Southern Italy: Puglia (Part I)

Sunny and dry Puglia (Apulia in English) is easy to find on any map: it's the high heel on the Italian "boot". Surrounded by the Adriatic to the east, the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Taranto to the south, Puglia has everything: sea coasts, grottoes, medieval castles, bell towers, ancient cathedrals and the kind of sunshine that makes one wonder: how do people live in cold climates?

It's like an impressionistic painting: colorful, rich and unusual. Splashes of white, blue and green almost overwhelm the senses, blurring the line between fantasy and reality; between majestic plateaus and rocky ravines, between emerald olive tree fields and melting azure skies.

Puglia's history, like its landscape, is incredibly diverse, which created a culture of tolerance and amazing hospitality. Yet it is rarely visited by non-Italian travelers, remaining a land of mystery to most tourists who identify Italy with Rome, Florence, Venice and other classic Italian destinations. If you, like me, prefer the road less traveled, I offer you nine places in Puglia that left me amazed.

Castel del Monte is a unique octagonal castle near Andria, Puglia. It was built in 1240 for Emperor Frederick II, one of the most eccentric medieval Roman rulers. His interests in math, astronomy and mysticism earned him the title “Stupor Mundi” (the wonder of the world). Frederick II built around 200 castles in Southern Italy and Sicily, but Castel del Monte is by far his most astonishing creation.

After Frederick's death in 1250, the castle was used as a theater, a prison, and later as a refuge for noble families from Andria escaping the plague of 1656. In the 18th century it became a shelter for political refugees, shepherds and bandits, until finally it was abandoned and stripped of the original marble and furnishings. In 1876 the castle was purchased by the Italian state and extensively restored. In 1996 Castel del Monte became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding universal value in its formal perfection and its harmonious blending of cultural elements from northern Europe, the Muslim world, and classical antiquity." It is also depicted on the reverse of the Italian-issue 1 Euro cent coin.

Although most researchers agree that the castle combined defensive, residential and administrative purposes, the theories of its "true" secret meaning abound. Some suggest that Castel del Monte's characteristic octagonal design (complete with eight sides, eight rooms on each floor, eight octagonal towers, as well as an octagonal courtyard) and Frederick's interest in mysticism point to its special spiritual significance. Numerologically speaking, number eight symbolizes infinity. It could also mean the orientation towards the Holy Grail or the Pyramids, the Fibonacci numbers, musical intervals, the temple of Solomon, the queen of Sheba, the city of Jerusalem, or the union of divinity (represented by infinity) and humanity (represented by finiteness).

More extravagant theories even suggest that the castle was some sort of an ancient alien outpost, like the pyramids of Egypt are believed to be. Whichever explanation is true, Castel del Monte is one of the most fascinating and mysterious places in Italy and, possibly, on Earth.

Directions:

Castel del Monte is located on a hill 18 km from Andria, a small town in Puglia, Southern Italy. It is easiest to reach by car, although public transportation options are also available. From the capital city of Puglia, Bari, there is a regional railway train to Andria called the Ferrovie Nord Barese (Bari-Barletta Line). From Andria you can take the urban bus 6 (runs only in summer months - from April 1 to October 31), it is a half an hour trip to Castel del Monte. If you are driving from Bari, take the SP231 and then the SP234 roads to reach Andria. From there there is the SS170 road that leads directly to the castle.

Visiting hours:

From 1st March to 30th September: from 10.15 to 19.45

From 1st October to 28th February: from 9.15 to 18.45

The ticket office closes half an hour in advance.

Tickets:

Full price: € 3,00

Reduced price: € 1,50 for people between the ages of 18 and 25.

Free Entrance to people under 18 and over 65 years of age.

Information phone number: +39 0883 592283

First mentioned in the 13 century AD, Trani was an important trading and political center of Medieval Europe, with the largest Jewish population in Southern Italy. Now it's mostly a seaport with marvelous harbor views.

