Day by Day Itinerary

September 27 BARI
Thursday FASANO
The truth about Santa Claus

Welcome to Italy! Our guide, Lucia will meet us this morning at the airport and we’re off on a guided tour of Bari’s Old Town. We suggest Alitalia flight AZ1609 arriving Bari at 9:55 AM.

Bari’s origins date back at least 4,000 years and it is the second most important center in the South of Italy after Naples. The main town is divided into two areas: the Old Town called “Bari Vecchia” (Old Bari), and the new quarter on “Murat,” cut by the most elegant Street of Via Sparano. Bari is a city that grew in stages. Up to the end of the 18th century almost the entire city was within what is now called Bari Vecchia, a triangular-shaped promontory that, first inhabited in the Bronze Age, has seen Romans, Byzantines, Lombards, Normans, Swabians and Angevins. Its old town is a monument in itself and is enclosed by high imposing walls. The city has a magnificent sea front with a wonderful view of the blue Adriatic.

We’ll stop at the massive Swabian Castle, which was built in the Byzantine Norman style. Then, we travel through the narrow winding roads of the old city to the Saint Nicholas Cathedral which hosts the remains of Saint Nicholas, known all over the world as ”Santa Claus,” whose relics were stolen by 62 sailors from Myra and brought to Bari. A pleasant walk will bring us to Piazza Mercantile, the ancient trading place, dominated by the Sedile dei Nobili (Seat of the Nobles). Alongside is the Colonna Infame (column of infamy), the mediaeval pillory for insolvent debtors surrounded by old palazzi turned into workshops and cafes. Along our way, we’ll stop for lunch in a local restaurant and taste “orecchiette,” homemade pasta.

This evening, we’ll relax over a welcome cocktail and dinner at our hotel in Fasano near Alberobello. (L-D)

****Borgo San Marco

September 28 FASANO
Friday ALBEROBELLO
OSTUNI
CISTERNINO FASANO
The Itria Valley dotted by white- washed walls
Depart for nearby Alberobello. Alberobello, whose name arises from Sylva Arboris Belli (forest of the tree of war), an oak wood that anciently covered the entire area. It is thought that Alberobello was founded in the XV century. The town most likely became urbanized in 1635 by the agency of the Guercio di Puglia, the Count Giangirolamo II. Alberobello was declared a national monument in 1930 and in 1996 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monumental zone has the Monti and Aia Piccola quarters, entirely composed of “trulli,” ancient conical stone buildings. Aia Piccola is the more private and charming of the two, where most of the locals live among ancient buildings; Monti is more tourist-oriented, housing souvenir stands, restaurants and artisan workshops.

Alberobello is the result of the hard work of generations of people, who have adapted their physical environments to their own needs. The trulli are constructed with a drywall (mortar-less) building technique still in use in this region. The skillful hands of local stonecutters make them with limestone collected from neighboring fields. This stone is called “chianca”. All traditions related to the farmer civilization are kept alive as well as the secrets of traditional cooking. We’ll enjoy a stroll down Corso Vittorio Emanuele and have the opportunity to buy a miniature stone trulli created by a local craftsman.

After a restful night and fortifying breakfast, this morning we embark on an excursion to Ostuni, known as the “white town.” It is Market Day. With our guide, we’ll visit the old town, Palazzo Zevallos, Church of Maria Maddalena and Piazza Oronzo through labyrinths of narrow lanes and steps surmounted by arches of its characteristic whitewashed houses. We will return to our hotel for lunch. Tonight we will visit the old town of Cisternino where we dine in an open “trattoria.” Our feast will be a local specialty of the house, lamb and “zampina” sausage with mincemeat, accompanied with local red wine. Return to our hotel in Fasano for overnight. (B-L-D)

****Borgo San Marco

September 29 FASANO
Saturday CASTELLANA FASANO
A lunar landscape and a forest of the tree of life
Our driver is waiting to transport us to Castellana, the small but active town 950 feet above the sea level and situated on the edge of a close karstic depression. Today you’ll be honored guests at a Masseria, a country home. Participate in a cooking lesson on Puglian cuisine with an expert chef. We will learn to prepare some of the local delicious plates, such as “Tiella de riso, patate e cozze” (rice, potatoes and mussels) and “orecchiette e cime di rape” (homemade pasta with turnip tops).

