The Italian boot is a region that is still little known. Whether it's architecture, gastronomy or landscapes, southern Italy offers you a journey of a thousand colours. Set off on an adventure that is embellished by amazing troglodyte houses and idyllic beaches. Some of the charming villas in Puglia are inspired by the spirit of the trulli to offer a unique experience. The region's history is fascinating and full of secrets. Ancient Greek ruins, castles used for the crusades and entire towns in Renaissance style... Puglia will always have a card in hand to seduce you! Travelling is also an invitation to taste. There you will rediscover cured meats, mozzarella cheese and many other delicious dishes.
We will begin our exploration of Puglia in a valley not far from the Adriatic Sea. There are three towns that form a real group that travellers would not miss for anything in the world on an Apulian trip: Cisternino, Loccorotondo and Alberobello. All three form the Valle dei Trulli. These small troglodyte houses date back to the first settlements, they were originally cemeteries, places filled with the sacred. The original Greek name, toulos, means a dome. The houses are made of whitewashed stones, and the roofs of dry stones arranged in domes. It was in the 14th century that the trulli experienced a new boom. The Pope lent the King of Naples a lot of land in Apulia that was still unused. The lands were gifts to the King and his followers in return for services rendered. Farming was to develop and it was the trulli that were built because they were simple to erect and inexpensive. Today the trulli of Puglia attract more than one curious traveller...
It is in Alberobello that you will find the most beautiful trulli. Start with the trulloSovrano, a stone's throw from the Cosma Basilica. Further south, you will come across the Monte Pertica street. This is where you will find the most beautiful jewels of the region. Let yourself be carried away to another world that ends in an amazing church. Even the house of God is a trulli in the town of Alberobello! The greatest attraction of the cathedral of Sant'Antonio is its beautiful exterior, which blends perfectly with the local atmosphere.
The charming residences themselves tell the great story of the trulli. Discover a room dressed in white, your bed under the authentic stones are ideal for a romantic stay in the beauty of the trulli. Sumptuous villas are arranged around the private pool, for a simple awakening of the senses. Once you've explored the valley, head to the region's most beautiful beaches...
The heel of the boot is a region that is less known to the general public because it is less accessible than other places. The Puglia region will seduce and delight anyone who takes the time to travel there. The best of Italy is about to be revealed to you. Start in the seaside resort of San Cataldo which is less than five kilometres from Lecce. You can hire a Vespa or go by bike, the wild beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. A few renaissance style houses stand next to the waves, the former customs posts of the Kingdom. Further south, you will discover the Grotta della Poesia cove, where only the locals know the exact location. It is the ideal place to film yourself diving into the turquoise blue waters.
Head for the town of Castro! This small seaside town is colourful. Pay a few euros and get in a boat to visit the Zinzulusa cave. Waters in a thousand shades of blue, cactus and ancient rocks, everything is there to delight your eyes! In the town, you will discover the Aragonese castle. Many regions have colonised the peninsula because it was at the centre of the known and recognised world. From Persepolis to Gibraltar, Puglia had a prime location. The tour of the old town ends with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea at the Folgore Chapel.
Discover splendid villas that proudly display their terraces. The view of the Mediterranean Sea, the garden and the pergola offer you an unparalleled moment of relaxation.
Salad, parmesan and tomatoes are key ingredients to make a perfect pizza. Green, white and red, let's go on a culinary journey to the other side of the Alps! Puglia's cuisine is not just about pizza and tomato sauce. You will find Tarrali biscuits, which are rings dipped in olive oil. They are then flavoured with white wine and fennel, making them delicious. The region offers a surprising type of pasta, orrichette, which is made with wheat flour and without eggs. It is a pasta shaped like little ears of corn, hence the name. We recommend that you eat it with fresh turnip greens. Enjoy your meal with an oven-baked bread similar to the fougasse gardoise, the foccacia! This typical Italian bread is even more popular in Puglia, a poorer region than the others. Bread becomes the staple of every meal.
Where there are Italians, there is wine! The region produces 15% of the country's wine, so it is a highly viticultural and diverse place. The most popular grape variety is Negromaro, literally, bitter black. It is produced exclusively in Puglia. There are other wines protected by the DOCG, the highest distinction for Italian elixirs. At the table, ask for the Salice Valentino and the white Locorotondo. Want to know more about Puglia's gastronomy?
It's time to talk about architecture, town planning and history. Lecce's natives call it simply Leuca, from the Greek Leukos meaning white. The old town of Lecce has much to reveal. Start by visiting the gardens of the Villa Reale and walking along Viale dell'Università. Enter the city under the Porta Rudiae and stroll along Via Vittorio Emanuele II. The Duomo in the central square took 400 years to build. It is one of the most important cathedrals in southern Italy. It dates from the 17th century and is purely baroque in style. Further on is the Chiesa di Santa Irene, a small church a few metres from the central square of the old town. Everything is around this place, the Castle of Charles V, the Greco-Roman amphitheatre and the Garibaldi Gardens. The Castle of Charles V is a residence that has been used very little. It is an urban military building designed to defend the positions of the Normans. The interiors are refined, elaborate and a mixture of different styles.
Around Lecce, you will discover beautiful residences which are in front of the turquoise blue sea.
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