The main place to visit is the Cathedral di Trani: its Romanesque exterior, magnificent bronze doors and Byzantine mosaics will delight those who are longing for the old world splendor.

The best thing about Trani: it's the most stress-free travel sight possible. Picturesque and historical, it is as low-key as it gets. Simply strolling down the city's streets and enjoying the views of the cathedrals, castles and ships will make you fall in love with this enchanting town.

Address and Directions to Cathedral di Trani:

Piazza Duomo - 70059, Trani. It is a short train ride away from Bari, the capital of Puglia: take the mainline train FS (Ferrovie dello Stato).

Information phone number: +39 0883480557

If you love animals, there is no better place to visit than Fasano ZooSafari. Established in 1972, it is home to some hundred different animal and bird species from all over the world, like tigers, camels, lions, giraffes, bears, elephants, zebras etc. Many of those animals are now endangered species. Tigers alone are among the world's fastest disappearing species with a population of less than 2,500.

I don't need to remind you of the horrors of the regular zoos - cramped spaces, dirt, apathetic depressed animals... I was terrified of zoos since I was a child. Fasano ZooSafari is a different experience: only accessible by car for the safari part (there is also the amusement park “Fasanolandia”), it is a unique sanctuary for all types of animals, including those trapped in their mechanical mobility devices for safety, cautiously taking pictures through the glass windows.You can get as close as a few feet to a real lion and even pet a giraffe, but watch out for camels: they tend to spit.

Address:

Via dello Zoo Safari, 72015, Fasano, Brindisi, Puglia

Tickets:

Single: € 19,00

Group: € 14,00

Information phone number: +39 080-4414455

Another example of the Romanesque style in Puglia, Ruvo is a rural paradise of olive groves and vineyards. Dating back to the 9th century BC, the ancient Greek town Rubi was a famous pottery center of the region. It has seen Romans, Byzantines, Goths, Saracens, Swabians, Normans, the Spanish, the French, the Templar Knights on their way to the Holy Land - and still survived.

The sights include a beautiful 13th century Romanesque cathedral (Cathedral di Ruvo), the Annunziata Church, the Castle and Fondo Marasco, and the Jatta Museum (containing exponats from the Helenistic era). If you happen to be in Ruvo during Christmas, the town stages a full-blown traditional reenactment of the birth of Christ ("Presidio").

Grotte di Castellana is only 40 kilometers from Bari, the capital city of Puglia, and is nothing short of a natural wonder, much like the Grand Canyon or the Niagara Falls. It is an enormous constellation of underground caves. The massive stalagmites, pure white speleothems, stalactites, calcite crystals and helictites inside the grotto took more than a thousand years to form, stretch over 3 kilometers and cover most of the ground, the walls and the ceiling.

The grotto was first mentioned in 1852, but actually discovered in 1938, as part of an expedition to uncover tourist-worthy sites in the region. It has long been the subject of stories about ghosts and monsters of "the Deep", partly because it was emitting a horrible smell from all the garbage being thrown in, and partly because of all the people who were throwing themselves in (apparently, suicide by jumping into a cave was very in).

After the clean-up, the grotto became a world-famous sight now visited by over 14 million people including Ashanti kings, presidents, cardinals, admirals, intellectuals, actors (Gina Lollobrigida) and football stars (Franco Ossola, Eusebio Castigliano, Aldo Ballarin, Guglielmo Gabetto etc) - not that it's the only reason to see it...

The tour will take you on a 2-hour trip into the magical underground built by a thoughtful and whimsical architect - time. A word of advice: as you go deeper into the grotto, it gets colder and more humid, so if you want to avoid freezing and repeatedly slipping and falling (possibly into the Middle Earth), I strongly suggest you bring an extra sweater and wear comfortable non-slippery shoes.

Directions:

Grotte di Castellana is located near the small town Castellana. From Bari, take a train Ferrovie Sud-Est to Grottoes in Castellana.

Information phone number: +39 0804998221