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Surroundings

From the “Masseria” one can easily and quickly reach the most important tourist destinations of in Apulia and Basilicata: Matera, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, Lecce and their surroundings: Mottola and Massafra, the Valle d’Itria with Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Cisternino, Ostuni, Fasano, Castellana Grotte, Alberobello, Putignano, Gioia del Colle, Grottaglie and many other destinations of great historical and environmental interest.

The Ionian sea can be reached in a few minutes’ ride; the Adriatic Sea is within reach. Both are full of colours, gastronomy, old towns, small harbours.

The guided visits: the “Terra delle Gravine” in the tour “Medioevo in grotta” (“Middle Ages in caves”)

The Middle Ages will remain in the traveller’s heart of hearts after he will visit our “Murgia” with its legends, its pilgrimages, its crusades. The striking route of the “rupestrian civilization” charms our visitors, who can contemplate the Mediterranean vegetation in the rocky settings of steep crags (the “gravine” and “lame”), discovering villages and frescoed rupestrian churches…

The trip begins from the hypogeous village of Petruscio, carved in the rocks of the homonymous “gravina”, with its typical cave-houses, the “Casa dell’Igumeno” (house of the chief of monks) and the “Cathedral”.

The trip continues with the four most beautiful rupestrian churches: the famous church of St. Nicholas of Myra, which scholars have called the “Sistine Chapel of rocks”, the church of Sant’Angelo, the only Italian rupestrian church carved on two levels, the church of Santa Margherita, true jewel of this territory, and the church of San Gregorio, one of the finest examples of carved holy architecture.

The churches are decorated by countless byzantine-style frescoes, dating back from the 11th to the 14th century: admirable representations of Archangels, Saints Apostles, Martyrs and Warriors, breast-feeding Virgins, of Tenderness, of Good Path, Deésis, scenes of miracles and martyrdom, evangelical parables.

Note: the guided trip, which can be reserved at Masseria Cassiere, will be carried out by authorized and professionally skilled personnel, for singles and for groups, in English too. Middle-low difficulty. Use of comfortable shoes is suggested.