While our lunch simmers, we’ll escape to visit the Castellana Grotte. It is famous all over the world for its charming grottoes, which are known as the most important Italian speleological site. Their discovery dates back to 1938 by the speleologist Franco Anelli. The series of underground karst caves were formed by rainwater, which collected at the surface level and easily penetrated the crevices in the limestone layer below. The winding course of these waters cut out caves and tunnels, and formed wonderful alabaster blades of stalactites and stalagmites formed over the millennia. The lunar landscape, made up of crystalline columns and jagged points, glows and sparkles. These natural sculptures fill up the caves and wind through this enchanting underground passage for nearly two miles. We will visit Black Grotto, Angel Passage, Grottoes’ Mary, Snake Passage, Little Paradise, Altar Cave, Desert Passage, Treasure Hall, and last of all, with its breathtaking, incredible beauty and incomparable reflections of white rock, the White Cave. A comfortable lift will bring us back to surface level. During this visit, awe at Mother Nature’s creativity - an experience we will remember forever. Back to the Masseria for lunch to enjoy the specialties we prepared at our cooking class.

Return to Fasano. Dinner tonight will be at the hotel. (B-L-D)

****Borgo San Marco

September 30 FASANO - TARANTO
Sunday MARTINA FRANCA
LECCE
A city of two seas
After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and board our private coach for a pleasant drive to Taranto. Continue from the “roof” downward to the Itria Valley to Taranto. Also known as the “city of the two seas,” Taranto seems to be split in two. The old town, with its medieval buildings, stands on an island between the Mar Grande (the open sea) and the Mar Piccolo (the internal lagoon). There, we will venture over a revolving bridge that has been in operation since 1887. Spartan colonizers founded Taranto in the VIII century B.C. on the remains of a Messapian town. It is mainly in the old town that one can find evidence of the glorious history of Taranto, colony of Sparta and capital of Magna Graecia.

The city’s location and its strategic point made it first prosperous and then caused it to suffer from the invasion of Byzantine, Ostrogoths, Saracens, Normans, Swabians, Angevins and Aragonese. After Napoleon, Taranto went into decline until it was liberated by Garibaldi’s troops in 1860. In 1866 the Italian government turned the town into the biggest Italian naval base. Due to the presence of the Italsider iron and steelworks, the city represents one of the most important Puglian industries.

We will visit Pantaleo Palace where part of the National Magna Greece Museum artistic collections are exhibited. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a stroll through the old city and be transported to the ancient past.

In the afternoon we’ll step through the portals of the beautiful Baroque town of Martina Franca, which was established in the 14th century by Philip d’Angio, Prince of Taranto. Martina Franca has been noted for its uniqueness and beauty. Make a leisurely walk through its old town polished streets and discover a masterpiece at each corner.
Continue to Lecce, where we check into our hotel for a two-night stay. (B-L-D)

****Santa Chiara

October 1 LECCE – OTRANTO
Monday LECCE
Precious Lace of Calcareous Stone
Awaken in Lecce, the capital of the Salento Peninsula. Of Messapian origin, according to tradition, Lecce was founded in the 5th century B.C. From the second half of the 16th century, Lecce experienced a period of particular good fortune that was destined to last for two centuries. The city, called “Athens in Apulia” as well as “Florence of the South,” attracted the nobility and aristocrats who decorated luxurious facades of their palazzi, chapels and churches with exuberant architecture and Baroque-style solutions. We find a bizarre and endless fantasy of spiral columns, sumptuous cornices, ornate balustrades, curved pediments, vases of flowers and fruit, fluttering ribbons, putti and grotesque heads all carved with the unique enchantment of the soft Lecce stone. We will visit the historical centre, Piazza S. Oronzo, with the remains of a Roman Arena and Theater.

After lunch in a local restaurant, we continue to Otranto.

Otranto, the ancient city of Hydruntum, has for millennia stood at the crossroads between different civilizations. It was a Greek town and, for its position between Italy and Greece, in the Roman Age it became an important port. In the middle ages, it was one of the most important centers of the Byzantine dominion. The Normans, Angevin and Aragonese then occupied it. In the XI and XII century it had a florid life thanks to the Venetian, Dalmatian and Levantine merchants who traded in its port. In 1480, the Turks attacked Otranto, and a year later Alfonso D’Aragona freed the city. First, we’ll visit the Cappella dei Martiri (Chapel of Martyrs), which still preserves the bones of 800 martyrs who died in the battle.

