TOUR ITINERARIES
Among Trulli, Caves and Sea
Lenght: 192 km - page 1 of 2

This is a touching and peculiar itinerary along the wonderful Murgia of Trulli, with its charcteristic Karst territory. The Murgia area, embellished by sinkholes and caves, encloses some beautiful towns of the Adriatic coast, sloping down toward the white town of Ostuni.

MARTINA FRANCA

Our itinerary starts from the beautiful town of Martina Franca (431 mt high, 49000 inhabitants), that lies over one of the last southern hills in the south-east of the Murgia area and from its height it overlooks the charming Valle d’Itria, with its white trulli.

Besides a fascinating landscape, marked by the ancient “casedde”, the famous “trulli” and the typical local farms called “masserie”, Martina Franca is surrounded by a Karst territory, rich in suggestive caves.

After a walk along the white lanes in the old town centre, where the Baroque art reaches its best expression, after a visit to the stately Basilica of S.Martino and to the XVIII century rooms of the Ducal Palace (where every year the glamurous Valle d’Itria Festival takes place), you can take a seat in one of the many typical restaurants to taste the famous cooking of Martina. After a relaxing walk in the uncontaminated woods around the town (Parco delle Pianelle) you can also stay at one of the many smart and comfortable hotels in town.

LOCOROTONDO

Leaving Martina Franca, passing by the provincial roads, that go through some vineyards and through the lovely Valle d’Itria, you get to Locorotondo (6 km far away- 410 mt height, 13418 in habitants)

Locorotondo lies over a little hill, in the south-east part of the beautiful upland of the Murgia area. Its peculiarity is its urban circular shape (from which the name got its origin) and its famous and excellent D.O.C. wine, that is usually served with typical dishes of the place.You should visit the main church, consecrated to S.Giorgio, and
the lovely little church of S.Maria della Greca.

ALBEROBELLO

Going on about 9 km along the highway, leaving back Locorotondo, you get to the beatiful chief town of trulli , Alberobello (9 km far away- 428 mt height, 11.000 inhabitants). This wonderful town is one of most peculiar towns in the world, and it is an Unesco heritage site, thanks to its picturesque trulli (they are more than 1000).

A suggestive walk in its old town centre takes you to the marvelluos monumental areas of Rione Monti and Aia Piccola and to the characteristic Casa d’Amore and the admirable Trullo Sovrano, of rare and undoubted beaty.

NOCI

From Alberobello, in a short time and driving along a lovely panoramic little street, you get to Noci. It is on the hill in the east of the Murgia area, in the Trulli and caves territory and it is an important agricultural site (cereals, vegetables, olive trees, almond trees and wholenut trees).

Madonna della Scala Abbey

This town is a flourishing handcraft and commercial site, with important milk and cheese production and zootechnic activities that export their products in many Italian regions.Medieval lanes and ancient palaces embellish its old town centre and show the rural social reality of Noci. A short visit to Plebiscito Square, allows us to see the Clock Tower in the middle of it, that was built in 1825.It has a frame that reminds a circular Neoclassical little Temple, and was rebuilt in 1901.You should definitely visit: the main church, built in the XIV century for the will of Filippo d’Angiò and consecrated to S.Maria della Natività; S.Domenico, church built in 1958 on a project of P.Agostino Lanzani .Today, part of it is the seat of the Municipal Hospital; and the characteristic rural church of S.Pietro in Barsento, on the way to Alberobello. Among Noci beatiful caves, we should mention: Grotta di Gemmabella, Capovento dei Briganti, Grave di Marrasca, Cavernetta di Barsento, Grotta della Madonna della Croce.

PUTIGNANO

Passing by Bari, Monopoli and Conversano, our itinerary takes us to Putignano, a town famous all over the world for its Carnival. It is in the heart of the Murgia area, among picturesque trulli and suggestive caves. It is a flourishing agricultural and industrial site and it is also famous for the tailoring of wedding dresses.

Walking in the old town centre we can see the stately Barsento Door, from the first half of the XVI century. There is a peculiar coat of arms of the cross of Malta in the arch. Going on with our visit, we get to the Sedile, a building with the main church bell tower clock on its wall, dated back to 1575, and to the Prince Palace, a smart XIV century construction, called Balì Palace. Inside this building there is a big collection of arms that belonged to the Prince Romanazzi-Carducci , many rooms with peculiar silver, pottery and furniture, and two beautiful paintings attributed to Salvador Rosa and Stefano da Putignano. There also is a little chapel with an altar on which there is the Malta Knights coat of arms. The main church then, consecrated to S.Pietro Apostle, is very impressive. It was built in the XII century and then restored in the XVII one.Outside, there is a precious façade with a wonderful rose window, a romanic- gothic portal and a bell tower built in 1615. Inside, there are important art works from the XVII century, made by Miglionico and Stefano da Putignano.
Putignano historic and architectonic estate is also made precious by many masserie. The most important ones are: Masseria S. Nicola, Masseria Riccardi, Masseria Monterosso, Masseria di Cristo, Masseria Montelli.The territory around Putiganno is also rich in caves where, in the past years, they found plenty of archaeologic findings. 500 metres far away from the urban area, there is the Trullo Cave; another important cave is Madonna delle Grazie, on the way to Gioia del Colle.

CASTELLANA GROTTE

Going on from Putignano, passing by wide olive tree fields and vines, you take the way to the nice Castellana Grotte (5 km away- 290 mt high,18349 in habitants).

This town is about 40 km away from Bari and it lays over a Karst and calcareous territory, whose morphology was formed by its caves stone.

Santa Maria della Vetrana

If you explore this territory with its terracings, hills and dolinas, you can see beautiful caves (the most important speleologic complex in Italy) with a great number of stalactites and stalagmites, that offer a very suggestive scenery. We advice you to visit this wonderful site carefully. These caves develop for about 3 km and they end up in the gorgeous White Cave, that is considered one of the most beautiful caves in the world because of some spectacular light effects over the limestone.
This itinerary goes on in the old town centre, with a visit to the main church, consecrated to Santo Leone Magno.

Texts: Italiainrete - Pictures: Database and web

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