The Insider’s Guide to Puglia

Who

Four insiders share their local perspectives on Puglia, on the “heel” of Italy’s “boot.” Athena McAlpine, “innkeeper” and owner of Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli; Laura Sciacovelli, a photographer from the port city of Bari who spends much of her downtime in Salento, Puglia’s southernmost region; Jamie Sneider, the curator and director of Progetto, a contemporary art space and library in Lecce’s baroque historic center; and Massimo Torrigiani, an editor, publisher, writer and curator who grew up between Bari and Santa Maria di Leuca.

What

What to Bring

Puglia is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian to the west, so it is no surprise that visitors Italian and foreign alike flock to the region’s emerald waters. A swimsuit, hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes will cover your basic needs for relaxed days by the sea. McAlpine and Torrigiani suggest water shoes or jellies to reach rocky, remote swimming spots, while Torrigiani only half-jokingly recommends bringing earplugs “both in summer and winter…to avoid the music that haunts every bar, beach, restaurant, square, day and night…shattering every experience.”

For more a pleasant listening experience, Torrigiani also recommends bringing a suit to go to the theater. “The Petruzzelli, the Piccinni, and Kursaal Santalucia (don’t miss the Sala Cielo) in Bari, the Paisiello in Lecce, the Verdi in Brindisi, the Giuseppe Curci in Barletta, and the Umberto Giordano in Foggia—to name just a few—are quite beautiful and can give you a different perspective on the local folk.” Sciacovelli wouldn’t be left without her camera, and notes that while “Puglia is pretty easy going and casual, it can also be very smart and radical chic, so be prepared for both.” While generally warm year-round, Sciacovelli also recommends bringing a windbreaker or sweater for “maestrale” days, when a cold wind blows from the northwest.

What to Leave Behind

Regardless of the time of year of your visit, McAlpine suggests leaving high heels back home, while Torrigiani notes that “Puglia is long, diverse, and accepting. You can more or less do, and be, what you like. That’s one of the reasons why people like it.”

What to Keep in Mind

From the Gargano peninsula in the north, to Santa Maria di Leuca at its southernmost point, Puglia is Italy’s longest region, comprising “six very different provinces, each with its own unique characteristics,” notes McAlpine. “The vibe around Bari and Polignano a Mare is very different to the Trulli area of Alberobello, the baroque of Lecce, and the wilder Basso Salento which is at the tip of the heel.” Rather than trying to cover the region’s entire offering in a single trip, select a few of the many sites to visit and choose accommodations within proximity accordingly. “When planning where you want to go and what you want to see, keep in mind driving distances and opening hours,” reminds McAlpine. Small baroque villages become ghost towns in the middle of the day, with nearly all businesses closing during the hours of peak temperatures. Stock up on essentials in the early morning or evening hours to be sure you aren’t caught out without water and food at midday.

When it comes to the locals, “Don’t expect to be [fully] understood if you don’t speak Italian, nor if you are whispering,” says Sciacovelli. Even for those who do speak Italian, Sciacovelli notes that there are hundreds of local dialects spoken throughout the region, including Griko, a protected Greek dialect dating from Byzantine times and still spoken in nine Salentino towns. Regardless of linguistic diversity, nonverbal communication is universal: “The Pugliese are a loud, animated people, but kind as well—don’t be shy!”

Where

Where to Stay

While Puglia’s seas may draw many from afar, the region’s culture is profoundly rooted to its agricultural land. Many of its most established and celebrated hotels are masserie, which are traditional fortified farmhouses surrounded by orchards and groves where they cultivate the produce and grains used in their local cuisine. Among McAlpine, Sciacovelli and Torrigiani’s recommendations are Masseria Torre Coccaro and Borgo San Marco, both near Fasano, as well as Masseria Il Frantoio and Masseria Mozzone, situated outside Ostuni. These family-run establishments predated the region’s recent spike in popularity and still “offer sincere and personal Pugliese hospitality,” according to McAlpine.

Masseria Moroseta’s clean lines and kitchen run by chef Giorgia Eugenia Goggi—celebrated by McAlpine and Sneider alike for her creative dishes—have established it as a compelling newcomer among Ostuni’s offerings. For those looking for beautiful architectural forms of a decidedly different approach, Pescetrullo can be found just down the road. A collaboration between the late design maverick Gaetano Pesce and the Venetian gallerist Caterina Tognon, the anthropomorphic living spaces often host art events and can be rented for overnight stays as well.

