Martina Franca
The largest baroque town in the Itria Valley, with a white old town, the Ducal Palace and the Cathedral of San Martino, famous for its summer opera festival.
Martina Franca sits on the hills along the southern edge of the Itria Valley. Its old town is known for its 18th-century rococo baroque style, with white walls and carved balconies set side by side. The façade of the Cathedral of San Martino on Piazza Plebiscito is richly ornate, and the nearby Ducal Palace has a fresco hall that can be visited. Every July and August the Valle d'Itria Festival is held, with performances staged outdoors in the Ducal Palace courtyard. The local specialty capocollo, a cured meat, is worth trying. It is about 15 km from Alberobello and can be combined with Locorotondo on the same day. From Bari, the FSE train takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Opening hours
All day (church and ducal palace hours vary)
Nearby sights
- Locorotondo
- Cisternino
- Trulli of Alberobello
- Zoosafari Fasanolandia
- Egnazia Archaeological Park
- Ostuni
- Monopoli Old Port
- Castellana Caves