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]]># 1 Enjoy the night of San Lorenzo
During the summer evenings it is fabulous to roll your eyes to admire the stars and constellations that cover the sky and it is even more impressive to admire it on August 10th, when the “lacrime San Lorenzo” (tears of San Lorenzo), or Perseid meteors, illuminate the sky.
A magical night, where you can lose yourself in the infinite expanse that is the night sky, in which the desires of each person can become reality!
To admire the stars in the best way, it is necessary to find a place where there are not many lights so if you are a sweet couple looking for tenderness and romantic astral landscapes, we suggest you to spend a quiet and scented countryside weekend of August 10th in Valle d’Itria. We recommend the area of the Canale di Pirro, a natural valley of karstic origin between the municipalities of Putignano, Castellana Grotte, Alberobello, Monopoli, Fasano and Locorotondo. Here you will feel immersed in nature and surrounded by the starry sky, ideal for spending a night with your head up.
# 2 Savor the tastes of this land: the Ceglie Food Festival in Ceglie Messapica
Hands up if you are thinking of Puglia and cannot help but fantasize about food and delicious dishes! If you recognize yourself in this definition you cannot miss the Ceglie Food Festival which is held in Ceglie Messapica from 8th to 11th August.
The Ceglie Food Festival, now in its eleventh edition, has now become a landmark event for Italian and foreign gourmets and is one of the most important food and wine events in Puglia. During the Festival, there are many events, including in-depth meetings, such as conferences and debates, but above all, what we recommend you to wander around the historic centre of this beautiful village where you will find dozens of food stands able to tickle your palate! Don’t let your taste buds lose this experience!
# 3 Discover the traditions: Locorotondo and its San Rocco fireworks festival
The week of August in Locorotondo is tinged with tradition and emotion, in this period falls the patron saint’s day dedicated to San Rocco! The centrepiece of the event is the spectacular pyrotechnic competition held on the evening of August 16th and which attracts people from all over Puglia. The fireworks light up the entire Valle d’Itria, so the best places to watch the show is on Via Nardelli, known by all as the seafront, and Via Einaudi. Thousands flock to admire the competition for this we advise you to get your location around 23 / 23.30 and not to abandon it until the end of the show.
Shortly after midnight, the first firework starts the competition, so everyone with their head raised to watch a unique show where three master stokers challenge each other with pyrotechnic effects. But if you want to feel like real locorotondesi then you should not miss the “Diana”, a sweet and short musical composition that is played, by a group of musicians, in the night between 15th and 16th August until the first light of dawn in the old city (and not only), and that starts off Patronal Festival.
# 4 Landscapes to taste: cycle excursion in the coastal dune park with olive oil tasting
If for you the holiday is also for adventure, here is a proposal to spend an evening dedicated to sport and nature. Every Monday in August, the Serapia Cooperative organizes an excursion cycle inside the Parco delle Dune Costiere. The route, of about 20 km, follows the route of the ancient Via Traiana – the Roman road that connected Rome to Brindisi – thus allowing you to make a real journey through time, up to prehistory. In fact, along the route you will also encounter the Dolmen of Montalbano (Fasano) dating back most likely to the early Bronze Age, around 2000-1500 BC.
The path that winds through majestic ancient olive trees will lead you to the Masseria Li Santuri, where you can visit an ancient underground oil mill. Then you will pedal up to the Masseria Narducci farmhouse, where a tasting of Puglia’s gold, extra virgin olive oil, will await you.
# 5 Experiences in Valle d’Itria: the fig tree married at the Pomona Botanical Conservatory
If you like to immerse yourself in the local culture and traditions when you travel, meet local people and share moments with other travellers, we have the right experience for you.
Puglia is not only a land rich in art and folklore, but also unique and natural in flavours, and figs certainly represent a symbolic product of the region.
Immersed in the welcoming landscape of the “I giardini di Pomona” botanical conservatory, you can learn one of the sweetest recipes of our tradition: the “maritato fig”. This dessert was offered in the past during weddings and is prepared with open figs, dried in the August sun, overlapped on each other with an almond in the middle.
The day will begin with a walk in the ficheto where you can taste and pick the figs directly from the trees, choosing from the hundreds of varieties those most suitable for drying. Then you will prepare the sweet figs with toasted almonds and lemon zest following the traditional ways.
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]]># 1 Enjoy the sunset while sipping an aperitif
The magnificent views of Puglia acquire a special magic at sunset. The sun that falls on the surrounding fields or on the sea gives this land, with its thousand beauties, special colours to photograph absolutely, and thus immortalize your holiday in Valle d’Itria. Here are two tips where you can admire a breathtaking view, perhaps sipping a glass of iced cold white wine, even better if a Verdeca or a bianco d’Alessano, from our local vines!
