Apulia

Located in south-eastern Italy, Apulia is the largest region in the southern area of ​​the Bel Paese with an area around 20,000 km2. Famous above all as one of the top tourist destinations in the summer for the beauty of its landscapes and in particular of its beaches, this region in fact retains the record for coastal length development in the Italian peninsula (excluding the major islands) with about 870 km of coastline and over 98% of bathing water. Apulia has also been awarded more than once as one of the most beautiful regions in the world to visit by National Geographic.

The Apulian territory extends in the Southeastern area of ​​Italy and represents the easternmost extremity of the country. The borders of Apulia with the other Italian regions are all located towards the west and refer to, from south to north, Basilicata, Campania and Molise. The sharing of the territory is rather balanced with a clear prevalence of plains (about 53%) and hills (about 43%) and only 2% of mountains, which are located above all in the Province of Foggia with the peaks of the Cornacchia (about 1151 m) and Calvo (about 1055 m) mountains.

Traveling from north to south throughout the Apulian territory, one immediately comes across the lands of Capitanata, in the Province of Foggia, where it is possible to admire the mountains of the Gargano and the Dauno Sub-Apennine and the vast cultivated plains of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, crossed by the waters of the Ofanto river up to the Adriatic coast in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. Going on towards south it crosses the area of the Apulian Murge, a hilly area that best represents the hinterland of the Terra di Bari up to the borders with the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi. The Murge is the Apulian landscape par excellence, where some very important symbols of this region stand out such as Castel del Monte, the trulli of Alberobello and Valle d'Itria and the olive trees. Going further down, it is possible to come across the wonderful Salento, a part of the Apulian territory which has no borders with other lands except the sea and which makes it, with its amazing beaches, the main attraction for the Province of Lecce.

The population of this region counts almost 4 million inhabitants, distributed mainly (in descending order) in the most important Apulian cities such as the capital Bari, Taranto, Foggia, Andria, Lecce, Barletta, Brindisi and Trani. Other populous towns in this region are Altamura, Molfetta, Cerignola, Bitonto, Conversano, Monopoli and Martina Franca. From a tourist point of view, however, the most suggestive and renowned destinations to go on holiday in Apulia are certainly Vieste, Rodi Garganico, Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Otranto, Castellana Grotte, Porto Cesareo, Santa Maria di Leuca and Gallipoli.

The Apulian history is very ancient and charming, showing traces of the first human settlements in this area in prehistoric age. The origin of the name Apulia derives from the Apuli, the general name given to the populations who lived in this region before Romansa, in particular Iapigi, Peuceti and Dauni. Over the centuries, with the passage first of the Romans, then of the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans and more recently of the Spanish and French, Apulia has experienced profound economic, aesthetic and cultural transformations which have soon transformed it into a true crossroads between the West and the East. A union made even stronger by some key historical figures acknowledged as symbols of this region, such as Joachim Murat (representing Napoleon), the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and St. Nicholas, the saint of the people among the most worshipped in the world whose Basilica is located in Bari.

Apulia is a very famous land also for the goodness of its traditional cuisine and the excellent quality of some typical products. Among the most famous traditional Apulian recipes cannot be missing such as orecchiette with turnip greens, the "Bari baked rice" with potatoes and mussels and spaghetti all'assassina. However, we must not forget about the seafood specialties such as octopus, the irresistible street food such as focaccia and panzerotti and delicious desserts such as pasticciotto. Among the most famous Apulian local products, olive oil, bread of Altamura, taralli, fresh cheeses and some fine wines such as Primitivo di Manduria certainly stand out.

In terms of transport, Apulia can count on the presence of two international airports, in particular the Karol Wojtyła Airport of Bari-Palese (among the most important also at national level) and the Salento Airport of Brindisi-Casale. The ports are also very relevant which are widely located throughout the territory considering the very long coast side of the region: the most important is the Port of Bari, used for commercial, merchant and above all tourist purposes due to the direct routes to Greece, Albania and Montenegro. To travel within the territory it is possible to use the national railways system and local ones, such as the Ferrovie del Nord Barese, Sud Est, Gargano and Appulo Lucane. It is also possible to move quite easily by car by driving to the A14 and A16 highways and the state roads that connect the main cities: the most famous is the road called Statale 100 which connects Bari and the Province of Taranto, the two most populous centers in the region.

The Apulian economy is one of the most developed in southern Italy, keeping its roots in quality food farming and agribusiness production and excellent tourism, but with an eye wide open to the future with large investments in innovation, in the tertiary sector and scientific research. Visiting and discovering the beauties of Apulia is the perfect experience for a journey through history, arts and tradition, good food and wonderful landscapes immersed in the energy of its urban reality. Bari in particular, capital of the region and metropolitan city, is a perfect example of a cosmopolitan town closely linked to its roots, but looking with passion towards the future.