Puglia to Pompeii - Classical Southern Italy
Academy Travel
Thursday, 23 October - Friday, 7 November 2025
Thursday, 23 October
Our tour begins
We commenced our tour at Rome Fiumicino Airport, where we met our expert Tour Leader, Dr Estelle Lazer, Tour Manager, Ilaria Gentiluomo, and our convivial group of fellow travellers. From there, we flew for just over an hour to Brindisi.
Arriving in Brindisi, we travelled by coach to our hotel in Lecce and had dinner at a local restaurant.
Lecce
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| Our accom - Patria Palace Hotel |
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| Basilica di Santa Croce opp our hotel |
this artistic flair in the hotel lobby and dining room caught my eye
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The hotel's very Art Deco interior
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Our room with a view
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close up - below - to the right - grotty? No, charming, I expect a gladiator to come around the corner ...
Friday, 24 October
Lecce
This morning, Estelle gave a talk and showed us slides. We then set out on a walking tour of Lecce.
A walk through Lecce
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| Geoff is preparing to take a movie |
Anfiteatro Romano
Dating back to the 2nd C CE, and the time of Emperor Hadrian's rule, it was not discovered until 1901.
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As with all the other excavation sites in Italy, having modern dwellings built on top seems quite incongruous.
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Another of the narrow passageways
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Saturday, 25 October
Today, we leave at 9 am to take a full-day coach excursion of the Salentine Peninsula.
Harbourtown of Otranto
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| Otranto |
Castello Aragonese
The earliest fortifications on this castle's site are likely to date back to the Roman era. The site is strategically positioned to guard the harbour of Otranto, a crucial link between the East and West.
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| Castello Aragonese |
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Otranto, like much of Southern Italy, came under Byzantine rule. The Byzantines, recognising the city's strategic importance, further strengthened the existing fortifications, laying the groundwork for the castle that stands today. These early defences consisted of simple walls and towers, forming the nucleus of the later, more elaborate structure.
In the 11th century, the Normans conquered Southern Italy, wresting control from the Byzantines. Under Norman rule, Otranto experienced a period of growth and prosperity, becoming a significant port for trade and cultural exchange. Known for their military prowess and architectural achievements, they undertook substantial expansions of the existing Byzantine fortifications, adding a moat, rampart, and cylindrical towers, characteristic of Norman military architecture.
This significantly enhanced the castle’s defensive capabilities, transforming it into a formidable stronghold.
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In 1480, the Ottoman Empire, at the height of its power, launched a massive invasion of Otranto. The city, and the Castello, despite its fortifications, was ill-prepared for the scale of the Ottoman assault. The Ottomans captured Otranto in one of the most brutal episodes in the city’s history.
After the Ottoman conquest, Otranto remained under Ottoman rule for a year before being recaptured by Aragonese forces in 1481. The recapture of Otranto marked the beginning of a new chapter for the city and its castle. The Aragonese, recognising the importance of securing Otranto against future threats, undertook a major reconstruction of the castle.
The medieval structure was reinforced and adapted to the evolving nature of warfare, incorporating features like angled bastions and artillery platforms designed to withstand cannon fire. These additions, while serving a practical military purpose, also significantly altered the castle’s appearance, giving it the distinctive profile we see today.
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Over the following centuries, the Castello Aragonese continued to play a vital role in the defence of Otranto, witnessing periods of peace and conflict.
Today, the Castello Aragonese, has been transformed into a cultural hub, hosting exhibitions, events, and offering visitors a glimpse into its captivating past.
Cattedrale di Otranto
The cathedral is built on the remains of a Mesapian
village, a Roman domus and an early Christian temple. It was founded in 1068 by
the Norman bishop William. Like Castello Aragonese and other structures we were to visit, it is a synthesis of different architectural styles,
including Byzantine, early Christian, and Romanesque elements. It was consecrated on 1 August 1088, during the papacy of
Urban II.
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| The Tree of Life floor mosaic |
The floor mosaic was made between 1163 and 1165. Composed of approximately 600,000 limestone tesserae, it covers nearly the entire floor of the Cathedral.
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The mosaic depicts the branches of Good and Evil; according to most scholars, it is often interpreted as the tree of life. Around the tree, a multitude of scenes are depicted. They are taken from the Old Testament and other sources.
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The abundance of elements represented, which include numerous symbols from different cultures, is further evidence that Otranto's geographical position has favoured exchanges and encounters between cultures and peoples, between the West and the East.
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On 11 August 1480, a terrible carnage occurred when the Turks conquered the city, exterminating the 800 civilians and the clergy, who had taken refuge. It was transformed into a stable and then into a mosque.
All frescos, except those depicting the Madonna, dating back to the 13th C, were destroyed.
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| another staircase |
In 1481, after the liberation of Otranto by the troops of Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, it was remodelled and the façade built.
Between 1680 and 1690, the bishop Francesco Maria De Aste
had the cathedral completely decorated in Baroque style. Further interventions were carried out between the 18th
and 19th centuries and the 1920s.
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| Otranto harbour |
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| streets of Otranto |
We say goodbye to Otranto.
Galatina
Santa Caterina D'Alessandria
One of the most notable Gothic monuments in Puglia is Santa Caterina D'Alessandria in the historic centre of Galatina.
The building was constructed on a pre-existing Byzantine church of Greek rite dating back to the 9th-10th C, traces of which are visible on the external wall of the right nave into which the apse was incorporated.
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| Cloister of Santa Caterina D'Alessandria |
The entire interior is covered in amazing, colourful frescos. Walls, pillars, arches and vaults are decorated with wall paintings commissioned during the first half of the 15th C.
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| mean or friendly? |
Sunday, 26 October
Today we depart at 9 am by coach to Matera via Brindisi and Taranto.
Brindisi
The city has historically played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. It is still a major port for trade with the Balkan Peninsula, Greece and the Middle East. Local industries include agriculture, chemical works, and electricity generation.
Interesting snippet: from September 1943 to February 1944, Brindisi was the provisional seat of the Kingdom of Italy, making it one of five capitals in Italy's history.
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| Brindisi |
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| Brindisi |
Taranto
Doric columns from the Temple of Poseidon
From its origins as a Spartan colony in Magna Graecia (historical Greek-speaking area of Southern Italy) to a powerful maritime republic and later a seat of princely and imperial power, Taranto has also been shaped by diverse civilisations, including Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, and the Bourbons.
National Archaeological Museum
An amazingly stunning collection of Apulian Greek-Roman precious artifacts is housed in this museum. Rooms are dedicated to marble sculptures, mosaics, and epigraphs dating back to the Hellenistic age.
Pottery features pink and black clay vases with characters and scenes from mythology and athletics.
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| stone head from the Roman period |
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| late 4th C BCE |
female (lt), group with Eros and Psyche (rt), couple on a kline (bed) (ctr)
 vase of female late 4th C BCE |
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| Roman pottery, 3rd-2nd C BCE |
The highlight is the Ori of Taranto (golds of Taranto) room, which holds a fantastic collection of objects of extraordinary craftsmanship from Greece.
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| boat-shaped earring |
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| moulded gold leaf oak leaves, 4th-2nd BCE |
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| stunningly worked |
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| courtyard of the museum |
We arrived in Matera, for me, a place whose incredible landscape oozes an air of eternity out of its stones.
Matera has a continuous occupation dating back to prehistory (8000 BCE), making it the third-oldest city in Europe. It is renowned for its rock-cut urban core, whose twin cliffside zones are known as the Sassi. It lies on the right bank of the Gravina river, whose canyon forms a geological boundary between the hill country of Basilicata (historic Lucania) to the southwest and the Murgia plateau of Apulia to the northeast.
We entered Sextantio Grotto, our home for the next few days.
Breakfast room
Our cave dwelling for the next few days, Freddi and Wilma Flintstone, eat your heart out...
romantic candle light
Bathroom with all the comforts, including a cave bidet ...
...no, there's a proper one
our courtyard
Monday, 27 October
We met our local guide and commenced a walking tour of the Sassi of Matera.
The city began as a complex of cave habitations excavated in the softer limestone on the gorge's western Lucanian face. It took advantage of two streams that flow into the ravine, reducing the cliff's angle of descent and leaving a narrow, defensible promontory between the streams.
