Apulia between land and sea

Apulia is a flat land without mountains or rivers, which vies for five hundred kilometres with the Apulia Sea. Here the strong light illuminates the wide open spaces and the immense stretches of sky. Apulia is an extraordinarily stony land with cathedrals and castles, which rise up from the villages, softening the gentle face of the region. The farms are also made of stone; some are humble, such as those belonging to the workers, others standing grim like fortresses express dignity from within. These stones are held together like calamites and when put together they become the dry-stone walls that run for thousands of kilometres along the country roads. These stones are also used in the construction of the wonderful “ trullos”, fabulous dwelling with conical shaped roofs, distributed ad if to resemble children playing ring-a-ring-a-roses; their conical shaped roofs suggesting the shape of a motherly breast. These small dwelling can be found within the charming area of the Itria Valley, home to gardens of age-old olives and rich red vine-yards. Apulia is also home to the lunar-like landscapes of the rocky Murgia. Under the Apulia soil lies an immense wealth of history of an ancient land: the silence of graveyards, the wonder of caves, the fearful crevices of the “dolina” ( natural caves) and the puloes ( deep swallow-holes) and the mystery of a long gone prehistoric civilisation.  The crystal clear blue Apulia sea surrounds a vast area of sand and rocks, with lighthouse and ports, little villages and boats, coastal watchtowers and view, saints and heroes all mingling with, scents and tastes, fear and adventure. Apulia is home to the Tremiti islands, known as a paradise on earth, this four sided Gargano region rises sharply from the water and boasts a never-ending whiteness of the Salinas of  Margherita di Savoia. One can also see the age-old tradition of spreading fishing nets out in the sun to dry and the fish markets that run right up to the city of Bari, the cliffs that fall steeply Polignano, golden Monopoli which visitors come to before reaching Salento in the sultry mist and the dizzy slope to Leuca; then beyond- nothing. Here a long ridge shows the meeting point between the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea, before visitors arrive at the eastern villages of Gallipoli, Porto Cesareo, Campomarino, and Castellaneta, where the warm winds blow and the sea laps at the edge of the beautiful pinewoods. This is the Apulia that welcomes the visitor, between the untamed drama of the waves and the solemn peace of the countryside, in the centre of the Mediterranean sea, the cradle of both religion and civilisation.