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 Wojtyła 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 mountain range. Now given new life as home to an “albergo diffuso” designer 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 we meet for an introductory talk by Neil followed by a welcome dinner at the accommodation. 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 returning to Santo Stefano for a guided afternoon visit, followed by an evening at leisure. Overnight Santo Stefano (B, L)

Departing Santo Stefano this morning, our first stop is the ruins of Peltuinum, a fascinating Roman ghost town in a spectacular natural setting ringed by impressive mountains. We then travel to the nearby village of Bominaco to visit today’s highlight, the magnificent 13th-century fresco cycle in the Oratorium of a former 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 where you will be treated to a an impressive range of local recipes all made from fresh food grown in the neighbouring fields. We then continue onwards to one of the prettiest towns in the Abruzzo, Sulmona, the so called ‘City of Love’ and birthplace of the celebrated Roman poet Ovid. After time to freshen 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 in its dramatic setting nestled at the foot of the majestic Majella mountain range. Amongst the sites are the Church of San Panfilo, the medieval aqueduct and the central Piazza Garibaldi, scene of Sulmona’s celebrated Running Madonna Festival held every Easter. From there, we make our way out to the remarkable Abbazia di Santo Spirito di Morrone, an abbey complex founded by followers of the Abruzzo’s favourite Saint, the 13th-century Pope Celestine V, and used during WWII 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 11th century, 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 important Roman town of Alba Fucens. Settled as a Latin colony in 303 BCE, we find here some of the finest early Roman ruins in Italy. This once bustling metropolis at the foot of Monte Velino was largely destroyed by marauding Saracens in the 10th century, though much of the Roman infrastructure can still be seen including an amphitheatre, foundations of many private and public buildings, and the later Church of San Pietro. After a break for lunch, we return to Sulmona via the picturesque village of Anversa degli Abruzzi, perched high on a spur overlooking the Sagittario Gorge. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Sulmona (B)

Departing the Abruzzo, we travel south to the Puglia region, pausing for lunch at a seaside restaurant in one of the curious “Traboccho” structures that are a unique feature of this part of the Adriatic coast.  On arrival in Giovinazzo we make our way to our hotel, housed in a converted 13th-century monastery spectacularly located overlooking the seafront. The evening is at leisure to enjoy this charming coastal location. Overnight Giovinazzo (B, L)

Our morning begins with a guided walking tour of Giovinazzo, a town of ancient Greek origin set on the important Roman road the Via Traiana, now surrounded by sturdy medieval walls set around a pretty harbour. We conclude the tour in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, a large and unusual trapezoidal open space in the heart of the town with a wonderfully sculpted central fountain from the 1930’s. We then make our way along the coast to the elegant seaside town of Trani for another guided walking tour, exploring the harmonious limestone architecture and majestic Norman cathedral built directly on the waterfront, before returning to our hotel in Giovinazzo. 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 throughout 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 Giovinazzo. This evening Neil provides a talk in our hotel. Overnight Giovinazzo (B, L)

Departing Giovinazzo this morning, we first make our way to the picturesque coastal city of Monopoli whose whitewashed houses contrast perfectly with the turquoise waters lapping at the walls. After a guided visit, followed by free time for lunch, we then make our way to Alberobello, a town entirely formed of the extraordinary “trulli”, conical structures originally made using a dry-stone technique and dating from the 16th century which now dot the countryside in the Val d’Itria. In the later afternoon we continue on to our next lodging not far from Ostuni,  a fortified estate known as a Masseria surrounded by ancient olive groves, some of which are over 2,000-years-old. Dinner tonight is in the restaurant of the estate with a menu using local products and raw ingredients grown in their own garden. Overnight Ostuni (B, D)

After a relaxed start this morning we take a guided tour through the maze of narrow alleyways in the historic centre 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’. The evening is at leisure, providing the perfect chance to unwind with a refreshing dip or a delicious aperitivo by the hotel pool. Overnight Ostuni (B)

Today begins with a guided tour of beautiful and elegant Martina Franca, home to a lovely old town filled with whitewashed houses, resplendent Baroque architecture and picturesque lanes, before pausing to enjoy a lunch based on ancient Apulian traditions. Afterwards we visit one of Puglia’s prettiest towns, Locorotondo, whose name translated as “round place”  refers to the the historic centre being arranged in concentric circles. We spend the afternoon enjoying a stroll through this labyrinth of charming, well-maintained little streets, home to narrow white houses whose steeply pitched roofs, known as “Cummerse”, are peculiar to the centre of Locorotondo. On returning 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 neighbouring 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 is Matera, where our accommodation is another extraordinary “albergo diffuso”, occupying a series of caves now made into one of Italy’s most distinctive and impressive hotels. 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 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 later afternoon and evening are at leisure to enjoy this ancient city at your own pace. 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)