Travel and Culture

Apulia forms the heel of the Italian boot located in the southeast corner of Italy. It borders the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Apulia was frequently invaded by both the ancient Greeks and Romans. This region was occupied by many peoples including the Byzantines, Goths, Lombards, Normans, Spaniards, and Turks. Apulia’s moment of greatest glory was in the Holy Roman Empire during the 13th Century, when majestic Romanesque cathedrals and palaces were built. This article presents the eastern and usually southern part of Apulia. A companion article presents the rest of the region including the administrative center of Bari, the largest city in southern Italy.

Trulli are truly remarkable. They are human habitations in the shape of beehives with a hole in the top to let the smoke escape. To me they resemble giant limestone teepees. They can be found in only one place in the world, and that is eastern Apulia. There are quite a few of these impressive houses in the touristy city of Alberobello. You may prefer the historic town of Martina Franca with its baroque and medieval architecture. Alas the city wall is long gone. The road connecting these two cities is dotted with trulli. And guess what, some of them have been transformed into wineries, hardly surprising given the local vineyards.

Tourists might overlook the small town of Castellana except for the nearby caves, Grotte di Castellana. The townspeople have told countless stories of ghosts and monsters. The largest network of caves in all Italy was discovered in 1938. You are not allowed in these caves on your own, but there are tours available. If you are up to it, take the longer tour.

If you are traveling from southern Italy to Greece it’s likely you’ll take a ferry from the port of Brindisi. Make sure to visit some historic churches, the Duomo (Cathedral), and a Roman column dating back to the Second Century. This column was one of two that indicated the end of the Via Appia (Appian Way), the historic road from Rome.