The Apulian peninsula was subject to frequent invasions from the sea for centuries, including the infamous sack of Otranto by the Ottomans in 1480. For those seeking escape from the legions of modern-day interlopers, Masseria Montelauro can be found a short drive from the Adriatic port city, where Elisabetta Massaro has been offering peace and relaxation to visitors for nearly twenty five years. And for those in search of total anonymous rest and reprieve, one can’t beat McAlpine’s very own “Convento” (in fact, a 500 year-old Franciscan monastery) whose imposing meter-thick walls beat back the harsh sun and prying eyes. The internal world McAlpine has built within the cloister is simultaneously so deeply calming and transportive—filled with art objects from the Indian subcontinent to West Africa, Central America to the Antipodes—that many guests see no reason to venture beyond its bounds at all.

While long regarded as a source of threat, today Puglia’s seas dazzle. For those wanting to wake up to Adriatic views, Sciacovelli recommends La Peschiera, just south of Monopoli, or Hotel Piccolo Mondo, perched on the cliffs just above Castro’s famous sea caves and emerald waters. While venturing even further south, Torrigiani suggests a stay at Palazzo Daniele, noting that “before it became the beautiful, elegant hotel it is now… it was the epicenter of Capo d’Arte, a nonprofit art organization producing exhibitions and hosting artist residencies.” It was out of his work as artistic director of Capo d’Arte from 2013 to 2018, that Torrigiani was able to edit Salento Moderno: An Inventory of Private Houses in Southern Puglia, “a book I had in mind since I was a teenager and roamed those villages and towns.”

When back home in Bari (and too many family are staying at his mother’s place) Torrigiani stays at Imago Plus, “a pleasant, friendly small hotel, cultural center, and artist residency. It has a botanical garden with native plants on the roof and a bar with a selection of local natural wines on the ground floor.” Nearby is also LoStabile, a community coworking space that also has rooms to rent, which he recommends.

Where to Start the Day

In order to avoid parking headaches and scorching heat during the high season, follow McAlpine’s lead and head to the sea for a swim first thing in the morning. “I love an early swim at Tricase Porto followed by coffee at the local bar Mename, or Castro Marina followed by a cappuccino at one of the two bars in the port.”

Sciacovelli’s hometown favorite is the café Sotto il Mare, where you can enjoy a coffee and pastry looking out over Bari’s port, while Torrigiani opts for Caffè Nero (not to be confused with the British chain) “with its display of books with portraits of Baudelaire, Rimaud, Woolf, records by Joy Division and Bowie, and the always good, unintrusive selection of alternative rock and electronica.” For a true Barese breakfast, head to the Nderr’a la lanze fish market for local beers and a plentiful raw bar.

Where to Eat

While he admittedly doesn’t go to many restaurants, Torrigiani makes exceptions for Vettor, “an elegant, contemporary restaurant, with a program of art and design exhibitions, owned by curator Michele Spinelli,” as well as La Battigia, Il Sale, and Ciccil U’ Gnore, when he wants to show guests the best fish that Bari has to offer.

Sciacovelli remembers when Ristorante Albachiara in Savelletri was just “a shack on the seaside rocks with few tables and plastic chairs.” While the establishment has become more polished over the years, it retains its charms and still serves up delicious grilled octopus and cozze in pinzimonio—marinated mussels.

After more than two decades of living in Salento, McAlpine relies on places “that have been around forever” and recommends local, family-run restaurants “that have retained their character, rusticity and quality of their simple, traditional dishes” even as their clientele has grown increasingly international. She prefers Trattoria Iolanda in Lucugnano in the off season, “where they prepare very good fresh pasta dishes, orecchiette con cime di rape and sagne with genuine tomato sauce and polpette;” Le Zie in Lecce, where she orders ceci e tria, “a simple dish of fresh pasta and chickpeas;” and Trattoria Vardaceli in Castiglione, where they “offer a lovely lemon marmalade with their fresh ricotta cheese.” When she’s feeling something more stylish, McAlpine heads to Taverna del Porto for delicious seafood situated along Tricase Porto’s breakwater (also a favorite of W’s editor in chief).

