Abruzzo, Puglia & Matera

The tour starts at 2.30pm on Tuesday 7 October, at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome.

The tour ends at c.11.00am on Wednesday 22 October, at Bari Karol Wojtyłan Airport, Bari.

Meet your tour leader at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in the early afternoon for a coach transfer to the Abruzzo region, where we settle into our unique accommodation in the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, high in the Apennine mountains. Now given new life as home to a design hotel, this spectacular location in the Gran Sasso National Park will serve as our base for the next two nights. After time to freshen up, enjoy a welcome dinner at the accommodation where you will be treated to a range of local recipes all made using fresh food grown in the neighbouring fields. Overnight Santo Stefano (D)

In the morning we take a trip up to Campo Imperatore at the foot of the Gran Sasso massif, a glacial high plain and site of the hotel from which Mussolini was snatched by German paratroopers in 1943. We then explore one of Italy’s most spectacular castles at Calascio, where we enjoy a traditional lunch before descending to explore the Roman ghost town of Peltuinum below. Please note that part of the excursion today involves walking over uneven surfaces. Overnight Santo Stefano (B, L)

Departing Santo Stefano this morning we travel to the village of Bominaco to visit today’s highlight, the magnificent 13th- century fresco cycle within what was once a Benedictine monastery. The original Abbey was founded by Charlemagne in the 8th century CE on the site of a former pagan temple and the current structure now combines graphic biblical narratives with astrological calendars and the phases of the moon. Lunch is enjoyed in a nearby restaurant before contining onwards to one of the prettiest towns in Abruzzo – Sulmona, the so called ‘City of Love’ and birthplace of the celebrated Roman poet Ovid. After time to fresh up in the hotel, we take an optional stroll through this elegant provincial capital. Overnight Sulmona (B, L)

We begin today with a guided tour of this fascinating town, which enjoys a dramatic setting nestled at the foot of the majestic Majella, including the the Church of San Panfilo, the medieval aqueduct and charming Piazza Garibaldi. We then make our way out to the remarkable Abbazia di Santo Spirito di Morrone, an abbey complex founded by followers of Abruzzo’s favourite Saint, 13th-century Pope Celestine V, and used during the war as a repository for British Prisoners of War. On return to Sulmona, we stop by Caldora Castle in the medieval village of Pacentro. This unusual castle dating from the 950s, with its three oversized towers, guards the foothills of Monte Morrone and offers beautiful views back across Majella National Park. Many noble families have once resided here, including the pope-producing Orsini clan. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Sulmona (B)

This morning we make our way to the ancient hilltop town of Alba Fucens. Settled as a Latin colony in 303 BCE, here we find some of the finest early Roman ruins in Italy. This once bustling town at the foot of Monte Velino was largely destroyed by marauding pirates in the Middle Ages, though despite its sack there are still spectacular ruins to be seen, including an amphitheatre, foundations of many private and public buildings, and the Church of San Pietro. We then continue to the peculiar medieval town of Cocullo, renowned for its spring snake festival and guild of snake charmers, and the picturesque village of Anversa degli Abruzzi, sitting on a spur overlooking Sagittario Gorge. Returning to Sulmona in the early afternoon, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Sulmona (B)

Departing the Abruzzo, we travel south to the Puglia region, pausing for lunch at a seaside town before heading on to our destination at Giovinazzo. This picturesque harbour town is renowned for its wonderful majestic square, maybe one of the most beautiful in Puglia, and is unique in Italy due to its particular trapezium shape. On arrival, we make our way to our hotel, housed in an impressive converted 13th-century monastery, spectacularly located on the seafront. We enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Old Town, followed by an evening at leisure. Overnight Giovinazzo (B, L)

This morning we make our way along Puglia’s Adriatic coast to the elegant seaside town of Trani. Here we enjoy a guided walking tour, exploring the harmonious limestone architecture, impressive Swabian fortress and majestic Norman cathedral built directly on the waterfront. Following free time for lunch we proceed to the neighbouring town of Barletta to view the Colossus, an enormous bronze statue of an Eastern Roman Emperor, nearly three times life size. Returning to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Giovinazzo (B)

