Vasto - Central Italy - By Night

Vasto After Dusk

As the dusk falls over Vasto, so the Passeggiata begins. The transformation which takes over from the quiet of daytime Vasto is nothing short of astonishing. This medium sized town is made for the night. In the afternoons a scattering of individuals pass by on the quiet streets. The cafes have a handful of patrons. The piazzas have but one or two sharing a quiet conversation. Many of the shops are closed, the shutters down. The town feels almost deserted, In Vasto the tradition of siesta is alive and well.

But it is the evening that Vasto is born for. As dusk falls the elaborate street decorations gradually twinkle into life. As the skies darken the lights which are at first barely visible, blossom into a kaleidoscope of multi-coloured coronets and rosettes, Street lamps shed their amber light and the paving stones glow in the colours of the night. The residents of Vasto emerge from their houses and begin to fill the streets, The shutters come up, the shops come alive.

The town of Vasto is a town where the tradition of  Passeggiatta can be seen in its fullest sense. The promenade where old and young, families and lovers stroll is a circuitous route winding through the central square of the town and then around the perimeter where the Old Town walls still remain and the castle towers still stand. This perimeter wall is the boundary to Vasto Old Town. From it the hillside drops away to the expansive view of Vasto a Mare and the deep blue sea far below. The promenade is wide but it fills with the residents of Vasto. Not a weekend, just an ordinary week day warm summer's evening.



It is now that the cafes and bars come to life and the street tables are filled with young and old enjoying a family gathering over a meal, or an intimate dinner for two. In the central piazza sides of meat sear over open flames. Chunks of this sizzling smoky meat are carved off  and sold in bread rolls to the passers by. Small stalls cluster around the area, selling trinkets and jewellery.

Once the crowds ease and the night's activities come to an end these stalls will be packed away and gone. Tomorrow night they will return to do it all again. In Vasto the days are calm and tranquil, but the nights are rich and exciting. It is a town of many shades.'

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Vasto by Day

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Vasto - Central Italy - By Day

High Town Low Town Day Town Night Town

A journey up the east coast of Italy will lead you to many seaside towns full of charm and history. Rimmed by the blue, blue ocean and long stretches of sandy beach, these are glorious places to spend some time. Vasto is a town such as this, dominated as it is by its multi-layered castle and walls, with the town clustered around the foot of the castle. Vasto is divided between the hilltop town where the castle and Centro Storico can be found, and the low lying beach-front town of Marina de Vasto where most of the tourist hotels and shops are based.

The hilltop Centro Storico however, has a charm all its own. Much of the ancient town remains in tact, and the towers and walls surrounding the castle are weaved into the fabric of the town itself. Restaurants tuck into the shelter of the old stone walls. Wide stone walkways weave in and out of the town, circling the castle, opening out into spacious squares and plazas then closing in between tall plastered walls.

From many vantage points the views spread out across the Marina de Vasto below. The wide expanse of golden beach clings to the curve of the bay and the buildings camouflage among the many trees clustered along the shore. The low-rise urban landscape folds pleasantly into the leafy plane of the bay. Many of the hilltown cafes and restaurants take advantage of this panoramic spectacular view.

Vasto has a long history - its oldest buildings dating from the fifteenth century - and many of its oldest buildings are built over even older remains which once occupied the same sites. It is not just the historic castle to see in Vasto. There are beautiful gardens, pleasing squares and fountains. The Palazzo d'Ávalos is full of colour and charm. There are layer upon layer of ancient buildings pressed in around narrow streets; there are gates and arches, cobbled lanes and interesting nooks and crannies to explore.


Near to Vasto you will find the odd trabucco where you may see the vast nets being hauled out of the sea heavy with fish. On a sunny day there is no place nicer to spend some time than Vasto. However it is at night that Vasto truly comes alive. (see Vasto by Night)

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The Trabucchi of the Gargano Peninsula

At Last, The Trabucchi

The uniqueness of the Gargano Peninsula is truly captured by one specific and unusual feature. This is something you will see nowhere else in Italy. Furthermore it is a feature which is declining - only a few remain. These are the wild and fabulous trabucchi - the essence of the Gargano Peninsula and the Puglia way of life. Puglia still stands alone in Italy. - its lifestyle and its customs a little apart, a little different, uncompromising, unwilling to be fully assimilated.


