Ceramic tour and Apulia Canyon

You will learn about the origins and history of the art of ceramics, you will delve into the meanders of an underground city, you will see close up medieval rock churches with evocative frescoes and finally a magnificent experience in the Grottaglie district, a visit to a nineteenth-century garden with a rock church and ceramic workshop.

3 nights and 4 days

Day 1
Arrival at the Hotel/B&B 

Day 2
Breakfast and departure for Laterza: A small village in the province of Taranto, famous for its ravine, for the art of ceramic and for its characteristic bread.
You will visit the LaterzaCeramic Museum "Il MuMa" housed in the MarchesalePalace which contains testimonies of Laertina ceramic art, produced between the second half of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century, and tells of the local artisan and artistic memory.
The tour continues in the historic center up to the Belvedere Vado Le Sete where you will admire an enchanting landscape such as the ravines of Laterza, one of the largest canyons in Europe.
On the wall of the lookout there is the monument of Laterza bread, a typical product of the city.

For lunch we will go to taste the typical products of Laterza, remaining in the specialty of white art.

 In the afternoon you will continue towards Castellaneta.
Castellaneta is located in the Gravine Regional Park and is characterized by a fascinating landscape with the presence of archaeological and rock settlements.
The historic center originates in the medieval period, catheterized by narrow streets and paved streets.
In the underground of the historic center of Castellaneta, covered by houses, there are a series of tunnels obtained from the rock where you will find a real underground city with churches, oil mills, cellars, stables. A fascinating journey through labyrinths, places and legends of a forgotten place recovered thanks to the Friends of the Gravine.
Return to the hotel 
Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3
Breakfast and departure for Mottola, a small town in the province of Taranto which stands on a hill at 387 meters, due to this position it is possible to enjoy a splendid view that allows you to admire part of the Ionian coast.
Mottola is known for its rock churches, from the medieval era with frescoes of a sacred nature.
Among the best known for its beauty is the cave of San Nicola. For its frescoes it has been defined as the Sistine Chapel of the rock civilization in the south.
The decorations of the church present various testimonies of the different theological and artistic influences that have crossed this territory.
The second cave to visit will be the church of San Gregorio: the layout of the church, seven meters long and eight meters wide, with an inscribed Greek cross, is of the basilica type, with three naves and three semicircular apses with a concave bottom.
In the church of San Gregorio there are three frescoes, the most important is Pantocrator, compared to the depiction in the Monreale cathedral.
After this wonderful experience among the frescoes of the caves of God, there will be a visit to a farm with tasting of typical cheeses, focaccia and cured meats.

Lunch break

In the afternoon we will go to Grottaglie known for its ceramics, we will go to the ceramics district, a characteristic and colorful place due to the color of the majolica that adorn the shops in the neighborhood and the creations of the master ceramists
The ceramics district in Grottaglie developed along the Gravina di San Giorgio at the foot of the Castle, the origins of the district date back to the Middle Ages.
The expert ceramists have opened their laboratories exploiting the natural cavities, directly in the rock in ancient underground environments, to create the cooking ovens.
We will visit a workshop and the house of a master ceramist Cosimo Vestita. You will be fascinated by the wonderful nineteenth-century garden with a colonnade and ancient prickly pear plants. Below the house, following some garden work, an ancient rock church of medieval origin was discovered.
The church has a single nave with three apses where Santa Barbara and San Nicola are depicted and a Blessing Christ in the center.
For those who want to try their hand at ceramic art there will be a small workshop to create a ceramic object.
I'm going back to the hotel
Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4
Breakfast and end of the tour!

N.B. the order of activities may vary according to availability. 

The fee includes

3 night stay

Tastings

Guided tours

Medical insurance

The fee does not included:

Transfer for travel

Guide and companion

Anything not expressly indicated under "the price includes"

CONTACT US FOR A QUOTE!

Booking Conditions

If you book 31 days or more 30% deposit
The balance must be paid within 30 days of departure

Cancellation Policy

from the 31st day of departure full refund of the amount
From the 30th day to the 21st day of departure 50% penalty.
From the 20th day of departure the entire amount will be retained.