Apartment for sale in Nardò, Lecce, Puglia, Southern Italy.

This is an interesting apartment for sale in baroque heart of Nardò, council in the province of Lecce and in the region of Puglia. Only few kilometres away from the Ionian west coast and the beatuful beaches of Gallipoli. The asking price is € 75.000,00, but there is a 15% reduction for a quick sale. Please note the price do not include the furnitures. Please contact us info@sispropertyandtourism.co.uk or call us 0039 3470336568.




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SIS Property and Tourism on A Place in Sun - Home or away

On Channel 4 - 31st October 2008 - Series 4: Episode 19

The region of Puglia is divided into the sub-regions of Daunia, Gargano, Tavoliere and Salento. It is then divided into provinces: Foggia, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce. So it’s not straightforward to describe a location.

For example, Gallipoli is in the province of Lecce, the sub-region of Salento in the region of Puglia. Puglia makes 80 per cent of Europe’s pasta, 70 per cent of Italy’s olive oil and ten per cent of the European production of wine. Puglia is never more than 30km wide, so you are always close to the seaside.

In 2005, budget airline started flying to Bari and Brindisi, opening up the area to the overseas property market. Property prices are three times cheaper per square foot than Tuscany so it’s still possible to find a bargain.

See an extract of the program :)


Click here to check the episode overview from A Place in The Sun website.

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Salento and the "Barocco Leccese" from UNESCO World Heritage

The Salento peninsula in South-Eastern Puglia extends, between the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas, from the last hills of Murgia to the headland, Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, and its celebrated homonymous sanctuary, marking Finibus Terrae, which was probably built over the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Minerva. The Salento peninsula is prevalently calcareous, with a typically Karstic landscape, not rich in surface waters, featuring a profusion of underground craters, caves and grottoes.
In the course of the centuries, the landscape was moulded in turn by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Aragonese as this borderland acquired increasing strategic and commercial importance. (...)

However, the distinctive character of the Salento peninsula comes from a series of architectural achievements associated to an artistic phenomenon known as Barocco Leccese, which developed in Lecce, Salento's historical and artistic centre, and in Terra d'Otranto between the second half of the 16th century and the end of the 17th century. In those years, thanks to a particular combination of ideas and circumstances, the culture and urban structure of both town and province were totally re-modelled with works composing an unmistakable urban fabric of extraordinary architectural and artistic value. The local stone, a compact-grained marbled limestone "honey coloured, that can be carved with a penknife" (Cesare Brandi), used as building material greatly enhanced the creativity of local artists. The stone is soft and easy to cut, and it used to be hardened and made resistant to rain and humidity with a very particular process: it was soaked in fluid containing whole milk and this reduced its porosity making the surface hard and compact. (...)

Nardò, at the heart of the Salento peninsula, was an important centre in Roman times and increased its cultural, political and economic relevance during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; in the 18th century, the works of the celebrated Neapolitan architect, Ferdinando Sanfelice, gave it its distinctly Baroque characteristics. This brilliant artist personally designed the church della Purità (1724) and the Cathedral's new façade (1725) and gave impulse to the innovations, already in full swing, focussing on a re-definition of architectural volumes and of the urban structure; the outcome can be admired in the scenic street wings, in the variety of road tracings (a good example is the one connecting the churches Santa Teresa, Santa Croce, San Francesco di Paola, Santa Chiara and San Giuseppe) and in several picturesque villas in the suburban area. (...)

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value
Satements of authenticity and/or integrity
These cities have maintained what is known as ‘Barocco Leccese' - the urban and architectural structures as well as and the decorations - so that this style's building, technological and formal characteristics are easily identifiable. Restorations were performed following adequate methodologies by the competent Superintendent and further improved this property's state of conservation.

Comparison with other similar properties
The architectural school known as ‘Barrocco Leccese' may , in general terms, be compared to that in Western Sicily (Noto, Siracusa, Catania) which, however, was accomplished in one particular circumstance, in the 17th century, immediately after the terrible earthquake. On the contrary, the ‘Barrocco Leccese' covers a much longer period so that a series of buildings, erected at different times, show an extraordinary continuity of style.

Read the full article on http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1149/

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Santa Caterina di Nardò on the ITALIA the Enit Official Guide

The Ionian Sea
Sunkissed.
A marvellous curve of wild, sunkissed beauty:
more than any other area, the Ionian Sea offers
profoundly close contact with nature. Corners
of unchanging beauty where the vivid colours
of the vegetation alternate with the extraordinary
remains left by the many ancient peoples
who, seduced by the landscape, put down
their roots there: from the Phoenicians to the
Greeks, and from the Normans to the Arabs. A
wreath of small tourist centres overlooking an
enchanted sea, where you can enjoy the relaxing
rise and fall of the waves. Moving towards
the interior, we find the primitive charm of a
natural environment still partly unexplored...

