Many of them have magical aspects, starting with Castel del Monte: located in the territory of Andria, 60 kilometers from Bari in the Plateau of theWestern Murge, this fortress was the favorite residence of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, who wanted it built by loading it with magical and esoteric meanings; it is no coincidence that this medieval fortress is also called the 'Castle of mystery'.
The castle bears the imprint of its creator, an enlightened sovereign expert not only in military art, but also a man of vast culture, passionate about mathematics, astronomy, poetry and philosophy, so much so that he was defined by his contemporaries as 'stupor mundi', and considered the first humanist in history.
The plan is octagonal and also reflects the esoteric culture of FrederickII of Swabia: the number 8 has a strong symbolic value (among its meanings it represents justice, the perfection of cosmic balance) and recurs not only in the plan of the octagonal courtyard, but also in the 8 rooms on the ground floor and on the first floor, ending with the eight towers that overlook the castle.
The construction of Castel del Monte has an exceptional value for the harmonious fusion of various cultural elements from northern Europe, the Muslim world and classical culture: a monument full of charm, which contains the memory of the cultural disputes that took place inside the castle, known in the past as the 'temple of knowledge'.
How to get to Castel del Monte by plane: the nearest airports are Bari airport (about 48 km away), Foggia airport (about 90 km away) and Brindisi airport (about 168 km away).
Another sort of symbolism is contained in the Trulli of Alberobello, limestone constructions made with a prehistoric technique, with roofs that often bear inscriptions with mythological or religious meaning and end with a pinnacle with the aim of chasing away evil influences.
Originally used as a temporary shelter or stable home for local workers, today the Trulli are a tourist attraction for their shape and their pleasant temperature inside even in the hottest months.
However, if the Trulliare a characteristic of the landscape of the entire Itria Valley, the greatest concentration is found in Alberobello, with 1500 structures.
How to get to Alberobello by plane: the nearest airports are Bari airport (about 69 km) and Brindisi airport (about 75 km) or Foggia airport (about 184 km).
Beech forests of the Umbra Forest in the Gargano National Park
The ancient beech forests of the Umbra Forest are ascribed to the Natural Heritage. The adjective of this forest, located in the Gargano National Park, has nothing to do with the Umbrian region, as it has the meaning of gloomy. These beech forests, declared a 'World Heritage Site' in 2017, demonstrate the history, evolution and great adaptability of the beech that grows and thrives at all altitudes, from the plains to the mountains.
In this 15 thousand hectare forest there are splendid centuries-old trees, which can live up to 350 years, real old-growth beech forests. One of the little-known prerogatives of beech forests is that they are capable of purifying the air, eliminating the carbon dioxide produced by hundreds of cars.
How to get to the Gargano Park by plane: the nearest airports are Foggia airport (about 35 km away), Bari airport (about 93 km away) and Brindisi airport (about 115 km away).
The presence of the Lombardsin southern Italy is evidenced by the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel, in the province of Foggia. The place has been venerated since 490, the year of the first appearance of the Archangel in a cave; in 493 the Sanctuary above the cave was begun and from the seventh century the whole area in which it stood passed under the dominion of the Lombards who held the duchy of Benevento.
The cave of theSanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel, a pilgrimage destination since the fifth century, is also called the 'Celestial Basilica', because it is the only place of worship in the world not consecrated by human hands, but by the Archangel himself, as he declared in one of his four apparitions that took place in the past. The central point of this extraordinary Sanctuary, (declared 'World Heritage' in 2011) cultural and artistic synthesis between the Roman tradition and Christian spirituality, between Byzantine and Germanic influences, is however the cave, which can be accessed from the Angevin staircase, of the thirteenth century: in it is kept the statue of the Archangel sculpted in 1507 by Andrea Sansovino, in white Carrara marble.
Due to the numerous miracles performed by the Saint, St. Michael the Archangel became the patron saint of all the Lombard people and every year on September 29, the day dedicated to him, the sword (symbol of defense from the evil one) that the statue holds in his hand is carried in a solemn propitiatory procession.
How to get to the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel by plane: the nearest airports are Foggia airport (about 68 km away), Bari airport (about 129 km away) and Brindisi airport (about 250 km away).
Appian Way. Regina viarum has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since July 27, 2024. The Appian Way is the first and most famous of the ancient Roman roads, built in 312 BC to connect Rome to Capua and then extended to Brindisi, the port from which the routes to Greece and the East departed. Conceived by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, it was considered a masterpiece of engineering and a symbol of Rome's power, so much so that it was called by contemporaries "Regina Viarum", the queen of roads.
It was a revolutionary work for the time with a straight route, bridges, viaducts and tunnels that crossed rivers, swamps and mountains, with a solid and draining bottom paved with basalt slabs. The system opened up a road network of over 120,000 kilometres, which remained in use for centuries and is still the basis of the main Italian roads and the countries of the Mediterranean area.
The Appian Way was extended over the years: it reached Benevento (Campania) around 268 BC, continued to Venosa (Basilicata) and then to Taranto, and finally arrived in Brindisi (Puglia) in the second century BC. In the following years, the original route from Benevento to Brindisi was replaced by a shorter route through Puglia. At the beginning of the second century AD, Emperor Trajan established the Via Appia Traiana, an alternative route that led from Benevento to Brindisi in 13-14 days, about 540 kilometers long.
The Appian Way, which remained in use until the Middle Ages, was then restored by the Popes and Kings of Naples. Starting from the walls of Rome, the Appian Way crosses four regions of Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, reaching Brindisi.
The Appian Way in Puglia crosses the following sections and municipalities: Tarentum (Taranto), the Appian Way from Mesochorum to Scamnum (Grottaglie, Francavilla Fontana, Oria, Mesagne - in the province of Taranto and Brindisi), Brundisium (Brindisi), the Appian Way from Aecae to Herdonia (Troia, Foggia, Castelluccio dei Sauri, Ascoli Satriano, Ordona - in the province of Foggia), the Appian Way at Canusium and the Ofanto route (Canosa di Puglia, San Ferdinando di Puglia, Trinitapoli, Barletta, Margherita di Savoia - in the province of Barletta - Andria - Trani) and the Appia Traianaalong the Adriatic coast, passing through Egnatia (Monopoli, Fasano, Ostuni, Carovigno, Brindisi - in the province of Bari and Brindisi).
Alberobello is located in the south-eastern area of the province of Bari. Its foundation took place in the fifteenth century by the Acquaviva-D'Aragona, counts of Conversano, in an area occupied by an oak forest. Characteristic of Alberobello are the trulli, houses built with dry stone, a whitewashed base with quicklime and a cone-shaped roof made of exposed stones. In 1996 the town of Alberobello, the beating heart of the Murgia dei Trulli, was declared a World Heritage Site.
Castellana is located in the hinterland of the province of Bari on the edge of a closed karst basin and historical sources attest to the presence of the inhabited nucleus as early as the tenth century. The farmhouse was donated by Count Norman Goffredo to the Benedictine monastery of Conversano until the fifteenth century.
During the last century, an important role in the economic and cultural life of Castellana was played by the De Bellis family, owner of a textile and wine industry.
4-hour tour from Bari to explore Castel del Monte with a local guide. The castle, which stands in Andria, is a thirteenth-century citadel World Heritage Site of Puglia, built by Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen of Swabia with 8 octagonal towers. A visit to Trani (7 hours) can also be added. Tour from Bari to Castel del Monte.
