Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
was aimed at making Italy self-sufficient when it came to food, following the sanctions
imposed on the country after its conquest of Ethiopia. Puglia is now covered in wheat
fields, olive groves and fruit arbours.
TOP FIVE HISTORIC CENTRES IN PUGLIA
Locorotondo
A blinding white backdrop decked with blood-red geraniums (
Click here
).
Ostuni
Narrow streets circle ever upwards to a stunning 15th-century cathedral (
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).
Vieste
Whitewashed buildings, intriguing lanes and the sea lapping round the edges (
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)
.
Martina Franca
A wonderfully picturesque townscape of baroque and rococo buildings (
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).
Lecce
Fanciful mansions and churches cut from glowing golden sandstone (
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).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bari
POP 320,200
Once regarded as the Bronx of southern Italy, Bari's reputation has gradually improved
and the city, Puglia's capital and one of the south's most prosperous, deserves more than a
cursory glance. Spruced up and rejuvenated, Bari Vecchia, the historic old town, is an in-
teresting and atmospheric warren of streets. In the evenings the piazzas buzz with trendy
restaurants and bars, but there are still parts of the old town that carry a gritty undertone.