The trabucchi are fabulous creations; - spindly, wired, their long tentacle arms reaching out into the sea, sometimes with their nets dangling ready to be raised or lowered into the frothing waters below. These trabucchi sit perched on the very edge of the rugged coast, leaning out into the ocean.
They are few and far between. Some are abandoned, some still operate. Their construction is thin and lean - tall poles, boarded walls, a meagre roof, Cables anchor their spindly pole masts back into the cliffs as they lean outwards over the ocean. It is a miracle they survive, for the Adriatic can whip up a mighty storm at times.


The trabucchi are not easily seen as you drive the highway on the cliffs above. Often they are down far below, tucked almost out of sight. But they are worth seeking out. There is at least one trabucco -  near to  Peschici, - which has a restaurant attached. Here the freshest of fish are served and the wine flows freely. This trabucco restaurant is again right on the rocky coastal cliffs - in parts suspended out over the water. On most days the sea spray will drift over you as you dine, and occasionally the waves will crash right over the decks.


This is wonderful architecture - at one with the land and the sea, made from weathered timbers and from the discarded poles of prior trabucchi, divided into booths and areas by suspended fishing nets, decorated by colourful buoys, There is little cover, - the restaurant is only open during the summer months and even then unseasonable storms can still roll in, temporarily closing the restaurant. But this is the time to come, when the sun shines warm and the sea seethes and boils but remains at bay.

Apparently the Phoenicians brought the trabucchi style of fishing to Italy, having seen this in China where similar still remain. In Vietnam, in India and no doubt elsewhere, you will see these fishing net contraptions over rivers and sea. Today the few that still stand in Puglia are protected, so will remain, However there will still always be weather and time to contend with.

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Peschici on the Gargano Peninsula

Peschici Coastal Charm

The small town of Peschici sits on a rocky outcrop jutting into the Adriatic on the Gargano Peninsla. The houses of Peschici sprawl across this hostile cliff-top and spill in tiers down the terraced cliff face below. From the streets you will see on the horizon the islands of Croatia - the closest only 32 kilometers away.

Peschici is a stunningly beautiful fishing village which tumbles down its rocky hillside. It is reminiscent in many ways of the villages of the Sorrentine Peninsula, in its rocky outcrops and steep cliff faces. However Peschici is different in that it is still essentially a fishing village rather than a tourist resort.



Whilst the numbers do swell in the summer months the streets are never overcrowded and as the peak of the season passes, the numbers quickly drop away again.







Around Peschici the Gargano national parks spread out to the north and south creating carpets of green forestry broken by the promontories and coves which dot the coast. The juxtaposition of white-washed Italian villages fringed by verdant green forests creates the variety and contrast which the Gargano Peninsula is known for.













In Peschici itself, the narrow streets twist and wind up the hillside to the apex where the views stretch out in all directions. Peschici has a long and ancient history. A nearby cave has traces of prehistoric inhabitants and nearby also, are the ruins of one of Italy's most ancient abbeys. On this hilltop remain the walls of a sturdy castle, and these walls are incorporated into the houses, shops and cafes below.

This is a Norman castle and bridge tower, dating from the eleventh century. It marks the heart of the village, and the churches and white washed houses crowd around the cobbled streets and courtyards at its foot. Villagers and locals gather in the village square below the castle as each day ends and the warm sun rebounds off the cobbles. Laughter and chatter fill the warm twilight air as dusk falls and a shared meal is enjoyed.

Peschici with its glorious harbour, its sandy beaches and its historic Old Town is a gem to be discovered and enjoyed. It is small, - no more than a large village or a small town. It is true to its past but understands that its future is as much about the visitors that come as it is about the unpredictable sea in all its moods, which surrounds it.

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Trani, Southern Italy

A Safe Harbour

Sometimes history's choices may seem harsh but with time the greatest injustices may have the best results. Trani was once the most significant and prominent port on the Adriatic Sea. It was the capital of the Apulia province. It was the centre of trade and foremost in importance in its region. However times change and the neighbouring city of Bari gradually overtook Trani in prominence and stature. The result is a small city or large town which is all about its harbour, its fishing industry, its gentle pace and its waterfront with its unbeatable picturesque appeal.







In Trani you will want to stroll, to observe, to photograph. The waterfront park is a peaceful and attractive spot. The harbour is full of a mixture of pleasure crafts and fishing boats. The seafood is of course the freshest.









Each morning the waterfront comes alive as the fishing fleet returns to port. Umbrellas are raised against the rising sun - or sometimes the rain, - and the catch is sold to those who come to buy. Here you will see sole, globy, benny, pipefish - all caught in the early hours of the morning; -  the freshest of fish available to you - but more likely to the local restaurants where you will eat and enjoy.