The first tip is for lovers of glamorous happy hour. If you recognize yourself in this definition you cannot miss the seafront of Locorotondo, from which you can enjoy not the sea but a spectacular view able to embrace the whole Valle d’Itria: in front of you Cisternino and Martina Franca, farms, trulli and expanses of olive trees! Along the seafront of Locorotondo you will find many cafés where you can enjoy a good aperitif outdoors and enjoy an exceptional sunset. The second tip is aimed at those who love nature and prefer slightly more rigorous situations. If you recognize yourself then we advise you to reach the Belvedere of Caranna, in the mountains of Cisternino, for a do it yourself aperitif in a magical and peaceful place from which to admire the plain of the olive trees. Since there are no locals you will have to equip yourself before arriving on the spot, you just need to go to any grocery store to pack in less than an Apulian aperitif: you could for example buy taralli, olives, tomatoes in oil, focaccia, capocollo (cured meat), and of course a good bottle of local wine!
# 2 Dancing on the beach
The Valle d’Itria is now a landmark for music and festivals, in fact there are many events that liven up the summer nightlife and which we have already discussed in this article. But in Valle d’Itria music, dancing and fun times are also on the beach! We point out two very interesting beaches that are found along the Ostuni coast line: Lido Bosco Verde and Lido Lullabay.
Lido Bosco Verde is a well-equipped beach resort located within the Parco delle Dune Costiere, which at night turns into a splendid open-air disco. They dance until dawn to the rhythms and sounds of the moment. Ideal for those seeking non-discounted music, the atmosphere is engaging and fun times are guaranteed!
Lullabay is an unconventional venue, a colourful garden a few steps from the sea set up in a hippy style: vintage vans, hammocks and caravans, creating a colourful and relaxing environment, where you can enjoy a cocktail after a day spent in beach, listening to the rhythm of music.
Both shores can be reached by following the Strada Statale 379 of Egnazia and the Terme di Torre Canne and then Via Appia Antica.
# 3 Diving into the Adriatic
Summer means sea and sea can only mean diving! If you are an adventure lover we recommend the stretch of coast that from Savelletri heads towards Monopoli. Here the rocky coast line is not very high, but the small fishing village stands at the center of a rocky coastal stretch where you can find soft sandy open coves. Venture along the coast to discover unexpected views! If you continue along the coast, without even noticing you will find yourself in Monopoli, here we advise you to dive in Porto Ghiacciolo, at the foot of the ancient abbey of Santo Stefano. A wonderful place where the water is always cold, but not the most relaxing because it is often taken by young people!
# 4 Photographing hay bales
In this period of the year the fields are filled with huge and perfect bales of hay, which, gracefully laid down, express the creative flair of our farmers. The perfect arrangement of the bales makes it impossible not to think of being in front of a painting, so why not be protagonists of such a painting? Here are some tips on how to take a picture on hay bales.
First of all, the time of the day, choose the late afternoon, perhaps after a day spent at the seaside, to avoid taking a heat stroke. So along in Valle d’Itria most fields have bales, we recommend you to go in the countryside of Alberobello, in the border area with Putignano or in the plain of olive trees between Cisternino and Torre Canne: you will find many fields and we are sure even the perfect bale. Remember, the bales are really big and it won’t be easy to climb, so if you can’t bring a ladder, at least get someone to come to help you climb! Finally, if you don’t want to risk making yourself immortal in a grimace of pain while the hay scratches your legs, don’t forget to bring with you a soft cloth to rest on the bale!
# 5 Attending the Valle d’Itria Festival
If you are in Valle d’Itria in July you cannot miss the longest running event: the Festival della Valle d’Itria of Martina Franca. Now in its 44th edition, the Festival, started in 1975 on the initiative of a group of enthusiasts, is characterized by a revaluation path of the Italian belcantista repertoire presented by Italian and foreign authors. The 2019 edition starts on 16th July with the opera “Il matrimonio segreto” (the wedding secret), a playful drama by Domenico Cimarosa, considered one of the admirable examples of the 18th century Neapolitan School. On July 19th, “Coscoletto”, Jacques Offenbach’s operetta, takes a stage in a purely Neapolitan setting with sentimental events between the naive and the mischievous. July 30th is the turn of “Ecuba”, tragedy for music in three acts by Nicola Antonio Manfroce, where the protagonist is the mythological queen of Troy, mother of the hero Ettore killed by Achilles.
For all three operas will start at 9 pm at the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca.
Finally, we point out to consider Opera in the Masseria which sees the staging of L’ammalato immaginario | La vedova ingegnosa” (The Imaginary l The ingenious widow), on July 25th at Masseria Palesi (Martina Franca) and on July 27th at Masseria Casina Vitale (Ceglie Messapica).
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