Author: admin

Cisternino is one of the most charming villages in the area, rich in traditions and where it’s a pleasure to get lost among its alleys and small squares. Its charm is due to its unplanned, popular architecture that characterizes the historic center. Cisternino boasts the Orange Flag from the TCI (Italian Touring Club), a mark of quality awarded to small Italian municipalities for their excellence in tourism, hospitality, and environment. Cisternino is also listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy and is part of the Slow Food Towns for maintaining its culinary traditions and protecting local crops and productions, such as the meat that can be bought in one of the many butcher shops in the historic center. Here, if desired, the meat is grilled right in the butcher shop and can be eaten at tables specially set up outdoors.

Exploration of Cisternino begins at Piazza Garibaldi, with the Municipal Villa (“Giardino Comunale”) and the splendid view that can be enjoyed today from the belvedere of the Valle d’Itira.

The atmosphere and charm of Cisternino reside primarily in wandering among the houses of the historic center and the other ancient districts that extend beyond the Cathedral and the Torre Grande. It is pointless to indicate a precise itinerary, especially since the beauty of the visit lies in getting lost and then finding one’s way again. Eventually, you will pass through Piazza Vittorio Emanuele with its Clock Tower. As you walk through Cisternino, you will discover the beauty of houses built close to one another, connected by arches, interspersed with stairs, adorned with balconies, and stone masks: a masterpiece of popular architecture gifted by the wisdom of unnamed masons and stonecutters. This is perhaps the main reason to spend time among the white walls of Cisternino.

If you are interested in experiencing Cisternino with one of our certified tour guides please contact us for further information.

A trip to Puglia would not be complete without a visit, even a brief one, to Alberobello. This town, with over 1000 cones in its historic center, has been one of the 54 Italian sites listed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List since 1996. It represents a unique place in the world and it is impossible not to be fascinated and struck by its dramatic impact. Walking through the streets of Alberobello is like being immersed in a fairy tale, which is why it is a place loved by everyone, both adults and children. Alberobello is also recognized as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy.”

Recently, Walt Disney has also made an animated cartoon, Trulli Tales, about Alberobello, featuring characters called “trullalleri” who live in a place called “Trulli land.”

The trulli are dry-stone buildings, constructed directly on rock, without foundations, with roughly worked stone blocks stacked on each other, without mortar to bind them, and covered by a conical structure of small slabs of gray limestone.

The trulli were built because at the end of the 15th century Alberobello came under the County of Conversano, which demanded that the trulli be erected dry, using the interlocking stone technique. The count’s purpose was to be able to demolish them quickly in case of inspections by the emissaries of the Kingdom of Naples, to avoid paying taxes on the dwellings. Thus, Alberobello was an illicit village until 1797 when its 3,500 inhabitants rebelled against the feudal yoke.

The symbols on the cones of the Trulli have always aroused great curiosity. They are hand-drawn with lime and have origins and inspirations from various sources: Judaism, Christianity, paganism, zodiacal and astral elements.

Strategically located in the Valle dei Trulli, between Alberobello, Martina Franca, and Cisternino, Locorotondo owes its name to the perfect circular shape of its historic center, which encompasses charming and welcoming corners. From its panoramic points, you will be enchanted by the spectacular landscape characterized by long stretches of vineyards, olive groves, trulli, and farmhouses scattered all around. Locorotondo is one of the most touristic centers in the Valle d’Itria (the Valley of Trulli) and is listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Walking through the streets of Locorotondo’s historic center, there are pots of colorful flowers overlooking from balconies and balustrades. Another feature of this beautiful village is the so-called Cummerse, steeply pitched roofs made with local stone. Notable in the historic center are the Mother Church dedicated to San Giorgio, the small but beautiful Church of San Nicola, Palazzo Morelli, and the Church of Madonna della Greca, which is the oldest church in Locorotondo.

The locals call Lungomare the road that connects the Villa (the panoramic garden) with the market square. It is a street filled with restaurants and bars that becomes pedestrian-only on summer evenings. But what makes the Lungomare one of the most frequented places in the town is the breathtaking view of the Valle d’Itria. There is no sea in Locorotondo, but walking along this road is somewhat like strolling along a real promenade, where it is also one of the best places to watch the San Rocco fireworks competition.

Perched on the top of a hill and surrounded by mighty defensive walls that separate centuries-old olive trees from clusters of whitewashed houses, Ostuni is an extraordinary sight and a must-see on a trip to Puglia.

Ostuni has an ancient history of at least 2500 years. It was founded by the Messapians, a people who came from ancient Illyria, and later became a land conquered by the Romans, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Saracens, Byzantines, Normans, Angevins, Aragonese, and Bourbons. The most distinctive feature of Ostuni is not so much its historical monuments but its white buildings, which are also why it is nicknamed the “White City.” The practice of whitewashing with lime was used to disinfect houses and streets, thus limiting the ravages of the plague.

It may sound trivial, but one of the most beautiful things to do in Ostuni is to lose oneself in the alleys of its historic center and be guided by the senses, completely captivated by the colors and the shimmering of the houses and shops and the flowered balconies.

The views from Ostuni are worth the trip alone. From every corner, marvelous panoramas open up, the best of which offer expansive views of the surrounding countryside and the Adriatic Sea.

Enjoy the beaches near Ostuni. The White City is just a stone’s throw from some of the most beautiful beaches in Puglia.