The Valle d’Itria, or Itria Valley, is the gentle green heart of Puglia, spread across the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto. Low limestone plateaus roll into olive groves and vineyards, dry-stone walls run between the fields, and the white towns sit on their hills a few kilometres apart.
The name is thought to come from the Basilian monks’ devotion to the Madonna Odegitria, the Virgin Mary “who shows the way”. Messapians, Greeks and Romans, then Goths and Lombards, all passed through, and their traces survive in places such as the old Capuchin Monastery in Martina Franca.
Above all, though, this is the land of the trulli: dry-stone houses with conical roofs, clustered in towns such as Alberobello and Locorotondo and scattered across the countryside. Sooner or later every visitor wants to know how they were built, and what the symbols painted on their roofs mean.
Trulli: how they were built, and why
A trullo is built entirely without mortar, from local limestone. The walls are thick, which keeps the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter, and the conical roof is a clever piece of practical engineering rather than decoration. Many roofs carry a pinnacle and a painted symbol, from simple shapes to religious or mystical signs, which gives each trullo its own identity.
Trulli date back to the 14th century. According to local legend, they were built without mortar so that they could be taken down quickly: when the Kingdom of Naples sent its tax collectors, residents could dismantle their homes to avoid property taxes, then rebuild them once the inspectors had gone.
Towns to see in the Valle d’Itria
Alberobello
Alberobello’s trulli have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. The Rione Monti quarter is a maze of more than 1,000 trulli, many now souvenir shops and cafés. Trullo Sovrano, a two-storey trullo from the 17th century, shows how the building style developed. For a quieter walk, cross to Rione Aia Piccola, a less commercial neighbourhood of around 400 trulli. The Church of St. Anthony of Padua is itself built in trullo form, and well worth a look. Before you leave, try the bombette, small pork rolls that are a local speciality.
Locorotondo
Locorotondo is known as the “most beautiful balcony in the Murgia dei Trulli”, and its round, spiralling old town does look out over wide views of the countryside. The cummerse, tall white houses with pitched, pointed roofs, are particular to the town. Look for the Church of San Giorgio, the Church of the Madonna della Greca and the clock tower. In summer, the Sagra degli Gnumeredde Suffuchete celebrates the local food, above all gnummareddi, rolls of offal cooked straight on the grill.
Martina Franca
Martina Franca is the valley’s Baroque showpiece. Its historic centre includes the Ducal Palace, an imposing Baroque building from 1668, Piazza Roma, the town’s central square, and the Basilica di San Martino with its white marble façade. Inside the Basilica di San Martino hang paintings of the Neapolitan school from the second half of the 1700s. Outside town, the Bosco delle Pianelle nature reserve offers oak woods and Mediterranean scrub. At table, look for capocollo di Martina Franca, cured with vincotto, and the local Martina Franca wines.
Cisternino
Cisternino is one of the prettiest towns in the valley, with a medieval centre of narrow lanes and a strong food tradition. It is known for its olive oil, and for its butchers’ grills: bombette, donkey meat chops and gnummareddi are all local favourites. For many visitors, dinner is the main reason to come.
Ostuni
Ostuni, the “white city”, rises over three hills. La Terra, the historic centre, holds the 15th-century cathedral and the remains of the castle. The Ostuni Archaeological Park takes you back to prehistory, with traces of dinosaurs and early human settlement. The town’s big celebration is the feast of its patron saint, Sant’Oronzo. For the local cuisine, try lampascioni (bitter wild bulbs) and orecchiette with turnip tops.
Natural and cultural attractions
Grotte di Castellana
The Castellana Caves form Italy’s longest natural underground network, shaped over millions of years. Guided tours lead through linked galleries of stalactites, stalagmites, canyons and chambers, including the Grotta Bianca, made entirely of alabaster.
Pair the caves with the Museo Speleologico Franco Anelli, described below.
Museo Speleologico Franco Anelli
Linked to the Grotte di Castellana, this museum explains speleology and displays geological specimens. It makes a good companion to the cave tour, especially for curious children.
Museo di Civiltà Preclassiche della Murgia
This museum in Ostuni holds prehistoric finds and archaeological collections that trace the area’s long history. Its best-known exhibit is “Delia”, the remains of a pregnant woman who lived some 25,000 years ago.
Food and wine of the Valle d’Itria
Meat from the grill is the valley’s great pleasure: bombette, the small pork rolls, and gnummareddi, rolls of offal. To drink, look for Martina Franca DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) and the white Locorotondo DOC.
Festivals in the Valle d’Itria
The towns keep a full calendar. Ostuni is particularly lovely in the weeks of its Christmas celebrations. In summer, Locorotondo’s Sagra degli Gnumeredde Suffuchete brings residents and visitors together over the town’s traditional dishes.
If you can, plan around a local feast such as the “Gift to St. George” in Locorotondo, which shows the community at its most characteristic. Each village in the valley has its own traditions, so it pays to ask what is on.
Travel tips for exploring the Valle d’Itria
Consider staying in a masseria, a traditional Apulian farmhouse. Many are scattered through the countryside, and they offer comfortable rooms with a real sense of the region’s farming life.
A car is close to essential. Public transport between the towns is limited, and the pleasure of the valley lies in the small roads between Alberobello, Locorotondo and Cisternino. Take your time: the distances are short, and the lanes reward a slow pace.
Travelling with children? Note the nearest hospital before you set off. Our guide to hospitals and children’s emergency care in the Valle d’Itria covers A&E at Martina Franca, Monopoli-Fasano and Ostuni, the out-of-hours doctor and duty pharmacies.
Before you go
The Valle d’Itria rewards slow travel: trulli in the fields, Baroque Martina Franca, the lanes of Cisternino, and long dinners at a masseria. Choose one or two towns a day, leave time for lunch, and let the valley set the pace.
