OUR TERRITORY

Our territory called “Alto Salento” is rich of maturalistic emergences and historical evidences, has a territory that ranges from the Adriatic coast to the hill areas of sud-oriental Murges as far as 400 metres above sea level. It includes the towns of Ostuni, Carovigno, Ceglie Messapica, San Michele Salentino and San Vito dei Normanni.

Hill landscape is characterized by terraces, wide depressions, cave of carsica origin. The plain looking on to the coast, called “marina” (seascape) is marked in a predominant way by the ancient cultivation of olive trees, how testify the innumerable centuries-old plants. The territory is characterized by a great variety of natural environments from seascape to hills with the wood of holmoak, our “fragni” and corkoak, the characteristical “lame” and the coastal dune.

Among rural architectures predominate “trulli”. From historical news it seems that the trullo of Apulia, made of dry stone, was born in 1.600 as a way not to pay real estate taxes, having considered a precarious construction. The typical conic roofing is constituted with concentric rings of limestone tiles staggering among them not many centimetres.

Another characteristic construction is the “lamia”, also stone made, but with roofing made up of vaults.

Between the coast of Carovigno and Brindisi stretchs the natural preserve and protected sea area of Torre Guaceto, a humid coast declared of international importance since the agreement of Ramsar (Iran) in 1971. Torre Guaceto is a coast stretch made up of promontories, little beach, dunes and swamps. The coast flora and the sea and marsh fauna are very rich. Among the most important species that live in the sea, the turtle, the swamp hawk, the mallards. Moreover the territory is rich of “masserie”, underground olive-presses, caves, various archaeological sites, rural villages. Our sea is amongs the most crystal clear of the Adriatic sea and is rich of bathing areas.

Gastronomy is characterized by products coming from the country and from the sea. Olive oil is the typical product for excellence. Other productions are the fig and the almond. In the most flat zones of the coast they cultivate tomatoes, artichokes, lettuce and vegetables. Vegetables are absolute protagonist of local gastronomy. Local fruit goes from peach to pears, from “fioroni” to prickly pear, from cherries to apricot, from melons to grapes, from fig to water melon, from quinces to almonds.

Our excellent meals always are accompnied by generous local wines, red and rosé above all, but white too, get from “Negro amaro” grapes and “Malvasia nera” of Brindisi, but also “Primitivo” and “Ottavianello”. All surrounded by pleasantness and hospitality of our folk.