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NASA Astronauts ad Nardò Ring in their photo gallery

image credit NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS,and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team


The Astronauts put Nardò Ring in their photo gallery considering it one of the 20 most beautiful place in the world seen from the Space. http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery.asp

The Nardo Ring is a striking visual feature from space, and astronauts have photographed it several times. The Ring is a race car test track that is steeply banked to reduce the amount of active steering needed by drivers. The Ring lies in a remote area on the heel of Italy's "boot," east of the naval port of Taranto and encompasses a number of active (green) and fallow (brown to dark brown) agricultural fields. In this zone of intensive agriculture, farmers gain access to their fields through the Ring via a series of underpasses. Winding features within the southern section of the Ring appear to be smaller, unused race tracks. Read more on http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1084.html

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Down town boutique hotel in Galatone, Lecce, Puglia

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" La Galatea" is a excellent down town Boutique Hotel located in the historical centre of Galatone and formed by 7 self contained apartments, 5 of them are located in the same building " Palazzo Carata- De Ferrariis " (1500-1700 -1800 a breathtaking example of the Baroque architecture and two of them (1500- 1600-1800 ) just 100 yards away. At the ground floor of " Palazzo Carata - de Ferrariis " is the impressing " La Galatea " club house - reception ( double cross vaulted ceilings, exposed stone walls, nice interiors , outstanding flooring) with internet cafe and lounge. The " Il Ficus " apartment guests 8 people, the " La Lavanda " apartment guests 6 people, " La Mimosa " 6 people, " La Ginestra" 4 people and has handicap facilities . The " La Verbena" apartment guests 6 people. The " Il Geranio " apartment guests 6 people, the " Il Glicine " apartment 6 people. This Boutique Hotel consists in about 10.ooo s.f. of covered surface as well as about 5.000 s. f. of terraces and court yards (open spaces).

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The heel of Italy, still wonderfully untrodden by British tourists, is home to some of the country's finest cuisine and wine. Francisca Kellett report

Puglia, the region comprising the "heel" (and the lower calf) of Italy, has long suffered invasions. Over the past 2,000 years and more, the Greeks, the Romans, the Turks and the Venetians have all rampaged through. But tourists have yet to launch a serious incursion and Puglia remains one of those destinations known only to devotees of Italy.
To the Italians, though, the delights of Puglia are nothing new. They've been drawn for decades by the rugged bright-white coastline, its silvery-grey groves of olive and almond trees, and the whitewashed villages of the ancient conical trulli houses.
But the scenery, though pretty, is mostly flat, and not the main draw for tourists; the real reason for coming here is the food and wine. Puglia makes 80 per cent of Italy's pasta and olive oil; there are bountiful crops of tomatoes, figs, fennel and melon, and mozzarella is made by many local producers. Both the northern plains and the Salentine Peninsula are given over to vineyards, producing particularly good reds from the primitivo grape, and some of Italy's best modern wines - known as the Super-Puglians.
Despite Puglia's strong rural feel, it also has a handful of appealing towns worth exploring, such as Lecce, with its extravagant honey-coloured Baroque stonework. The trulli town of Alberobello and the oddly octagonal Castel del Monte are the most popular sights, but even these are free of the crowds found in Tuscany or the Lakes.
While the beaches may not rival those of, say, Sardinia, there are some beautiful stretches that combine well with an inland stay. In the north is the Gargano peninsula, with well-developed sandy beaches, spectacular bright-white cliffs and the dark forests of the Foresta Umbra, popular with hikers and cyclists. Central Puglia has good family beaches, while the bright green coves of the Salentine peninsula have some of the cleanest bathing water in Italy.
Overall it's not an ideal family destination, but it's a good place for couples who are happy to split their time between pottering around little towns and basking on a beach. This falls in line with the choice in accommodation - many of the area's masserias (fortified farm houses) have been converted into smart hotels. They work particularly well for a short, early- or late-season break.
Above all else, Puglia is best-suited to those with a love of all things Italian. This is the place for long lunches, early evening passeggiate (strolls) and drinks watching the comings and goings of fishing boats. Italy's heel, visitors will find, is still a long way from being well-trodden.
(…)
Southern Puglia
Lecce: It's difficult not to be impressed by the frivolity of Lecce's extravagant baroque architecture. A haphazard grid of alleys characterises the centre, where each turn reveals a fresh set of excessive swirls and sculpted façades formed from a honey-coloured stone, which is malleable when quarried but quickly hardens, making it ideal for sculpting. Baroque churches and palazzos abound, but the finest building is the Basilica di Santa Croce, with its decorative stucco and superbly preserved figures.
The Salentine peninsula: South of Lecce is a small stretch of rugged coastline, with few beaches but a handful of seaside towns worth visiting.
Otranto: The old town of Otranto has long spilled beyond its 15th-century walls, but it is the tightly packed centre that remains the main draw. Here, narrow, car-free lanes paved with smooth ivory-coloured stone wind between pockmarked houses. Don't miss the Romanesque cathedral, with a stunning restored 12th-century mosaic covering the floor. Beyond the thick town walls is a modern seaside resort with a small harbour and palm-lined promenade. There's a handful of small but clean beaches, surrounded by cliffs dropping into crystal-clear turquoise water.
The coast road: From Otranto, the countryside opens up into fields - hazy with wildflowers and butterflies in June, parched brown in August - before the road heads back along the cliff-lined coast. It passes through a series of tiny settlements, taken over almost entirely by holiday villas. It's worth pausing briefly in the faded little town of Santa Cesarea Terme, which clings to rocks above a small cove. Have an espresso in Porta D'Oriente; it overlooks a spectacular Moorish villa with a burnt-orange dome and eccentric porticos.
Santa Maria di Leuca: At the southern tip of the peninsula is this lively resort town, with whitewashed houses and a broad promenade busy with strolling families and strutting youngsters. This is one of the few resorts with a beach, although it's small and narrow, with coarse yellow sand and rocky shallows.
Your move When to go June and September are the best times as the temperature has fallen to the high 20s, the main tourist sights are quiet and the beaches are empty.
(…)
Additional research by Nick Trend.
Read in full the article on Telegraph.co.uk

