and Monti, along with the complexes Casa D’Amore and Trullo Sovrano, have been included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rural landscape is characterized by a thick vegetation of olive and almond trees that thrives on karst soil. Since the birth of Alberobello, the material for the building and coverage of the trulli has been taken from the stratified limestone rocks. For those who love nature, it will be impossible to miss walking or biking, along the Apulian Aqueduct, which for long stretches crosses the area of Alberobello. Strongly desired by Antonio Jatta, the construction of this Aqueduct was begun in 1906 and, even today, the city of Bari, in which was placed the first fountain a few days before the outbreak of World War I, can bear witness with the Apulian Aqueduct Museum, open to the public.
The town is considered the gateway through which you can admire the treasures that Apulia preserves also in the secret cavities of the subsoil, to tens of meters deep. The karst complex of the caves of Castellana is among the largest in Italy and, undoubtedly, the most charming and wonderful. A scenery of incomparable beauty, that man has been able to appreciate and enhance.The small, but active town, 290 m above sea level, bases its economy mainly on the agricultural sector. The karst phenomenon is not reduced only to the beautiful caves of Castellana. It is particularly extensive and it reaches up to unexplored underground passages in the bowels of the earth, accessible only to the most experienced speleologists, until Putignano and Monopoli. A trip into the bowels of the earth and in the caves, defined by researchers as the most beautiful in Italy. A path of 3 km, between magical-looking stalactites and stalagmites, arriving at the White Cave. The beauty of the trulli, along with the charm of the caves will offer you the chance to explore the fantastic worlds of Alberobello and Castellana Grotte. However, for the children there is a whole world to discover within the Dinosaurs Park.
Visit the largest wildlife park: a path of 120 hectares where visitors will encounter numerous species of animals into the wild, moving by your own vehicles, having the opportunity to do fun and exciting close encounters or to entertain in the amazing Fasanolandia park.
The Itria Valley is the territory which coincides with the lower part of the Murge Highland and in which cross three Apulian provinces: Bari, Taranto and Brindisi. Here you will discover the millenary history of peasants and lords.
The trulli, with their outstanding universal value, represent the passage of time, but not of tradition. The secularity of history is highlighted not only by the presence of man-made structures, but also by the majestic olive trees, real art sculptures donated by nature. Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Ostuni, are town recognized among the “most beautiful villages in Italy”. Looking down from the valley, you will be kidnapped by the play of colors: the red of the earth, the green of the lush vegetation and the white of the stone, with sunsets almost borealis. Extensive forests of oaks (including the “Bosco delle Pianelle” with its various species of animals and Mediterranean scrubland) surround the many farms that are architectural symbol of the landed bourgeoisie. Authentic natural oasis where you can rediscover the pleasure of silence and good living.
The coast of art, castles, ice cream and also of sail boat trips or catamaran excursions, of the Roman history along the ancient Via Traiana and of the Atlantis of the Mediterranean, Egnazia.
CONVERSANO
Two inland towns in the province of Bari where the peasant culture still lingers through the small streets hand in hand with ancient perfumes of the local cuisine. But who is the master is the Conversano Castle (Castello di Conversano) and the Museum of Whistle (Museo del Fischietto) in Rutigliano. Locations not to be missed.
BARI
Capoluogo di regione, ricca di arte con i suoi musei, la Basilica di San Nicola, il Teatro Petruzzelli, Il Museo dell’Acquedotto Pugliese, il Castello Normanno-Svevo, La Bari Regional capital, rich in art with its museums, the Basilica of San Nicola, the Petruzzelli Theatre (Teatro Petruzzelli), The Apulian Aqueduct Museum, the Norman-Swabian Castle (Castello Normanno-svevo), The Old Bari that smells of ancient flavors of Apulian cuisine.
The pretty town of Massafra is located in the heart of the ravines. Its territory extends from the Murgia of Taranto to the Ionian Sea and it has a great variety of landscapes, with its castle and the different natural, historical and archaeological presences. In the countryside, there are beautiful historic farms, rural churches and crop fields.
Grottaglie is located on the edge of a drop of the Murgia sloping down to the Mar Piccolo. The town is well-known beyond the Apulian boundaries for the production of artistic ceramics and has been precisely the abundance of clay to promote the development of potter crafts in this center.