Our coach tour today takes us first to the nearby town of Bitonto. Though often overlooked by visitors to the region, the history of Bitonto dates back to ancient times and the town flourished through the Middle Ages. Our guided walking tour here includes the fine Romanesque cathedral, the magnificent 14th-century Angevin circular tower and the elegant renaissance palazzi in the historic town centre. We then continue on to Castel del Monte, a remarkable octagonal fortress built by the medieval Emperor Frederick II and one of the most significant medieval buildings in southern Italy. The Castel was accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996 due largely to its unique blending of architectural elements from a variety of historical sources and the mathematical and astronomical precision of its layout. After a guided tour of this national monument, we enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before returning to our hotel. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Giovinazzo (B, L)

Departing Giovinazzo, we make our way to the town of Monopoli whose whitewashed houses contrast perfectly with turquoise waters lapping at the walls. In nearby Polignano a Mare, where the old town is sited dramatically directly on the cliff tops, we have free time for lunch before continuing on to our destination near Ostuni. In the evening we have a welcome dinner at our accommodation – a fortified estate known as a Masseria – surrounded by ancient olive groves with some trees over 2,000-years-old. Overnight Ostuni (B, D)

After a relaxed start this morning we take a guided tour through the maze of narrow alleyways in the Old Town of Ostuni, where the ubiquitous limewash used on the houses has led to its appellation The White Town. Here we admire Romanesque and Baroque buildings and view the striking remains of a 28,000-year-old paleolithic woman, ‘The Lady from Ostuni’. Afterwards the evening and night are at leisure – the perfect chance to unwind with a refreshing dip or a delicious aperitivo by the hotel pool. Overnight Ostuni (B)

Today begins with the a guided tour of beautiful Martina Franca, home to a lovely old town filled with whitewashed houses, resplendent Baroque architecture and picturesque lanes. We then continue to visit the eye-catching conical stone structures known as “trulli”, which have rightly become the most famous visual image of Puglia, before pausing to enjoy lunch in a traditional Trulli with dishes of the ancient Apulian traditions. Afterwards, we admire an amazing collection of local plants at a botanical garden before visiting one of Puglia’s prettiest towns, Locorotondo, where we spend the afternoon enjoying a stroll through the labyrinth of white- washed houses. On return to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Ostuni (B, L)

This morning we set out with a local guide to explore Lecce, the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno which is often described as the Florence of the south. There is a fine range of monuments to visit, including Roman ruins and the exuberant 16th and 17th-century architecture spread throughout the town. It is this for which Lecce is most notable; an expressive and highly decorative incarnation of the Southern Baroque genre replete with gargoyles, asparagus columns and cavorting gremlins. Following our tour, we lend our hand to the ancient art of papier-mâché production, a phenomenon mastered by the skilled craftsmen of Lecce, before returning to our accommodation in the afternoon. This evening we enjoy a demonstration of, and lesson in, the traditional “Pizzica- pizzica” dance, accompanied by finger food. Overnight Ostuni (B)

Departing Ostuni today, we travel to the region of Basilicata via the historic city of Taranto, founded in the 8th century BCE and once a major centre of Magna Graecia. Here we visit the National Archaeological Museum whose collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, including many found in the local area, is considered one of the most important in Italy. Our final destination today is Matera, where our accommodation is a unique and atmospheric rock-carved hotel whose therapeutic spa dates from Roman times. After time to check-in and relax, we meet for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Matera (B, D)

Today we enjoy a walking tour of Matera. This troglodyte city with its fascinating rupestrian churches has been inhabited since paleolithic times and was declared European capital of culture in 2019. Known as the “sassi” – the Italian word for stones – it is dramatically situated on the slopes of intersecting ravines whose naturally occurring caves were progressively expanded into living spaces through the centuries of classical and medieval times by the local population. These days the underground residences are being reinhabited and provide a range of interesting accommodation options. The afternoon and evening are at leisure, with optional visits to an underground heated spa if requested. Overnight Matera (B)

The continuous presence of human activity in the territory of Matera is not just limited to the famous Sassi but was also present in the surrounding valleys. Within one of these ravines lies the rupestrian Chapel of the Original Sin, famous for its beguilingly beautiful frescoes. Commissioned by Basilian monks in the 8th century CE, its narrative pictorial cycle features some of the oldest Christian paintings in existence. After the visit there we enjoy a wine-tasting before returning for free time in Matera for lunch. In the afternoon you may join an optional visit to the Carlo Levi museum. Levi was the author of the Italian classic ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’ which brought Matera to the world’s attention. We will conclude our tour with a farewell dinner in a local restaurant this evening. Overnight Matera (B, WT, D)

This morning we transfer by coach from Matera to Bari Airport, where the tour ends. (B)