A producer of small batch olive oil herself, Sneider has fully embraced the agricultural aspect of Puglia’s nature — “There are very few times in which I am driving that I am not behind a tractor.” she says — and strongly encourages visitors to break free of touristic tropes and engage the region’s history, present, and future through the prism of biodynamic farming. “As a gallery, I collaborate with a lot of artisans in iron, wood, limestone, ceramics, all of which are natural resources here, but I have a reverence for people who are milling ancient grains, caring for the seed bank, delivering organic vegetables via WhatsApp groups, and forming cooperatives. I think this is sort of the heart of the region,” she says. She recommends Vite Colta outside of Ugento not only for their local wines and olive oil, but also the trattoria’s kilometro zero (Italian for local, farm to table) offerings. Sneider also loves visiting the sagre, local festivals devoted to specific food groups (wine, figs, cherries, etc.) that often take place throughout the summer months.

Where to Shop

Casa delle agriculture Tullia e Gino is an agricultural cooperative with a weekly organic market in Castilgione d’Otranto where farmers “sell legumes, grains, vegetables and bread from a sustainable baker,” says Sneider. Located at the intersection of social and ecological responsibility and rehabilitation — and just west of Brindisi — Xfarm is another farming cooperative that has transformed a 50 hectare plot confiscated from organized crime into a productive project, regenerating the soil and ecosystem to produce olive oil and their own variety of lambrusco: Brushko. Continue your exploration of local wine production at Loco in Cisternino, Sneider’s favorite natural vintner, happily located within the “stunning” Valle d’Itria region. Sweet tooths shouldn’t miss Maglio’s confections in the center of Maglie. “They have been making confectionery since the 19th century,” notes McAlpine, “and every winter I stock up on their hot chocolate.”

Known for its small but important textile manufacturing industry, a trip to Salento is incomplete without collecting some new wares to bring back home. Tessitura Calabrese in Tiggiano is a family-run business producing linens and towels. “You can get lost for hours choosing the quality and weight of your linen, the trims, the colors, the finishes and the style of your monogram,” warns McAlpine.

Le Costantine in Casamassella is favored by Sciacovelli for its luxurious, hand-loomed scarves and towels. TulsiShop, a purveyor of clothing and textiles sourced in India, has several shops throughout the region and is a great resource for beachy looks.

Itinerant markets are part of the fabric of small-town Apulian life. McAlpine enjoys visiting Tricase’s on Tuesday morning, while she and Sciacovelli both recommend Ostuni’s flea market every second Sunday of the month. Always ask your hosts or locals for the latest information as schedules do often change.

When home in Bari, Sciacovelli heads to Enrico Trizio for jewelry and GF Luxury Vintage for rare pieces to update her stylish closet, while Torrigiani relies on Urban and Pescivolanti for “great vintage.” If in search of classic modern design and art pieces, Torrigiani recommends Misia, while the Puglia Design Store showcases work by the region’s contemporary designers.

Where to Look at Art

For contemporary art and music, Torrigiani frequently visits Spazio Murat in Bari, where he also collaborates on projects, as well as the galleries Microba and Voga. For appreciating more classical pieces, he heads to Bari’s archeological museum, the Museo Archeologica di Santa Scolastica, as well as the recently refurbished Pinacoteca Corrado Giaquinto, with its displays of Apulian art spanning from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

“The National Archeological Museum of Taranto, also known as MArTA, has an exceptional collection of truly ancient objects. It’s a must for people interested in history, ceramics and jewelry,” says McAlpine. “The bronze and gold nutcracker made in the form of a woman’s forearms and pressed hands, and a life sized pomegranate carved out of crystal and with a thick gold stem are my favorite pieces.” While in Taranto, don’t miss the Cathedral Gran Madre di Dio designed by Gio Ponti, another of McAlpine’s picks.

For other astounding churches of a previous era, McAlpine “recommends a visit to Santa Caterina in Galatina and Santo Stefano in Soleto for their 15th century frescoes, and of course the medieval Cathedral of Otranto for its mosaic floor depicting the Tree of Life.”

Sciacovelli enjoys visiting Fondazione Pino Pascali in Polignano a Mare, a modern and contemporary art museum anchored by its collection of Pino Pascali, the late Barese artist who recently enjoyed a retrospective at the Fondazione Prada in Milan.

Sneider, who left New York for Puglia in 2018, has brought a strong program of contemporary voices to Lecce’s baroque center with Progetto. This summer she is showing works by the American artist SoiL Thornton, but also recommends following Salgemma who have created a useful map to discover other contemporary art projects and spaces throughout the region. Among those, Torrigiani suggests checking out Kora – Contemporary Arts Center in Castrignano de’ Greci.

The region’s art scene has become quite dynamic with project spaces popping up in recent years including Casa Flash Art, which recently inaugurated a project with the American artist Eric Mack who intervened in the art publisher’s Ostuni outpost with his now-signature draping of collaged textile.

