The Puglia-Romanesque structure of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas that still guards the remains of its world-famous Saint, is a majestic sight as it towers above a tangle of old medieval palazzos and courtyards. Then there is Castel del Monte, the magnificent castle built by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, on a 600 metre-high hill between Murgia and the sea. There is the splendid, archaeological park and museum in the ancient Roman and Mesapian city of Egnazia. The old, coastal, lookout tower that rises above thousand-year-old olive groves surrounding picturesque, fortified farms. The old Roman road, the via Traiana, and the ruins of the amphitheatre and temples dedicated to Mercury and Minerva. All these are a just a taste of Puglia’s traditions and culture that stretch back thousands of year here. Unparalleled baroque masterpieces can be enjoyed in Lecce’s famous Basilica of Santa Croce and main square. There are the master craftsmen at Grottaglie and the distinctive, prehistoric, stone houses, or “trulli” at Alberobello that are dotted amongst century-old olive trees in the valley of Itria. You can also visit the Norman castle at Barletta, and admire the stunningly austere, Puglia-Romanesque architecture of the cathedral that overlooks the sea at Trani.
