Why you need to visit this Baroque Southern Italian Town
Roman amphitheatre, incredible food & local culture
Ciao a tutti,
How are you all? Here in Rome we are still sweltering through the summer with temperatures back up to 36C/97F this week. It’s a little draining and I must admit, I’m looking forward to September arriving and getting excited about all the wonderful tours I’ll be leading this Fall/Autumn (Puglia, West Sicily, Piedmont, Tuscany and Umbria!)
Last week we ventured back to Piedmont for the week and it was lovely to be surrounded with our friends and family there. If you’re signed up to my paid newsletters look out in your inbox next week for some new delicious discoveries there.
In the spirit of getting ready for my first tour of the upcoming season, I wanted to take you on a virtual journey there too. So come with me in this newsletter to wonderful Puglia!
7 Reasons you need to Visit Lecce
Strolling atop a polished limestone road, gazing in wonder at the spectacular baroque palazzi and church upon church (upon yet another church), my first impressions of Lecce are that I have gone back in-time. The colors are all white and golden thanks to the soft, malleable limestone that quite literally everything is made out of here. All set across a vibrant blue sky with not a cloud to be seen, and pops of violet jacaranda flowers.
The Best Places to Stay in Puglia
From the olive tree-hewn countryside in the Valle d’Itria to the whitewashed hilltop towns that overlook dramatic coastline, Puglia is one of my favorite regions. Some of the best towns to stay in Puglia in my opinion include:
Locorotondo: a beautiful whitewashed town in the Valle d’Itria with cheese farms and trulli houses
Martina Franca: the Baroque ‘capital’ of the Itria Valley
Monopoli: a fishing village on the Adriatic Sea
Lecce: the beautiful capital of the ‘Salento’ or Southern part of Puglia
Ostuni: the most famous of the whitewashed hilltop towns
Want to visit Puglia with me in 2024?
Our 2023 September tour is sold out but we are running 3 new tours there next year (one in May and two in September!) We had some filmmaking friends come on tour with us this Spring and they’ve made a wonderful behind the scenes look at what happens on tour with us in case you’re curious.
That’s it for now! We have friends from Australia visiting us next week in Rome for a few days so I’m looking forward to playing tour guide in our adopted home town. Rooftop aperitivo and dinner in one of our favorite trattoria’s is on the cards!
Buona settimana,
Liv x