GROTTAGLIE 21,8 km from Sogno Salentino
Is a town in the province of Taranto. The southern town, one of the most densely populated to be found in the province, is renowned for its production of traditional artistic ceramics. Located in between the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi, its location has often caused great debate as to which province it belongs to. Famous also for its vineyards, Grottaglie as well as being nicknamed The City of Ceramics is also known as The City of Grapes.
30 km from Sogno Salentino TARANTO
Is the capital of the province of Taranto and this former Ancient Greek colony is the second largest city in Puglia for inhabitants, the first in Salento, and is known as The City of the Two Seas because of its geographic location between Mar Grande and Mar Piccolo. You will also find it referred to as The Land of the Dolphins for the historic settlement of a group of sea mammals beyond the small islands of San Pietro and San Paolo. Taranto also has Spartan roots having been founded by the Spartans and was the only Spartan colony outside of Greek lands. The climate is particularly pleasant with cool breezes from the North soothing holiday makers from the warm air from the Mediterranean while the surrounding hills often act as a block to any bad weather ensuring a mild climate all year round.
LECCE 71 km from Sogno Salentino
Is the capital of the province of Lecce and situated more or less in the middle of the Salento peninsula, it is located 11 kilometers from the Adriatic coast and 23 from the Ionic coast. Its artistic traditions have seen it labelled as The Florence of the South. The ancient Messapian roots and archaeological remains from the Roman Empire mix with the richness and exuberance of the typical 17th century Baroque churches and buildings in the city centre, built by local, malleable limestone ideal for sculpting. The architectural development and decoration of the facades was particularly prolific during the era of the Kingdom of Naples and distinguished the city from others for its Baroque identity. Lecce was also one of the six candidates from Italy for the European capital of culture for the year 2019 and was Italy's capital of culture in 2015.
55 km from Sogno Salentino OSTUNI
Is also known as The White City because of its quaint town centre that was once entirely painted with white lime. Today meanwhile it is only partially so. Its territory is part of south Murgia and borders Salento. A renowned tourist centre, from 1994 to 2015 it received the blue flag and five stars from the Italian environmental group Legambiente for the cleanliness of its waters and the quality of services offered, becoming the city with the cleanest sea in Italy. In 2005, the region of Puglia officially recognised the town as a tourist resort.
ALBEROBELLO 71 km from Sogno Salentino
Is a town near the metropolitan city of Bari, is found in the heart of the Itria Valley and is renowned for its Trulli: typical cylindrical houses with conical roofs. Furthermore, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The history of these very special houses, Trulli, can be traced back to a decree during the era of the Kingdom of Naples which imposed a tax on every new urban settlement. The land owners of the the time sent out and tasked farmers to build homes on these dry lands which could then be easily demolished as to avoid taxation. With only stones available, farmers found the simplest and most solid structure in the round shape with self-supporting dome roof composed of overlapping stones circles. The domed roofs of the Trulli are embellished with decorative spires, whose shape takes its inspiration from symbolic, mystical and religious elements. Depending on the quality of the workmanship of the spire you could tell not only the skill of the artisan, but also the value of the building. Therefore, the more spent on the construction of Trulli allowed you to identify the wealthiest families. As for the symbols painted on the roofs of the Trulli, these often took on a religious significance and sometimes they can be signs of the zodiac.
56 km from Sogno Salentino MARTINA FRANCA
Renowned for its Baroque architecture and Itria music festival, it is situated in the southern offshoots of Murgia, on the border of the provinces of Taranto, Brindisi and Bari. Set on the south-eastern hills of the Murgia, in a position that offers stunning views of the Itria Valley, it is located at an altitude of 431 meters above sea level and it covers an area of ​​295 km², making it the 39th Italian town for urban reach. The animal life is characterised by the presence of hares, foxes, hedgehogs, robins, hawks and various species of owl, as well as a big community of bats. These small and delicate nocturnal mammals that find refuge in the many caves of the mountains, reveal themselves to be incredibly useful as they eliminate pests in agriculture and help to keep intact the fragile natural. The plant life consists of stretches of forest and brush land where the king oyster mushroom grows along with olive trees and vineyards including Verdeca, Bianco d'Alessano and Primitivo Tarantino. The community of Monte Felon is of great archaeological where the Cuoco and Monte Fellone caves are found.
