Itria Valley

It seems almost unbelievable that so many of the South's beauties could really be gathered in one place. It is no coincidence that this is one of the most visited areas in all of Italy... by travelers from around the world.

The area in question is best known as the Itria Valley. The name refers first of all to a karst basin surrounded by towns of rare beauty. This land of Mediterranean scrub and limestone rock lies between three towns: Locorotondo (BA), Martina Franca (TA) and Cisternino (BR). To a lesser extent it also takes in the towns of Alberobello (BA), Ostuni (BR), Ceglie Messapica (BR) and Fasano (BR).

So this area spans three different provinces of Apulia, Taranto, Bari and Brindisi, and holds everything Apulia has to offer. The whole Itria Valley also coincides with the southern part of the Murge plateau, which is what gives the land its hilly character.

The name Itria Valley comes from an image of the Madonna Odegitria (Hodegetria) found right here, a term that literally means “she who shows the way.” The cult of the Madonna Odegitria was brought by the Byzantines in the 10th century, but the history of this land goes back as far as the 2nd millennium BC. Greeks, Messapians, Romans and many other peoples passed through here.

The Itria Valley's thousands of years of history have shaped the three main features of this enchanting area.

The first feature is the “trulli” (the valley is in fact also known as the “Valley of the Trulli”). The trulli are the famous cone-shaped stone houses, with a domed roof made of stones called “chiancarelle.” They were built dry, without mortar. The greatest concentration of trulli is in Alberobello, but all the other parts of the Itria Valley have plenty of them too, especially in the countryside.

The second feature is the masserie, the fortified farmhouses. They are everywhere in the Itria Valley, set in the Mediterranean scrub among olive groves (which yield excellent extra virgin olive oils), vineyards (which yield, among others, Martina Franca DOC and Locorotondo DOC) and natural areas, such as the Bosco delle Pianelle nature reserve, in the countryside of Martina Franca.

In these rustic farm stays you can taste the main products of Apulian cuisine. Besides the oils and wines, there is a rich production of fresh cheeses (such as cacioricotta) and cured meats (among them the capocollo of Martina Franca, called the prince of the Itria Valley).

Then there are taralli and “frise,” fresh pasta such as “orecchiette,” sweets and meats. The bombette of Cisternino and the tripe rolls of Locorotondo are famous. The masserie and the surrounding countryside are enclosed by the typical dry-stone walls, built with local stone.

The third feature is the historic centers of all the towns in the valley. The old towns of Cisternino and Locorotondo have been named among the most beautiful villages in Italy. They are known for their narrow, maze-like lanes, their typical “chianche” paving and their whitewashed houses.

There are also three main towns that enclose the Itria Valley.

The first is Martina Franca, in the province of Taranto. Halfway between the Ionian and the Adriatic, it is the highest, the largest and the most populous of the three. Its wildlife is very rich, and the best-known breeds are the Murgese horse and the Martina Franca donkey.

Considered “the elegant drawing room of the Itria Valley,” it is the historic center that takes the spotlight, with its “barocchetto” style. The patron saint is, of course, Saint Martin, celebrated with processions and other events in July and November. Legend has it that Saint Martin, followed by a troop of knights, came to the town and freed it from the mercenaries who controlled it.

The second town is Locorotondo, in the province of Bari. Its name comes from the unusual circular shape of its historic center, which rises up to overlook the valley around it. The houses have at most two floors and gabled roofs called “cummerse.”

According to legend, the town was enlarged after a miracle by Saint George. Since then Saint George the Martyr has been the town's patron saint, celebrated between April 21 and 24. The other patron saint is Saint Roch, who is said to have freed the town from the plague. The fireworks contest on August 16 is famous, one of the best known in southern Italy.

The third town is Cisternino, in the province of Brindisi. Its name comes from that of a hero, “Sturnoi,” a companion of Diomedes, who after the Trojan War also helped found Ostuni. Cisternino is in fact called “Cis-sturnium,” “beyond Ostuni.” Once again it is a small village, with narrow lanes, arches, churches and houses that seem almost “piled” on top of one another.

The town was originally built for defense, as shown by the surviving towers of its old walls: the Torre Grande and the Angevin Towers. The most important event takes place in the first days of August: the feast of the patron saints Quiricus and Julitta. And don't forget the many sagre, the food festivals that immerse us in all the flavors of the magnificent South.

But the Itria Valley hosts other events too, attended by a great many Apulians and even more visitors. The many festivals are not to be missed. First of all the Valle d'Itria Festival, a festival of opera and theater. Then the Festival dei Sensi and La Ghironda, a traveling tour of street artists and more, an event that has brought artists such as Vinicio Capossela and Goran Bregović to the Itria Valley.

The Itria Valley offers its visitors everything they could wish for: good food, contact with lush, evergreen nature, spectacular villages, plenty of culture and plenty of emotion.