The best hikes from bus stations in Riserva Naturale Regionale Orientata "Bosco Delle Pianelle"

The most beautiful and hidden Martina from the great flows

The Porta di San Nicola overlooks the south-western side of the ancient city walls. The name of San Nicola is attributed to the ancient extra-moenia church of San Nicola del Pendino (vico I Mario Pagano), currently reduced to ruins and deconsecrated. Today it is identified as Porta di San Francesco due to its proximity to the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi built at the end of the 17th century. In reality this is considered the oldest gate in Martina Franca, in fact, in some historical documents it is defined as the Porta Maggiore, since it allowed access to the first settlement that developed in Martina in the Angevin period and which led, through via Mazzini, to the ancient Church of San Vito. This gate has also undergone several renovations over the centuries, the most visible of which was the construction of an upper floor. In 1753, a private citizen, Pietro Bruni, obtained permission from the University (local parliament) to demolish and rebuild the medieval gate with the possibility of building a room in the upper part at his own expense. This structural intervention transformed what was originally a defensive lodge into a fully-fledged civilian room. Inside the gate, in the upper corners, you can still admire the stone rings that served to hold the hinges of the entrance door and, in addition, votive shrines from the early twentieth century dedicated to the Madonna are positioned on the walls, clear evidence of the popular devotion of the time. The ancient fair of San Nicola used to take place in the space in front of this gate. It was the first fair established in Martina and made official in 1368 by Philip II of Anjou. It took place on May 15th and lasted eight days, becoming the point of reference for merchants and buyers in the area. A few meters from the gate stands the tower of the same name, Torre di San Nicola, 12 and a half meters high and 8 meters in diameter. It preserves all its architectural components intact (sloping wall, torus, shaft and corbels), even though it has now become a civilian residence.

The origins of the fragno are to be found in the Balkans. It is widespread in northern Greece, southern former Yugoslavia and Macedonia. In the Italian peninsula it survives only here in the south-eastern karst plateau of the Murge, where not very large oases bear witness to a much more luxuriant past, when the fragneto certainly covered the entire Apulian Murgia. The fragno (Quercus trojana Webb) is an oak whose specimens can reach a height of 15/20 meters, with a cylindrical trunk that branches only at three to five meters of height and is covered with a bark that is initially smooth and then very fissured and wrinkled.

You can even watch the fresh pasta being made

As the name suggests, there are very tasty homemade pasta

Martina Franca is a charming Apulian village in the Itria Valley. It preserves a historic center that looks like an open-air museum. Founded by citizens of Taranto in the 10th century, it owes its name to San Martino di Tours. It is famous for its "Martinese baroque" and rich cultural and agri-food tradition.

As a memorial to the many dead, such memorials or war memorials are still very important today. "Now, Lord, let your servant go in peace, as you said." However, the people who are commemorated here did not divorce in peace, but became victims of war and tyranny. Many of the places and monuments that you encounter along the way are testimonies of the horrors of war and tyranny - which are still relevant and relevant today. They all have two main functions: -1- Commemorate and remember the victims -2- Remind to keep the peace

Monument commemorating the fallen soldiers.