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Happy Easter 2008

Happy Easter 2008
from your Puglia Property Provider
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Trying Italy's heel for size

by Kathryn Hone

Source: Timeonline

The extremes of Italy's southern shores are full of unexpected treasures

THE first time I visited Puglia was by car, travelling the length of Italy in one exhausting July day. After miles of parasols on the bland beaches that flank the Autostrada Adriatica, the road turns inland across a vast plain, the landscape unfurling like a giant map dotted with towns and villages as far as you can see.
On the left, a distant hump denotes the mountainous Gargano peninsula; to the right is a far-off line of hills like a giant's backbone. The red earth between is cultivated with olive groves and wheatfields.
We were bound for Gallipoli, on the Ionian Sea, inside the heel of the Italian boot. In the long, narrow strip of land that makes up Puglia, the southernmost Salento peninsula is the harshest, rockiest area in the whole impoverished region. It is also the least discovered by the outside world, and has the best swimming, in warm, clear water, that I have found anywhere in Italy.
The Ancient Greeks who created outposts of their empire in ports such as Gallipoli (“beautiful city” in Greek) must have felt at home. The arid limestone landscape of cacti and wild herbs feels like parts of Greece.
Today the old city still has a centre of whitewashed houses dominated by a medieval castle on the harbour. At the foot of the castle walls is a daily fish market, a pungent Aladdin's cave of stalls selling tuna, swordfish, squid and shellfish. But to reach the old town, especially in the height of the tourist season, you have to negotiate the traffic of the modern town, with its sprawling street market. Half of northern Italy seems to have come south in search of sunshine and seafood.
The debilitating heat means that our children greet ideas of cultural sightseeing with wails of protest, but we manage to coax them to Lecce, 40km (25 miles) away. The walled city is a golden yellow marvel of Baroque architecture and decoration, its sandstone carvings of beasts and angels on churches and palazzi seeming new-minted. We wandered into the main piazza, a gracious setting for the 17th-century cathedral, its Bishop's Palace and seminary.
It is still a lively university town, with many restaurants offering traditional cucina del Salento. The dishes were the result of poverty - not much meat, some fish, pasta, beans and many vegetables, both wild and cultivated. Orichietti, or little ears, is the distinctive shaped pasta, with cime di rapa, a kind of bitter broccoli; or ciceri e tria, chickpeas with home-made pasta.
Seaside trips were a more popular choice with the family.
Along the coast going north from Gallipoli we paused at the former fishing village of Santa Maria al Bagno, at the entrance to which are four large columns surrounded by palm trees, the remnants of a 17th-century fortress built to keep out Saracen marauders. Along the winding road around the next headland is the magnificent nature reserve of Porto Selvaggio.
We carried our picnic a mile through steep pinewoods throbbing with cicadas down to a rocky inlet. Here the coast is undeveloped, though it is a popular spot packed with visitors in July. The swimming is delicious because ice-cold freshwater springs run into the sea at this point, creating freezing patches of clear water.
An advantage of being on the Ionian coast is that it faces west: in the evening we sat on the rocks with a glass of wine and watched the red sun sink into the sea. Gallipoli's Ancient Greeks probably did the same.

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