Trani Cathedral overlooks the waterfront adding height and grandeur to the ever-changing sea front. It is a twelfth century cathedral, significant for its sensitive proportions and tall tower which overlooks the harbour and can be seen through unexpected view-shafts throughout the town.

Trani is not a place of spectacular tourism or outstanding sights, but it is a casual friendly town of manageable proportions where it is easy to simply hang out and feel very much at home. Additionally it is a town of great beauty with a harbour of exceptional drama, surrounded by buildings from multiple centuries, all gathered together to create a street-scape which is unpretentious but authentic.











Trani is not essentially a tourist town. It is a town where you can meld in with the locals and gain an understanding of daily life in small-town southern Italy as the locals go about their business. This pretty town will welcome you as you enjoy and explore the area, but do not expect a town catering to the tourist trade. Rather, expect to gradually assimilate. Given time you may be treated as a local, -  a true chance to understand the spirit of southern Italy,

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Matera, Italy. Don't Miss It!

A Subterranean Settlement

 On the southern cliff face of the deep ravine where Matera was founded, the rocky uninhabited surfaces dotted with small caves can be seen. On the east face of the ravine also,there are ancient caves, and it is here that inhabitants began to make use of these natural features gradually building outwards, clinging to the rocks to create shelter as well as digging even deeper into the cliffs to hollow out alcoves and rooms where homes took root. On the west wall of the ravine as the river takes a turn far below, are further cave houses.., many still deserted, bur some now being reclaimed and re-inhabited.
































The recent history of the cave dwellers of Matera is a surprising story which indicates the mistakes which can be made by well meaning individuals and agencies. The cave dwellers of Matera were discovered in the fifties by media who ran shock stories of disapproval at the primitive nature of the living conditions and the perceived poverty of those living there. The city fathers were shamed into taking action and local inhabitants were compelled to re-house in dwellings in the more modern part of Matera. But repetitive modern council housing is not to everyone's taste. Over time the locals have returned in ones and twos to their old dwellings and now the Sassi are alive once more.

In fact the uniqueness of the Sassi has made this not just a tolerated area. Now this has become the desirable quarter of Matera where tourists prefer to go to experience a street-scape and a lifestyle truly different. Since 1993 the cave homes of Matera have been reinvented under the protection of Unesco. It is believed that these are the first settlements of Italy, and the history of the region dates back to the Paleolithic period. This is in fact a troglodyte settlement - a settlement  of cave dwellers. Moore recently - in the third century BC, - the area became a Roman settlement known as Mathlea, Known also as La Cita Sotteranea, - the subterranean city - and as the Sassi of Matera, the town has become famed throughout Italy for its surreal landscape and sense of living history.








With churches, restaurants and hotel rooms carved into the rocks, Matera offers something exceptional in its make-up. Chic hotels where rooms are half burred into the honeycombed hillside provide a nest-like atmosphere, - a strange combination of raw nature and luxury living.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

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Matera - Town of Caves

The Grey Veil

The strangely grey town of Matera has a history as unique and unusual as its landscape. From the moment of arrival you will know that there is something different about Matera - a town as unearthly and mysterious as it is beautiful. Matera is carved out of the steep cliffs which surround the valley it looks out over. The valley floor is far below and on the other side of the valley only sparse bushes and the caves of the pock marked cliff face can be seen. But on the west side a town has formed;  an ancient town where folk have lived the same way for centuries. No colour breaks the scene, Only at nights the amber of the street lights and the small glow through the windows of family homes can be seen.

The cliff faces where the houses of Matera have taken root are steep and inhospitable. Mostly there are only small paths and stairs as access- ways. Few roadways make their way up the cliff. At the top of the valley the rooftops of Matera's New Town can be seen. But the valley remains the domain of the cliff dwellers. Matera Old Town has the presence of antiquity. It feels untouched, impenetrable, unyielding to modern times. It is a town of the past which has survived to the present day, somehow escaping all modernisation. The grayness of ancient Matera in particular, sets it aside from other historic towns where the colours of paint and decoration have changed the face of the past.






The historic face of Matera is not its only face. There is the modern part of this town also, which resembles medium sized urban towns found all over Italy. But the old stone cave houses, -  the Sassi of Matera - are the face of the town which is so unique and and which creates a backdrop to be found nowhere else in Italy.

The film industry has also discovered Matera, with many shoots now taking place in amongst the cave-homes, the stone paths and the churches part buried into the rocks. As you watch on the big screen whether you are in ancient Rome or Jerusalem, or in the Sassi of Matera, you may never know.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

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