It is home to a large industrial and commercial port and an arsenal of the Italian Navy, as well as the major naval station. It is also home to a major industrial center, with iron and steel establishments (including the largest iron and steel center of Europe), petrochemicals, shipbuilding and cement establishments. Visit the Ionian city with its ancient history and its beautiful views over the sea; the historical center with its impressive Basilica of San Cataldo; the Swing Bridge (Ponte Girevole) and especially the precious exhibits of the Museum of Magna Grecia and the Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese).
Salento occupies the southernmost part of Apulia: for this it is called the heel of Italy. Here the sea assumes all shades of blue, that emphasize the white color typical of the houses, of the countries in Arabian style, each with its own dialect. It has a flat configuration in which stand out the first reliefs of the Murge of Taranto to the northwest, the Tavoliere of Lecce in the middle and the undulations of Serre to the south. Thanks to its cultural, environmental and historical features, the Salento has established itself over the years as a destination for a responsible and quality tourism, in opposition to the classic destinations of the summer mass tourism. Lecce, “Lady of the Baroque” is the capital of the Salentine Peninsula. It is located 11 km away from the Adriatic coast and 23 km away from the Ionic coast. The city has a very lively appearance, particularly for its many Baroque buildings in the characteristic local stone. The warm color gives the city an unmistakable identity and charm. Its artistic flourishing did gain it the title of “Athens of Apulia”. Thanks to the position of the Salentine peninsula, a real bridge towards the East, many people took turns: Messapians, Japigi, Greeks and Apulians. Heir of the Roman Lupiae, was the basis of the Byzantine domain and flourished especially in the 1400s.
Matera is a unique and charming city, just one hour’s drive from Alberobello. It is located leaning against a ravine in which were dug deep caves in the rock that were the ancient dwellings. The Sassi of Matera have inspired poets and writers such as Carlo Levi, in his novel “Christ stopped at Eboli”, and they were declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The Sassi are divided into two parts: the Sasso Barisano to the north and the Sasso Caveoso to the south, divided from each other by a rocky outcropping. The “modern” city took place further up, but of course, does not keep the same suggestion. The origins of Matera date back to the VII century, when some monks from Cappadocia took refuge in natural rock cavities to escape the persecution of Leone l’Isarco. In the Neolithic period human settlements already they existed. Over the centuries it has followed the same fate of the whole territory. It was conquered by the Saracens in 994 and by the Byzantines, and in a relatively peaceful time the Sassi were repopulated. In the ’50s, when it was given the order to evacuate the inhabited caves, the Sassi settlement had over 15,000 people.
These breathtaking sceneries await you …
… and we will be happy to welcome you!
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Local market in the street
Monday: CISTERNINO / LECCE / LATERZA
Tuesday: MONOPOLI / GIOIA DEL COLLE / MASSAFRA
Wednesday: MARTINA F. / TARANTO (RIONE SALINELLA)
Thursday: ALBEROBELLO / POLIGNANO / BRINDISI
Friday: CONVERSANO / CELLINO SAN MARCO
Saturday: CASTELLANA GROTTE / OSTUNI
Saturday (in the morning): MONOPOLI – FISH MARKET AND FRUIT-VEGETABLE MARKET
Sunday (SUMMER /AFTERNOON): SAVELLETRI / TORRE CANNE
Sunday (morning at 5:00 o’clock am): TARANTO FLEA MARKET
Every afternoon: MOLA DI BARI – FISH MARKET
Patron Saint
Patron Saint Alberobello (25-26-27-28 Settembre)
RELIGIOUS DAYS- HOLY FESTIVITIES
Everything in Alberobello happens before or after the S.S. DOCTORS: Cosma and Damiano’s celebrations. The days of the celebration are a sort of suspended time: everything stops. Everything is thought out and acted in honor of the patron saint. The celebration is something essential for the citizens and for the great number of pilgrims, who come from across the region and from all over the south of Italy, many of them on foot. Those holy festivities in southern Italy, are that remains as a wonderful memory in the spirit of those who have seen one of them at last once. Among the numerous stalls in the street and the alluring lights , the incessant sound of bands alternating on a “cassarmonica” to play the majestic music of Italian operas, a great number of pilgrims coming for devotion or for mere custom, creates a magical atmosphere that culminates in the scents of candyfloss and roasted chestnut. Starting from 25 up to 28 September a lot of various events both religious and cultural.