Our next stop is the Puglian-Romanesque Cathedral, a solemn temple rich in silence. We will admire its magnificent 12th-century mosaic floor representing the “Tree of Life.” Marked by rich, vibrant colors and extraordinarily expressive biblical figures, this stunning masterpiece is sure to leave a lasting impression. Otranto is known also for its very beautiful coast, which attracts tourists for its always-pleasant summer climate and crystal-clear waters. Return to Lecce. (B-L-D)

****Santa Chiara

October 2 LECCE - TRANI
Tuesday
We have a lovely free morning in the “Florence of the South”.

After lunch we depart for Trani, located just north of Bari on the coast. Check into our hotel for a three-night stay. San Paolo Al Convento is an old monastery renovated into a 4-star hotel, located in front of Trani’s harbor overlooking the Adriatic. (B-L-D)

****San Paolo al Convento

October 3 TRANI – MATERA
Wednesday TRANI
A city carved of rock along a ravine
After breakfast, we make an excursion to Matera, one of the most fascinating historic centers in Italy. It is actually located in the neighboring region of Basilicata, but certainly worth the drive westward. One could describe the ancient district of Matera, the Sassi, as one gigantic sculpture that has been carved out of the rock along the side of a ravine. We will have a guided tour of the Sassi quarter. The Sassi are built along the right bank of a ravine that presents itself as a labyrinth of winding streets, neighborhoods, squares, caves and rock churches. Some parts of the stone houses are carved out of the rock, while other parts have been constructed or added. The roofs of some houses form a foot pathway while other roofs serve as floors for the home above. There are over 130 stone churches in the whole territory along the ravine, some of them underground. The Sassi were abandoned in the 1950s when inhabitants were moved to the new and modern neighborhoods. In the last 20 years, the Sassi have been re-evaluated and numerous renovation projects have begun. The Passion of the Christ was filmed here and the area has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lunch today will be in a typical restaurant featuring “Lucana” cuisine. Afterwards, we will continue to explore the cave houses and rock-hewn churches of the region. (B-L-D)

****San Paolo al Convento

October 4 TRANI - CASTEL
Thursday DEL MONTE
TRANI
In the land where the Emperor’s hawk hunted
After breakfast, we explore the nearby Castel del Monte. At 1771 feet above sea level, isolated on a hill of the Puglian Murgia, dominates Castel del Monte, the most famous monument belonging to the age of the emperor Frederick II of Swabia. It is a UNESCO site and has been described as “a unique piece of medieval military architecture.” The building dates back to the first half of the century 200 and makes a synthesis of all the stylistic and cultural influences of the artists.

The castle has an octagonal plan with an octagonal court in the middle, where maybe there once was a pool. At the corner of the polygon there are eight structures, octagonal too, which look like towers even if their height is the same of the castle. There is neither a moat nor other defensive works. Indeed it was not planned to defend a territory but it was wanted by the emperor to celebrate himself and his temporal power. In fact it is not a typical medieval construction, as it has no canteen, stables, kitchen or rooms for the servants. It also has wide windows; no shooting slits, and the staircase is constructed towards the left, which gives the possibility to the enemy to use the sword with the right hand. All these elements as well as the fact that the castle was cured in every detail to leave the impression that it was built for another purpose. It was thought to have been the Emperor’s hunting residence, but according to the experts there are esoteric symbols in the construction. The number eight appears time and time again and while exploring this amazing structure you will feel the energy of the castle which has been linked to Stone Henge and other wonders of the world.

Lunch today will be at a local fish restaurant in the picturesque port of Trani. The name Trani derives from Tirenum or Turenum. According to an old legend, Tirreno, Diomede’s son, founded it. It was wonderful under Frederick II who supplied it with a castle. The historic center is rich in wonderful churches and noble palaces, witness of a famous past. The Cathedral is, without any doubt, one of the most beautiful churches of the Puglian Romanesque style. Dedicated to St. Nicola Pellegrino, it was founded in 1907 on the old church of St. Mary. Inside the cathedral there is a division between the upper church, recently restored, and the lower church dedicated to St. Maria della Scala with the crypt of Saint Nicholas. Under the church of St. Mary there is the hypogeum of Saint Lucio, which dates back to the beginning of Christianity.

We’ll make a stop at an olive oil factory for a tour and tasting. Continue back to Trani this evening for overnight at our hotel. Enjoy a festive farewell dinner tonight. (B-L-D)

****San Paolo al Convento

October 5 TRANI - BARI
Friday
Arrivederci Apulia
Transfer to the airport in Bari (30 miles) for our flights home. Welcome home! (B)

Or better yet, continue on our Roseto Valfortore & Gargano Peninsula tour, October 5 - 12, 2012. Click here