Puglia Open days program reopens for Winter

The Girevole bridge at Taranto with Castello Aragonese to the right

BARI - After the success of thePuglia Open Days summer program, which showcased the beauties of Apulia from Gargano to Salento, in early November the winter program started.

 During the summer program every Saturday eveningfrom July till September 170,000 visitors in 104 municipalities have discovered the wonders of Apulia.

 With the world giantsof art, history and culture, Apulia has narrated itself through castles, cathedrals, museums, theatres, parks, archaeological sites and historic town centres. High on the list of most visited sites were: the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Ostuni, the Basilica of Saint Martino in Martina Franca, the Castle of Manfredonia, Lecce Cathedral, the Aragonese Castle of Taranto, the Museums of Gallipoli, Castel del Monte in Andria, National Archaeological Museum of Taranto, the Bari Petruzzelli Theatre and the historical centres of Oria and Laterza.

 The winter program includes the activities of the project Puglia Open Days, thanks to Pugliapromozione and the collaboration of the Ministry of Heritage, Culture and Tourism through the Regional Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Landscape of Apulia, the Apulian Episcopal Conference, ANCI Puglia, Apulia UNPLI - regional Committee of the towns promoting boards, and of operators and guides. The program continues in thirteen municipalities with guided tours and special openings in the afternoons of Dec. 6 and 27 2014 and January 3, 2015, from 18.00 to 21.00.

 In Garganospecial openings and guided tours are scheduled in Foggia and Monte Sant'Angelo. In Foggia you can admire the archaeological, artistic and ethnographic jewellery kept in the Civic Museum and visit the Cathedral. In Monte Sant'Angelo, the historical centre is narrated to children with stories and legends of the Archangel warrior. In addition, you can immerse yourself in the suggestion of the mystical Sanctuary of St. Michael Archangel or in the silence of the Abbey of Saint Maria of Pulsano, discover the castle overlooking the village or discover the riches of the Museum of Popular Arts of Gargano.

 InImperial Apulia, there are unmissable visits to Barletta and Trani. In Barletta, in the alleys of the City of the Challenge, scheduled walks accessible to all and guided tours for children are available as well as guided tours of the Swabian Castle, the Cathedral with its archaeological excavations, and the "Giuseppe De Nittis" Art Gallery in the Palazzo della Marra. The special opening of the Saint Maria degli Angeli, known as the Church of the Greeks, is an invitation to discover the charm and Eastern piety of this extraordinary Adriatic capital.

 In Trani the Swabian Castle is also open to visitors, as is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas Pellegrino, among the most beautiful Romanesque cathedrals of Apulia, also the Scolanova Synagogue, the only synagogue in the region. There are scheduled walks accessible to all in the historic centre.

 In the Apulian capital, Bari,there are many opportunities to discover and experience the local evening life. "Bari Murat" is the theme of the guided tours of the old town, of course, accessible to all. All the landmarks are open too: the Swabian Castle, the Simi Palace, the Cathedral of Saint Sabino and the Basilica of Saint Nicholas. Bari is revealed in depth with the fascinating journey into "Bari underground", a path in the city under the city, along a route from the Swabian Castle, including underground passages and tunnels.

 Do not missa visit to Taranto, the capital of Ancient Great Greece. Special openings and guided tours are offered at the National Museum MARTA, in the places of Taranto Underground, the Cathedral of Saint Cataldo and the Diocesan Museum. The guided tour in the old city of Taranto is designed really for everyone. Among the places worth visiting, the Aragonese Castle with free guided tours by the Military Navy personnel.

 Travelsin the territories of the Itria Valley, at the crossroads of three provinces (Bari, Brindisi and Taranto), lead to Alberobello, Ostuni and Martina Franca. The City of Trulli Alberobello offers an itinerary in the historical centre accessible to all and the local Museum "House Pezzolla". In Martina Franca, home of the Music Festival of the Itria Valley, you can visit the Duke’s Palace and the Basilica of Saint Martino while the itinerary in the historic centre is a must for everyone. In Ostuni the Co-Cathedral is open and guided tours of the historic centre are enriched with accessible to all walks.

 Salento, in the south of the area, isto discover, with stops in Brindisi, Lecce, Gallipoli and Otranto. In Brindisi worth visiting are the Palace Granafei Nervegna, the Tourist's House, the Church of St. John at the Sepulcher, the MAPRI - Provincial Archaeological Museum "Francesco Ribezzo", where there are also workshops, the Diocesan Museum "Giovanni Tarantini" in the Church of Saint Teresa. A walk accessible to all leads visitors of Brindisi "In the footsteps of Frederick II".

 In Lecceyou have to admire the Cathedral and the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Castle of Charles V with the papier maché museum and underground, the MUST - Historical Museum and the Palace Vernazza, without forgetting the walk in the historical center accessible to all. Educational workshops at the Castle of Charles V and the MUST are available.

 Gallipoli offers open doors and guided tours of the museum system of the "Beautiful City" which includes the Civic Museum "Emanuele Barba" with the Collection Coppola Hall, the Sea Museum, the Garibaldi Theater , but also of the great heritage of ecclesiastical cultural heritage which includes the Cathedral of Saint Agata, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Canneto, the Diocesan Museum,the confraternity churches of the Holy Cross, St. Francis of Paola and Purity. Not to be missed the accessible to everyone trail to discover the ancient centre of the town.

Photos by Marcello Nitti: