The warm Salento and its surroundings: a photo report from Pino and Paola, Italy

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A holiday in the south-eastern part of Puglia, small excursions and short passes during the Murgia, the discovery of the "Sassi" of Matera. Eight days under the sea and the sun along the rugged and inaccessible coastline of Salento, to the golden beaches of Gallipoli, through the lens of our camera.

Castel del Monte, the charming and enigmatic octagonal structure, built by Frederick II of Swabia around 1240, dominates the plain of Andria during the Murgia. Maybe a castle where the emperor resided ever and still raises questions about the reasons for its construction and motivations related to site selection.

Alberobello, an extraordinary example of urban architecture spontaneous, the historical city center is composed of some 1,500 trulli. Trulli are rectangular buildings of ancient origin characteristics for their conical roof made of "chiancarelle" limestone assembled dry, without the use of mortar or other bonding material.
The first information about these settlements date back to 1300, he still thinks that the site was inhabited since the Neolithic period and that they confirm the continuity and persistence of the construction type in "Tholos" of the area.

The history of Salento is tormented and fascinating, full of evidences of ancient civilizations from prehistoric times to today have succeeded over the centuries. Time has amalgamated the signs of domination Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Aragonese, mixed together. Otranto in particular keep intact the signs of these cultures, and monuments of great historical and architectural heritage are a valuable and undeniable beauty.

Marina Novaglie is a tiny tourist town set among dramatic cliffs overlooking the sea. A marina in the rock takes on board the fishing boats, tourist accommodations all around, some of which derived from straw, the old warehouses that farmers used to build with stones.

Leuca, extending into the sea between the two promontories of Punta and Punta Meliso Ristola lies on the foothills of a gently sloping hill. Here adored Minerva, the temple built by the Greeks was located where today is the sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, the destination of constant pilgrimages.

Gallipoli in greek means beautiful city and this is the opinion that the tourists will discover walking about the streets. Instantly strikes the atmosphere, the
Mediterranean its smell, its color. Its narrow streets from time to time offer the eye-catching facade of a church, a wealthy door, a balcony with flowers.


I Sassi, World Heritage Site since 1993, counted among the sites under the protection of UNESCO, are the old settlement in the city of Matera. Older neighborhoods are shaped into two large rock cavities and are characterized by an incredible mountain architecture that instead of constructing the full-empty, hollowed out in full the void. In these poor houses, taking air and light only from the door, lived in promiscuous men and beasts. Now, fortunately, are no longer the symbol of poverty, but the testimony of an ancient calendar past, available to the eyes of the world.