OTRANTO 108 km from Sogno Salentino
Otranto is a town in the province of Lecce found on the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula. What’s more, it is the easternmost town in Italy. At first a Greek-Messapian centre, then Roman, later Byzantine and even Aragonese, it is built around the inspiring castle and the Norman cathedral. An archbishop's residence and major tourist center, it gave its name to the Strait of Otranto, which separates Italy from Albania, and the Terra d'Otranto, the ancient district of the Kingdom of Naples. In 2010, the old town was recognised as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site as a Messenger of Peace and it is among Italy’s most beautiful towns.
72 km from Sogno Salentino GALLIPOLI
Is known as the Pearl of the Ionian and is a town in the province of Lecce. It is located along the west coast of the Salento peninsula and looks out onto the Ionian Sea and is divided into two parts: the new city and the historic center. It was, until 1927, the district capital. An episcopal centre since the 6th century and since 2015 it is the head of the historical cities of the Mediterranean. Gallipoli, which occupies an area of ​​40.35 square kilometers, overlooks the Ionian Sea and boasts a coastline of about 20 km which also includes the towns of Torre del Pizzo, Baia Verde, Lido San Giovanni, Rivabella and Lido Conchiglie. The town centre, located 12 m above sea level, is composed of the old town, situated on a limestone island connected to the mainland by a seventeenth-century bridge, and from the village, which houses the most modern part of the city. The territory is bordered to the north by the town of Sannicola, to the east with the towns of Alezio and Matino, to the south by the town of Taviano and to the west by the Ionian Sea. The town is 37 km from Lecce.
POLIGNANO A MARE 94 km from Sogno Salentino
is the oldest part of the town that stands on a rocky spur overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Of natural interest are its caves while of historically importance is the historic centre and remains from the Roman Empire. The latter includes the bridge in via Traiana, still viable, that crosses Lama Monachile. Since 2008, Polignano a Mare has always received the Blue Flag, an award given by the Foundation for Environmental Education for European coastal resorts that meet quality standards related to the bathing water parameters and services offered regarding cleanliness of the beaches and marinas. It’s also known for being the birthplace of Domenico Modugno.
117 km from da Sogno Salentino BARI
Is the regional capital of Puglia and boasts the joint ninth biggest population in Italy, the third for the South after Naples and Palermo, and the first for the region. Its metropolitan area is the sixth most densely populated in Italy after Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Palermo. What’s more, it is famous for being the city where the relics of St. Nicholas are kept and this has made Bari and its Basilica one of the preferred destinations by the Western Orthodox Church. Bari has a strong trading tradition and has always been a focal point in the field of trade as well as political and cultural contacts with Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Its port lays claim to the largest passenger traffic in the Adriatic Sea. Since 1930, the Levante Exhibition has been held in Bari and more recently, the city has become the headquarters for the secretariat for the Pan-European Corridor 8.
MATERA 104 km from Sogno Salentino
From 1663 to 1806 Matera has been the state capital of the Giustizierato of Basilicata in the Naples reign. During these years, the economics and culture of the city have been growing a lot. Also known as “città dei sassi” (city of the stones) and “città sotterranea” (underground city), is very famous for its historical neighborhoods “Sassi”, which are one of the most ancient housing unit in the world. In 1993 they have been recognized Human Heritage by UNESCO.
Matera ha also been awarded with a Silver Medal to the Military Value as a result of the sacrifices of its populations during the second world war: it was the first south Italian city to fight against the Nazi fascism. In 1954 Matera has been declared Civitas Mariae and on 2014, October 17 th it has been selected European Capital of Toursim 2019, together with Plovdiv.