ITALY NOTES (close this window to return to the Route page)
A clickable map is located at http://www.big-italy-map.co.uk/
I ride through the following regions:
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| Region 11
Marche
Info: The Marches are generally renowned for their famous seaside resorts. From north to south, the most important are: Gabicce Mare, Fano, Marotta, Senigallia (the famous ‘Velvet Beach’), Sirolo, Numana, Porto Recanati, Civitanova Marche, Porto S. Elpidio, Porto S. Giorgio, Cupra Marittima, Grottammare and S. Benedetto del Tronto. The presence of so many seaside resorts, leads one to forget the countless other interesting places in the region yet undiscovered by mass tourism.
From north to south, the first is S. Leo in Montefeltro, with its imposing 14th century fortress and the Romanesque parish church; to the south stands Sassocorvaro with the Fortress of Ubaldini, masterpiece of 14th century military architecture. Urbino with an architecturally homogenous character, not easily found in larger towns, is one of the most beautiful cities of the region. The Palazzo Ducale is an important example of Renaissance architecture and the famous façade, with its twin towers, is the symbol of the town. Other remarkable monuments are the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista (14th century), the Oratorio di San Giuseppe (16th century), the Church of San Francesco (14th century), the House of Raffaello (15th century) and the Gothic Church of St. Domini (14th century). Further south lies Urbania, with its interesting 14th-15th century centre, and Fossombrone with Renaissance buildings.
In the province of Ancona the first town one comes to is Sassoferrato, with its interesting medieval centre and Gothic church of St. Francis (in the surrounding area the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Sentinum). On the way back to the coast from Sassoferrato, one passes through Cingoli, with its wonderful landscape, Recanati, Leopardi's hometown and Iesi, surrounded by 13th century walls, with the Renaissance Palazzo della Signoria. Further south, lies Fabriano (Tapestry Museum) and Camerino, seat of an ancient University. In the province of Ascoli one can visit the little medieval town of Ripatransone, with the narrowest lane in Italy (38-43 cm. wide) and Fermo, near the Adriatic Sea, with an imposing Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and the wonderful Piazza del Popolo.
Beautiful natural scenery is another attraction of the region. To mention are the Caves of Frasassi, and the Sibillini Mountains with good skiing resorts, such as Forca Canapine, Ussita, Sarnano and Piobbico. There are also the health spas Acquasanta Terme, Sarnano, Aspio Terme and Carignano Terme,
Loreto with the Sanctuary Church of the Holy House, rich in works of art, has been the destination of millions of pilgrims for centuries.
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Region 13
Abruzzo
Info: Barrea, Pizzaferrato and Palena in the Province of Chieti and Sant'Eufemia a Maiella, in the Province of Pescara.
Of interest to the tourist are some pretty, small towns, often with a picturesque ancient appearance: Civitella del Tronto, Atri and Campli in the Province of Teramo; Tagliacozzo, Bazzano (14th century church of San Giusto), Celano (magnificent 15th century castle), Sulmona (architectural complex of Annunziata, Badia Morronese), Alfedena and Bominaco in the Province of L'Aquila; Città Sant'Angelo (15th century church), Penne, Loreto Aprutino and Popoli in the Province of Pescara; Guardiagrele and Lanciano (Gothic-Cistercian church of Santa Maria Maggiore), in the Province of Chieti.
A special attraction in Abruzzo are the isolated silent churches, dotted here and there in a green and peaceful countryside, and mainly Romanesque. These include San Giovanni al Mavone, Santa Maria di Propezzano, San Clemente al Vomano, Santa Maria di Ronzano in the Province of Teramo; Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta, at the foot of Mount Velino, and San Paolo di Peltuino, near the remains of the ancient town of Vestini 'Peltuinum' in the Province of L'Aquila; Santa Maria del Lago, Sant'Angelo, San Clemente a Casauria (beautiful three-arched portico) and the Gothic-Cistercian abbey of San Giovanni in Venere, rebuilt in the 12th-13th centuries with Cistercian forms in the Province of Pescara.
There are also some attractions of archeological interest. Important settlements include Alba Fucens, at the foot of Mount Velino, a thriving Roman town; Aminterumi, near L'Aquila, ancient Sabine centre; Iuvanum, within sight of the Maiella Frentaro settlement. A further reason for staying in this region is to visit the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, one of the five national parks in Italy, with an extraordinary wealth of interesting flora and fauna.
