Things to do in

Taranto

Get to know one of the most interesting towns in Magna Graecia as well as one of the most important town in Italy thanks to the Navy which has the maritime arsenal, its monuments, and the MarTa Archaeological Museum. The guided tour starts from Piazza Castello square, the center of the major monuments of interest. Visit the ruins of the Doric Temple of Poseidon dating back to the 6th century with 2 Doric columns that bear witness to the ancient Magno-Greek temple. Continue with a visit to the Aragonese castle of which the first tower was built by the Byzantines in the 11th-century. Cross the revolving bridge, a symbol of Taranto which connects the island of Borgo Antico with the peninsula of Borgo Nuovo. About 90 meters long, it was inaugurated in 1887 and overlooks a large navigable canal that unites the 2 seas: the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo. Conclude the tour with a visit to the Cathedral of San Cataldo, probably the oldest in Puglia, built by the Byzantines in the latter half of the 10th century, although remodeled with a Baroque façade in the mid-1700s.

Meet your tour guide and begin your exploration of the magnificent collections in the National MarTa Archaeological Museum of Taranto. The exhibits are arranged according to the type of materials with vast rooms of marble sculptures, monumental tombs, soft stone sculptures, pottery of the necropolis, and gold artifacts. Begin the guided tour in the rooms dedicated to marble sculptures dating back to the Hellenistic age. Then continue to the room containing sculptures, mosaics, and epigraphs from public and private buildings. Marvel at the Carparo stone heads dating back to the Roman period. Following this, explore the pottery exhibit featuring works from The Necropolis, pink clay vases with black figures, with illustrations of characters and scenes from mythology and athletics.  The highlight of the museum is the so-called Ori of Taranto (Golds of Taranto) room which holds a fantastic collection of objects of extraordinary craftsmanship from Greece. See the diadem and silver case of Princess Opaka Sabaleidas of Canosa town. Finish the tour with an exhibit dedicated to the mosaics of the baths and villas of the Roman patricians, terracotta tools and the numismatic collection.

The guided tour of Grottaglie will develop in the historical center going to visit the church of the 14th century and the heart of its activity - the ceramic museum and the ceramics district. The Museum of Ceramics is kept inside the 14th century Episcopio Castle. The original nucleus, with a kept and eastern sector, was later enlarged and remodeled with a facade from the Baroque period. The central tower, with a rectangular plan, stands on three floors. The museum is divided into sections dedicated to archeology, traditional ceramics, contemporary ceramics, majolica and finally nativity. Inside, you will be able to see many ancient and modern ceramic artifacts. After the castle museum, you will visit the nearby ceramics district, where pottery is still produced today, the most important place in Puglia. Along the ravine of San Giorgio, a district of expert ceramists has formed with laboratories and kilns in the rock used in the past as mills.

Martina Franca is one of the most important towns in the Itria Valley. It is famous for its festivals and multiple buildings in the Baroque and Rococo style. The tour starts from Piazza XX Settembre and Gate Santo Stefano then heads to Piazza Roma, where you will visit the fountain of the dolphins. See Palazzo Ducale with its 18th-century frescoes and stately rooms. Walk through the alleys of the old town and arrive in Piazza del Plebiscito. Here, you will visit the basilica dedicated to St. Martin, an exceptional example of Baroque architecture. The tour ends with a visit to the Immaculate Square, the Chapel of St. Nicholas of the Greeks, and finally the Church of San Domenico.