5 September 2023 Puglia Blog

 

5 September 2023          Puglia Blog

We are continuing our tour of the southernmost part of Italy with an 8 day journey through the Puglia region, most commonly referred to as the “heel to Italy’s boot.”  We will visit Alberobello with its unique conical-roofed homes, the Baroque beauty of Lecce,  and perhaps the oldest city in not only Italy but all of Europe – Matera.

Puglia (or Apulia as it is sometimes called) is the easternmost region of Italy, bordered by two seas – the Ionian and Adriatic – and having the longest coastline in the Italian peninsula.  It is a region renowned for its ancient cities, past history of conquerors and the cultures they brought with them, unique and extravagant churches, like the Rupestrian (rock or cave) churches of Matera, wonderful Italian cooking and delicious olives and olive oils, and beautiful sandy beaches.  It is an area for exploration and learning, but also an area for relaxation and enjoying the simple pleasures of good food and wine in a beautiful setting.  With the construction of an Aqueduct, this once dry region has become one of Italy’s most productive producers of crops such as carrots, tomatoes salad greens, eggplants, artichokes, almonds, citrus fruits, and of course olives.

Because of its strategic location by the seas, it has been conquered and colonized by many cultures during its history.  First it was the Greeks followed by the Romans in the 4^th century who built the Via Appia to connect the area with Rome.  Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the area came under the control of the Byzantine Empire who were followed by the Lombards, the Franks, and the Saracens, who themselves were conquered by the Eastern Roman Empire in the 10^th century.  Then came the Normans who were followed by the bad government of several groups (names of which I have never heard of) and finally the region saw some improvement with the Bourbons, who took over the region in the 18^th century.  Finally in 1860, Puglia was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.  Boy, I am sure glad I did not have to memorize Puglia’s history as most of the tour guides in this region must!

Here are some interesting facts about Puglia

• ·       Puglia produces about 60% of the world’s olive oil from the more than 50 million trees planted there.  There is a legend as to how olive trees came to Puglia.  The gods Minerva and Neptune were in a competition with each other to win Cape Leuca.(at the southern end of Italy’s boot).  They each offered a gift to the elders – Neptune a horse and Minerva an olive tree.  The elders accepted Minerva’s gift as being more lasting, and I guess history has proven them correct.  I know we will visit several olive groves and oil producing farms on this trip.
• ·       There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Puglia – Alberobello, Matera Sassi and the Park of Rupestrian Churches, Castel del Monte, and Foresta Umbra National Reserve. 
• ·       The only eight-side castle in the world, Castel del Monte, is now found on the Italian one-cent Euro.
• ·       During WWII, the British Navy sunk a ship off the coast of San Cataldo, but a sandbar kept it from sinking too deep and today it is a popular site for swimmers and snorkelers.
• ·       While we have our bonfires at pep rallies, Puglia has a week-long fire festival in the winter where there is the world’s biggest bonfire ---a 90,000 bale haystack that rises 75 feet high with a 60-foot diameter.

We will begin our tour of this region in Matera, where we will have 3 days on our own to explore before we begin our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) pre-tour of Puglia.