The central high ground, or acropolis, supporting the city's cathedral and administrative buildings, came to be known as Civity, while the settlement districts, scaling down and burrowing into the sheer rock faces, became known as the Sassi.
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Sculpture of a tree by Italian artist Andrea Roggi
narrow promontory between the stream
frescos in one of Matera's cave churches
Matera street scenes
street art
courtyard à la Matera
This ancient Casa Grotta shows the living arrangements of a typical Matera peasant family until the 1960s, when these caves were abandoned. Some, such as ours, were recently converted into luxury abodes.
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| how small can you go? |
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| staircase |
Tuesday, 28 October
We leave the magical Matera for Trani via Alberobello.
Arrivederci Matera ...
Alberobello
Alberobello is famous for its unique trulli, which have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
The first occupation of the area started only in the 16th century, at the initiative of the regional Count. He allowed about 40 peasant families to settle and cultivate the land, with an obligation to give him a tenth of their crops.
In 1635, his successor began the urbanisation of the forest by building a few small houses. The expansion of the urban area was helped, first, by the abundance of calcareous limestone from the surrounding karst landscape, and second, by the Count's requirement to build houses only with dry stone walls, without mortar, which would give rise to the peculiar trulli.
This obligation to have houses built only of drystone with a removable keystone in the middle was an expedient of the Count to avoid paying taxes to the Spanish Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples. When the tax inspectors arrived, the farmers pulled out the keystones, causing the building to collapse, thus avoiding paying tax.
Alberobello is the only inhabited centre with an entire district of trulli and is considered the cultural capital of the Itria Valley.
Trani
Approaching our Hotel San Paolo al Convento
View out of our window.
Wednesday, 29 October
Trani
Sunrise
We meet our local guide and commence a walking tour of Trani.
Under Byzantine rule, the town was already a fortified centre and episcopal seat. With the arrival of the Normans, it enjoyed greater commercial autonomy and became a point of embarkation for the Holy Land.
Trani is proud of its significant medieval maritime statutes, the Ordinamenta Maris, drawn up in 1063 by the order of Pietro di Trani, which is still considered one of the oldest naval codes at the basis of Italian maritime law.
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| musical renditions always |
Thursday, 30 October
Today we do a full-day coach excursion to Barletta, Cannae, and Castle del Monte.
Cattedrale di Barletta
The castle of Barletta
The castle of Barletta is the architectural result of various stratifications due to the succession of different dynasties in power, which succeeded one another from the 11th C to the 18th C.
Once a fortress for defensive purposes, surrounded by the sea, with the moat encircling the castle and isolating it from potential enemy attacks, it constituted a strategic point in the life of the city as well as an essential urban cornerstone.
Travelling around this region, you inevitably hear about this Renaissance man - Frederick II.
Presumed bust of Frederick II in limestone, dating back to the 13th C.
Today, Barletta Castle is home to the municipal library, the civic museum and a conference and exhibition hall.
We left the Castle for our visit to Cannae.
Cannae - archaeological Park
The site of the Battle of Cannae, where the Roman Republic and Carthage fought on 2 August 216 BCE, is near the ancient village of Cannae. The Carthaginians and their allies, led by Hannibal, surrounded and practically annihilated a larger Roman and Italian army. It is regarded as one of the most extraordinary tactical feats in military history and one of the worst defeats in Roman history. It cemented Hannibal's reputation as one of antiquity's greatest tacticians.
ongoing excavations for the medieval citadel
Head of Medusa in the Museum
Castel del Monte
Castel del Monte is a citadel and castle built during the 1240s by King Frederick II, who inherited the lands from his mother, Constance of Sicily. The castle is famous for its bold octagonal plan and classicising architectural details.
Having heard so much about Frederick II, I want to talk about this remarkable man. Frederick was the second of Emperor Henry VI of the Hohenstaufen dynasty (second son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa) and Queen Constance I of Sicily and the Hauteville dynasty. He was born on 23 November 1220 and lived until 13 December 1250. He was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusalem from 1225.
Contemporary portrait of Frederick II from the 'Manfred Manuscript'
Frederick was one of the most brilliant and influential figures of the Middle Ages and ruled a vast area, beginning with Sicily and extending through Italy to Germany.
