40 minutes from Trullo della Pace
Martina Franca is one of the most important towns located on the southern Murgia plateau, between the provinces of Bari and Taranto.
It was also a Messapian city, and still preserves important relics from its glorious past and the Baroque-style buildings that constitute its spearhead.
The monumental symbol of Martina Franca is its beautiful Basilica of San Martino, located in Piazza Plebiscito and the starting point for discovering this wonderful town located in the heart of the Itria Valley. This cathedral built in the eighteenth century is the flagship of the city’s historical monuments, and it is the monument that most closely follows the artistic style of the city of Martina Franca. The facade has marble statues, one of which represents the Saint patron intent on sharing his cloak with a beggar.
Another religious building not miss in Martina Franca is the Church of Sant’Antonio dei Cappuccini, located on the edge of the historic center and not far from the ducal palace: it is characterized by finely frescoed wooden altars.
In the central Piazza Roma you will find Palazzo Ducale, a building dating back to the seventeenth century characterized by its large size and the front garden, as well as by the clear Baroque style architecture. Also in Piazza Roma there is the elegant Palazzo Martucci, a three-storey noble residence with an elegant and casual face.
Inside the Doge’s Palace there are two museums dedicated to natural sciences and painting.
At the Palazzo Stabile, you can find the Museum of the Basilica of San Martino which collects sacred objects and pieces of art from the cathedral. Another point of interest that deserves to be visited are the gardens of the municipality, ideal for a walk among flowers and meadows.
The city is also very famous for CAPOCOLLO DI MARTINA: a sausage obtained from the processing of the pig’s neck, from which it takes its name.
The special smoking taste is obtained by burning the wood is typically Apulian. Capocollo is a typical local product and it has become the protagonist of numerous pizzas and gourmet sandwiches throughout Puglia!
If you come to Martina it is a must to taste it, accompanied by the famous FRISE and TARALLI.
PROBABLY YOU DON’T KNOW…
Following the path to the Gravina del Vuolo and descending along the river bed, the natural landscape becomes very interesting, with herds and oxen grazing on the prairie below.
And here is the CAVERNA DEL SERGENTE ROMANO, the headquarters of the most famous “gentleman brigand” in Puglia.
In fact, his purpose was not to carry out acts of banditry, but to restore the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Followed by about 200 men, he imposed a strict military discipline and an oath of allegiance to the cause in the name of Francis II and Pope Pius IX, against the armies of Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Italy.