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Region 14
Molise
Termoli looks worth a visit. Cathedral and the castle of Frederick II. The town sits on 42° longitude and 15° latitude, exactly where Italian and central European time is measured. The town has restored its defensive towers which were used to warn against Saracen invaders.
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Region 16
Puglia
Apulia is a quiet region along Italy's southeastern coast. This land is best known for its unique 13th-century "trulli" architecture of whitewashed cone shaped peasant houses, narrow limestone lined country lanes and its innumerable olive trees, some over a thousand years old.
From Gioia del Colle and into the heart of the trulli area. Trulli are conical shaped rural dwellings unique to this part of Italy. Originally used as storage sheds for farmers, they quickly became popular as temporary shelters. Today the landscape in central Puglia is dotted with these unique structures, now used as weekend retreats and permanent homes. Limestone grottoes of Castellana. These are among the largest and most beautiful caves in Italy. Through vineyards and olive groves punctuated with whitewashed trulli. small town of Locorotondo and on to Alberobello, where you'll see the largest grouping of trulli structures in the world. Continuing on through vineyards and olive groves to the hilltop town of Martina Franca. Rich in Baroque architecture, Martina Franca gained wealth during the Middle Ages when the Prince of Taranto gave tax-free status to anyone choosing to live there. Grottaglie, Puglia's most famous pottery town. Visit the local studios there, then continue on through vineyards to the Ionian coast. Gallipoli: Small fishing villages dot the landscape along the coast past sand dunes and forests of Mediterranean pine. Gallipoli is derived from the Greek word kalépolis meaning "beautiful city." Check out Gallipoli's lively fish market in the morning, then inland Puglia's most beautiful city - Lecce. Also known as the baroque Florence of Southern Italy, Lecce's pink sandstone buildings and pedestrian city center make for an inviting afternoon of exploring. Notes from Bicycle Tours in Italy.
Info: The influx of tourists in Puglia is linked to the numbers of beach resorts along the Adriatic and Ionican coasts. Most of the beaches are wide and sandy, giving way to attractive rocky coves, some with magnificent sea caves, in a few parts of Gargano and the Salentino peninsula. Taking the Gargano promontory as a starting point, the most important centres are Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste, the elegant Pugnochiuso and Baia delle Zagare, where numerous sea crags give added beauty to the scenery.
Farther south lie Bisceglie, Polignano a Mare, Torre Canne, Marina di Ostuni, Roca Vecchia, Castro Marina and Leuca, at the tip of Salento. Along the Ionican coastline, Gallipoli is followed by S. Mari al Bagno, Porto Cesareo, Marina di Pulsano, Riva dei Tessali and Marina di Ginosa. Unforgettable is the rocky little Tremiti archipelago, off the Gargano coast, where the beauties of Nature still lie intact.
Many of the inland villages possess something of artistic or scenic interest, often with important historical remains. The visitor would do well to see the villages of Monte S. Angelo, standing in a panoramic position on the Gargano hills, Lucera in Capitanata, with the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, Troia, which has a Romanesque-Pugliese cathedral (11th-13th century), with a magnificent rose window.
In the Murges area, lie Canosa, with a 11th century cathedral and the beautiful isolated octagonal Castel del Monte, built by Frederick II, on a splendid panoramic site, Ruvo di Puglia, with one of the most important Romanesque-Pugliese cathedrals (13th century); Alberobello, with its extraordinary trulli; Gioia del Colle, which has a great castle (11th-13th century); Altamura, with a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral (13th-15th century), Grottaglie, a pottery craft centre; Manduria (megalithic walls and necropolis).
Some of the coastal towns also attract large numbers of tourists. Barletta, famous for the Disfida in 1503, with a giant bronze statue of the Colosso (4th century); Trani, with a fine Romanesque cathedral (12th century); Monopoli, dominated by its 16th century castle, with nearby ruins of the pre-Roman city of Egnazia; Otranto, with its characteristic historical centre and beautiful cathedral (11th-12th century). In the immediate Bari hinterland lies Bitonto, whose 13th century cathedral is probably the finest example of Romanesque-Pugliese architecture.
Trullo round houses in Alberobello: The trulli, limestone dwellings found in the southern region of Puglia, are remarkable examples of drywall (mortarless) construction, a prehistoric building technique still in use in this region. The trulli are made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighbouring fields. Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed or conical roofs built up of corbelled limestone slabs.
More Trullo for accommodation (68 - 76 Euro)
Chiusa delle More Farm on the Garganta penninsula 45 Euros, near Foggia
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