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,

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

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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

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Apulia or Puglia - Perfect by Any Name

Ultimate Paradigm

They say that Apulia or Puglia as it is also known, is the savvy destination for the Italian tourist seeking sun, sea, beaches history, and fine Italian fare. In fact Apulia is the province with all the beauty of the more popular travel spots in Italy but without the general influx of tourists that you will find in parts of the Sorrentine Peninsula or further north on the Italian Riviera.



The seaside towns of Apulia are full of charm. Each has grown from a small fishing village to encompass a growing population and yes there are tourists, but the local culture is not overwhelmed. Each has a more hardcore city centre, but around the waterfront the old towns remain. This is a coastline of sun bleached villas and casual markets. It is a coastline where the fish are still sold as the catch comes in, and the cafes offer the freshest of fare. Small tables are clustered outside these cafes and the locals sip their coffee or their wine. The roads are often quiet and the sun warms the air.


In Polignano a Mare the high cliffs tower over the white sand beaches. On top of the cliffs the rectangular white walls of the houses with their roof top terraces, look out onto the Adriatic and beyond. Numbers of caves dot the cliffs, worn and eroded by the waves. In one of those caves an enterprising hotel has made the most of the opportunities of the area and you are able to dine in this restaurant -in-a- cave with tables facing out over the waves washing up the cliff face below. In Torre a Mare the small town is dominated by its sixteenth century tower. This iconic small town is a favourite holiday destination for native Italians, as close as it is to the region's premium town and departure point of Bari.

Monopoli -  a little to the north of Bari - is gritty and industrial in its newer area, but there is an azure blue sea, a sparkling beach and a sheltered boat harbour where you will see the bright colours of the fishing fleet drifting lazily at anchor, reflecting off the water, and the white washed walls of the town glistening in the sun. The Old Town is pristine and spotless, Monopoli takes pride in its colourful hanging pots and planters where the flowering vines tumble down in prolific confusion.

Dotted around the Apulia region the occasional Trulli still persists - usually a single conicle outpost standing alone on the edge of a field. As the road weaves north the Trulli are eventually left behind - unique to one small region of Italy.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

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