Where to Breathe

“Although I would not dream of calling the Convento a spa, nor was it conceived as a wellness center, over the years I like to think the atmosphere we have created gives people a sense of well-being so they leave feeling refreshed and rested,” says McAlpine. “We have a long pool filled with fresh spring water — excellent for swimming laps — and can arrange private yoga lessons, massages and reflexology.” Sciacovelli recommends Yoga in Salento near Zollino or taking a refreshing walk along the coastal footpaths between Otranto and Santa Cesarea Terme. Torrigiani also likes to stroll along Bari’s lungomare from Piazza del Ferrarese to the Pane e Pomodoro beach.

Where to Have a Drink

When in search of a fresh drink, McAlpine heads to Farmacia Balboa for “a delicious, refreshing grapefruit sour on the picturesque Piazza Pisanelli in Tricase, also known as the ‘Salotto of the Salento.’” While the establishment’s ownership includes Helen Mirren, it is a decidedly local affair. “In the evening all the local families gather here. The grandparents sit on the benches under the lentisco trees; the parents chase after their children and toddlers; the teenagers meet up to hang out and look at their phones!” For a vibe more akin to her Greek roots, McAlpine enjoys sitting on the terrace of Caffe d’Oltremare, sipping ouzo while looking out over the small fishing boats bobbing in the harbor, with Corfu just beyond the horizon.

For a cold midday Peroni on Bari’s port, Torrigiani heads to El Chiringuito. For a glass of wine, he suggests EnoMezcla, with its sea views. And in the evening, “the area between L’Arcimboldo and Il Piccolo Bar, at the corner of Via Abbrescia and Via Cognetti is a synthesis of the city’s bar life. Well after midnight Il Piccolo becomes the crossroad of the city’s alternative, creative, queer youth.”

Where to Stay up Late

For electronic and house music, Sciacovelli recommends both Polifonic festival in the Valle d’Itria (featuring Italian favorite System Olympia this summer), and Panorama Festival Salento which takes place at various locales throughout the south this year, with headliners including Peggy Gou. For more alternative parties, Sneider suggests Masseria Wave and Queer Market Show, a Salentino cabaret.

While McAlpine admits that she does “not get out much to taste the local nightlife,” she does “enjoy a disco dance in the Convento courtyard under the light of a full moon!” Locals enjoy moonlit swims at small beaches and harbors during the summer months too, a trick to avoid the harsh sun and the throngs of other visitors.

When

McAlpine prefers the Spring, with its “wildflowers, seasonal food, lack of crowds, and kinder, milder temperatures, which are cool enough to walk or cycle around, yet warm enough to swim.” She also enjoys the Fall, for similar reasons.

Sciacovelli recommends the month of May for visiting. “In Bari there is the festival of San Nicola, both a religious and pagan event which lasts three days in the heart of the city, where one can discover churches, galleries, and events.”

While Torrigiani says “a good moment is November for BIG – Bari International Gender festival. It has a good program of performances, dance, cinema, and talks in many different spots of the city. It’s a way to see things, places, and engage with interesting people.”

Why

“Bari is a modern city, with no aristocracy,” says Torrigiani. “It is popular, worldly, commercial, somehow intellectual and refined, but never abstract or nostalgic.”

“I think what is most important to understand about Puglia is that it is an agricultural region and farming is paramount here,” Sneider reminds. “Previously, a large portion of the economy in the Salento produced tobacco and olive oil, and now much of it has shifted to tourism.” For her, it’s important to consider a conscious approach to tourism “that respects the people, the land and the future here… [supporting] farmers, artists and young people who want to forge an economy so a future can be imagined.”

“Puglia is a region of sharp, sometimes harsh contrasts,” notes McAlpine, “so be prepared to take the rough with the smooth. If you can see past the uglier outskirts of some of the towns, you are rewarded with beautiful old city centers. At its heart it is an authentic part of the world with a rich and ancient history. It suits a seasoned traveler.”

“Puglia is so diverse,” says Sciacovelli. “It’s the perfect mix of southern Italian traditions with Greco-Turkish influence, [while still being] modern and competitive, dynamic and progressive. People had no idea twenty years ago that this remote southern Italian region could become so hip. I was born in Bari and have come back to Puglia every summer for all my life, so for me it’s always been amazing. Lately, more commercial places have changed it a bit, but you can still find incredible charm in the people, breathe fresh, clean air, and enjoy the culture of good, homemade food, made with the best produce, often in breathtaking settings.”