APULIA

Puglia, or Apulia as it is called in English, is Italy's boot heel, its southeastern most region. Gateway to and from the East, it has been conquered by legions of foreign rulers, most of whom were careful to live elsewhere. The notable exception was Frederick II (1194-1250), the last Emperor of the Hohenstaufen line. An enlightened man, he built many castles which still grace the region, along with acres and acres of vineyards and olive groves. Apulia produces one-tenth of the wine drunk in Europe; its olive oil is renowned.

  Trains and buses are not very effective in Apulia, so renting a car or cycling is highly recommended. Foggia is the logical entry point for the region. Drive to Lucera, dominated by Frederick's massive Fortezza Angioina, a pentagonal castle with 24 defense towers studding its one-half mile of perimeter walls. The simple Gothic cathedral is one of the few intact examples of Angevin architecture in Italy, and the amphitheater, dating from the 1st century BC, is among the oldest Roman ones in existence. Eighteen miles away is Troia, where the cathedral is a fine example of Apulian style, combining classic romanesque architecture with detailed Oriental carvings.

Heading east, stop in Siponto to see the 11th-century church of Santa Maria, situated in a quiet pine grove surrounded by Roman ruins. Continue east, past Manfredonia, embarkation point for the Crusaders, and on to Monte Sant'Angelo, one of Europe's oldest and most revered Christian shrines. From here begins one of those legendary Italian roads, the coastal route around the Gargano promontory. As you drive up to heights of 3000 feet, to your left will be the Foresta Umbra (Shady Forest), a 62,000-acre treasure trove of ancient pine, oak, beech, chestnuts and 2,000 other species of plant, shrub and tree. The forest is inhabited by hundreds of animal species, many of whom came from the Balkans and were stranded here when Yugoslavia broke away from the Italian heel. To your left will be one of the most pristine stretches of the Adriatic Sea, lined with crystal-clear waters, gleaming white beaches, mysterious grottos and dozens of trabucchi, rustic fishermen's taverns serving freshly-caught fish. If you're here in summer, visit the Gargano on weekdays to avoid the crowds; use the towns of Rodi Garganico, Peschici or Mattinata as your base for the same reason. On the road from Peschici to San Menaio, you'll have trouble missing Lo Zappino dello Scorzone, Italy's tallest Aleppo pine. Seven hundred years old, it measures sixteen feet around at the base.

Heading south along the coast you'll reach Barletta, which has a romanesque cathedral that is greatly overshadowed by the town's most famous monument, a 16-foot tall Colossus statue cast in Constantinople in the 4th century. Pilfered by the Venetians (along with the four bronze horses that now top St. Mark's Basilica), this statue was shipwrecked and washed ashore here in the 14th century. Turning inland, visit Apulia's leading monument, the 13th-century Castel del Monte. Frederick II's favorite hunting lodge, it is an octagonal stone castle with eight towers and eight trapezoidal rooms on each floor. Pale and purely Gothic, it dominates an entire valley outside of Andria (open Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. from April to September and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. the rest of the year).

Back on the coast road, stop in Trani, which boasts a lovely medieval quarter and a picturesque fishing port. The town cathedral is literally perched at the edge of the water; best viewed at sunset, the off-white building actually contains three churches layered atop each other. A few miles away is Molfetta, where you should stop to see the old cathedral, distinguished from the new one by the former's three domes and two bell towers. To see the culmination of Apulian romanesque architecture, take a short inland detour to visit Bitonto's cathedral.

Bari is Apulia's main city, thus a visit would seem de rigeur. Or you may be forced to stop there on your way to Greece or to attend the Fiera del Levante, one of Europe's leading trade fairs. Well, take advantage of your fate and visit the church of San Nicola, where Santa Claus' bones are buried under the altar. The impressive building was Apulia's first Norman church, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. Nearby is the Swabian castle which Frederick II entirely redesigned. The only part of Bari wor th visiting is the old town, whose narrow stone streets, arched alleyways, pastel buildings and ancient churches do provide an unforgettably exotic atmosphere. But the neighborhood is dangerous; if you want to see it, do not wear anything valuable, nor leave valuables in your car (not even locked in the trunk).

The best idea is to avoid Bari altogether, heading inland toward Altamura, whose cathedral was rebuilt by Frederick II after the Saracens sacked the town. Just across the valley is Gravina in Puglia, an eery place where carved skeletons seem to lurk on every corner and one of the two grotto churches, S. Michele, hosts a cemetery filled with the neatly-stacked bones of Saracen victims.

Travel back toward the coast now, stopping in Castellana Grotte to see the caverns, thought to be the deepest in Europe. Then head south into Apulia's most magical region, the land of the trulli (pictured at left), gnome-like cylindrical huts made with no mortar and topped with conical gray stone roofs resembling beehives. Alberobello is the capital of trullo territory; here, street after street is lined with the whitewashed buildings, many of which have been converted into shops or restaurants. But the trullo is an ancient, mystical dwelling, and nowhere is it more satisfying to see than alongside the narrow local roads, surrounded by ancient olive trees straining up from the deep terra-cotta colored earth. Many of these rural trulli date from the 1600s and have been painted pastel colors; indecipherable hex symbols stand out clearly against the gray stone roofs.

A few miles farther south, the town of Locorotondo is laid out in concentric circles on its hillside overlooking a valley blanketed with vineyards. Still farther on is the local jewel, Martina Franca, a baroque town whose Palazzo Ducale is the only building in southern Italy attributed to the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The church of San Martino is also a jewel. More delightfully picturesque whitewashed hill towns abound, notably Cisternino and Ostuni, a shimmering mirage set on three hilltops. Its white walls, wrought-iron balconies and turquoise shutters will delight the eye of anyone who loves Greece.

Like so many of Apulia's large cities, Brindisi is best left to its inhabitants and the sailors and Greece-bound travelers who swarm around its port, where a marble column marks the end of the ancient Appian Way. Far, far more worthwhile is to travel on to Lecce, the pink city, the Florence of the Baroque, the gleaming gem of Apulia. Few travelers venture this far, and even fewer go on to Otranto, Italy's easternmost city. If you do, you will be rewarded with a 15th-century Aragonese castle and a cathedral whose entire floor is covered by an unforgettable 12th-century Tree of Life mosaic.

 Heading south from here, the coastal road is lined with massive, almost Moorish villas, adorable flocks of grazing sheep and the deep turquoise waters of the Adriatic. Travel around the southeastern tip of Italy at Santa Maria di Leuca and then northward to Gallipoli, a medieval town reached by crossing an ancient bridge. Here, among the timeworn walls, the picturesque fishing port, the Angevin castle and the baroque cathedral, you will hear very few tourists speaking English.

The tour of Apulia is completed by driving north along the coast, past some of Italy's most pristine beaches, to Taranto, whose Archeological Museum is second only to that of Naples. Here too you will find an ancient bridge, Roman ruins, an Aragonese castle, a baroque cathedral with a Byzantine cupola, a Doric column from the Greek temple of Poseidon: calling cards left by the legions of conquerors who have marched through Apulia over the last two millennia.

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