For his many-sided activities, dynamic personality and talents, Frederick II has been called the greatest of all German emperors, perhaps even of all medieval rulers. He built upon the work of his Norman predecessors and forged an early absolutist state bound together by an efficient secular bureaucracy. He was known to his contemporaries as Stupor mundi for his incredible accomplishments, enjoying a reputation as a Renaissance man and polymath, a visionary stateman, an inspiring naturalist, scholar, mathematician, architect, poet and composer. Not only that, but he also spoke six languages.
As an avid patron of science and the arts, Frederick II played a significant role in promoting literature and poetry. He was also the first monarch to formally outlaw trial by ordeal.
Frederick II's complex political and cultural legacy has continued to attract fierce debate and fascination to this day.
View through the window
So many arches and not forgetting comfort...
...Fireplace
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In Medieval times, when the fireplace was lit, condensation formed on the marble walls, dripped into the groove at the base of the wall, then over the steps into a hole in the ground, from which the water was collected. |
exceuted with great skill and foresight
and not forgetting the plumbing, as in the toilet
One last look out of this unforgettable castle
Goodbye, Castle del Monte
In 1996, Castle del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which describes it as 'a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture'.
Friday, 31 October
Today, we visit Bari and continue to Bitonto.
Bari
from octagonal to pointed -
Castello Normanno-Svevo
This Norman-Swabian castle has stood on the edge of the old city of Bari since 1131. Its imposing fortress walls are armed with large bastions, and surrounded on three of its four sides by a deep moat. The castle is encircled by the picturesque gardens of Isabel of Aragon.
from pointed to rounded -
Cattedrale di Bari
Cattedrale di Bari
Bari street atmosphere
being in control...they think
Cattedrale San Nicola
Bari seaside
arches and underground walkways
Bitonto
Angioina Tower
The Angioina Tower of Bitono is the only remnant of the castle built by the Angioina dynasty in the 13th century. The tower represented a strategic point both militarily and economically. It primarily served a defensive function and was part of the fortification system surrounding the city. It was also a symbol of Angioin power, built to assert the king's presence and control over the territory.
Duomo di Bitonto
This early Christian basilica has been used continuously until the 7th-11th centuries.
The floor mosaic depicts a mythic monster whose double nature stands out (a bird's head and wings and a feline body), symbolising, in Christian art, the double nature - divine and human.
early grave Basilica pilar of early Christian Ages
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early Christian mosaic of the 5th-6th CE
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Vernosa, another historic town, is known for its Roman ruins in the Parco Archeologico, a medieval abbey, and its connection to the poet Horace.
Parco Archeologico
The public baths complex, only partially excavated, consists of a series of rooms arranged along an axial plan, as was typical during the early imperial period. The current layout is the result of a complete restoration in the 2nd century.
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| floor mosaic |
The frigidarium, the cold room for cold baths, has a pool with a semi-circular exedra and a rich mosaic floor, dating back to the late 3rd-4th century.
The tepidarium (heated room), the laconicum (dry-sweating room), and the caldarium are still visible. These rooms still retain portions of their suspensurae, the floors suspended on brick stacks or pillars (pilae) that enabled the circulation of hot air generated in the praeafurnia (furnace).
Abbey of Santissima Trinità
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| staircase |
the old Church
The construction date of the old monastery is unknown, but some elements may date from the 8th century.
interior of the old monastery
remnants of floor layers from different centuries
Melfi
End of 7th - 5th BCE - the Melfese area
In ancient times, the Melfese area was a meeting place between the Italic population of the central-southern Apennines and populations of the Adriatic lowland, fostered by its accessibility to all crossroads along fluvial valleys. This was an essential strategic area: internal paths meet here. Through the Ofanto-Sele axis, they join the Melfese on the west with Campania and the Dauna coast to the east, in the current Apulia. Through the Bradano river valley, the Ionic coast is within reach.
The centrality of Melfese in the communication system among the different regions of Southern Italy, along with the fertility of the fields and the availability of water, encouraged the settlement of the Italic population on hills since protohistoric times.
By the end of the 7th century BCE, the population in this area had increased, and new types of settlements were defined. The inhabitants scattered shanties along the land for agriculture.
