The Salento Heel of Italy

Extreme part of Puglia, overlooks two seas, the Ionian and Adriatic and includes the province of Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto. And 'the most to the east of Italy, namely the Cape of Otranto which is only 72 km from Albania. Land common to the landscape throughout the area with the interior almost completely cultivated with citrus and olive trees with large trunks and twisted bent by the wind. You will also find many plants of prickly pear india often along roadsides which grow spontaneously. The plots are divided by low walls made of dry as some typical low buildings similar to the trulli.

The sea has incredible colors, Both sandy and rocky bottom. It 'easy to have shades of dark blue, green, blue in a degradation to the coast. Some places are coastal holiday Torre Dell'Orso, San Foca, Otranto, Santa Maria di Leuca, Gallipoli, Taranto, Santa Cesarea, pulsing, and St. Andrew's Tower, and is characterized simply beaches and sea, these places are renowned for their natural beauty and not for fun but for leisure services and and nature.


If you do not want to do only you can devote to life at sea cultural visits thanks to numerous of ancient history and of different origins. Before the land of the Greeks, Taranto was the capital of Magna GraeciaAnd then became a Roman and find many tracks as the theater and amphitheater in Lecce, Taranto and Brindisi to the columns.

Then came the Saracens and again the Romans. In 1330 the Angevins and the end of the fifteenth century the Turks who came back often, are of this period all fortified buildings, the towers and walls of defense as the ancient fort of Otranto, and then give way to the Spanish and the Bourbons. In this area the 'Baroque art has probably reached its highest level as in the city of Lecce, which is one of the most famous examples of the baroque city in Italy. Buildings with facades carved entirely thanks to the use of local stone very malleable. An example is the Basilica of Santa Croce, Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza San Fred and most of its buildings in the historic center.

Other city rich in architectural monuments is interesting Jerseys interior to 30 km from Lecce: the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Cathedral and its bell tower, the Church of the, the Baron's Palace and the Palace Garcia, Villa Park and his Tamborino. It 'also a very active town for cultural events and annual food and wine.


In Salento there is a food culture of considerable importance, starting from olive oil and wines like Negroamaro and Primitivo di Manduria. The dishes are based on local produce such as artichokes (try the risotto with artichokes), the tomato that is used to dress with the olive oil and salt Frise (or friselle), the species of bread biscuit donuts that are wet with water and then seasoned.

Find and very simple dishes made with vegetables such as Pitta (A kind of pizza with potatoes, onions and tomatoes) and Ciceri e tria, which are homemade noodles that are served with fried pieces of the same stuff made with chickpeas.

On the coast the fish at will by eating raw or cooked, with pasta or cooked and seasoned just always so simple. The pastry is also used to discover and almonds very typical of the area. If you're taste in Lecce Pasticciotti (They are typical of the city, they hardly find elsewhere), the boats of pastry filled with cream.

As you can see is an area with nothing to envy to other places, if you have not yet chosen the destination of your holiday, an idea can be very valuable.