Cisternino is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' in the province of Brindisi in

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, on the coast of south-eastern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, approximately north-west of the city of Brindisi. It is one of

I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the a ...

("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Its main economic activities are tourism, the growing of olives and grapes, and dairy farming. Cisternino sits in a historic zone of Itria Valley (in Italian: '' Valle d'Itria''), known for its prehistoric conical, dry stone houses called trulli, which are preserved under

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

safeguards due to their cultural significance, dry stone walls (''muretti a secco''), and its fertile soil which makes it the home of the

Salento Salento (; Salentino dialect, Salentino: ''Salentu''; Griko language, Salento Griko: ) is a Cultural area, cultural, List of historical states of Italy, historical, and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apuli ...

wine region. In 2014, Cisternino was declared the Cittaslow City of the Year.

Main sights

The architecture is typical of the region with an old Centro Storico (Historical Centre) containing white-washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches. The town also features several community squares, each of which is built on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular landscapes. In Cisternino and the surrounding area there have been several

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

finds, including different types of hand tools. Evidence would suggest that the region was also a seasonal home to ancient hunter-gatherer humans.

Food

Broad beans purée with wild chicory (fave e cicorie selvatiche), orecchiette con braciole e polpette (a particular shape of pasta with tomato sauce, stuffed beef rolls and bread balls on the side to dip in the sauce at the end) and " bombette" (a type of roasted pork rolls) are three typical dishes of Cisternino cuisine.

Transport

Public transport in Cisternino is minimal, with a large proportion of the inhabitants relying on their own means of transport. However, there are buses to nearby

Fasano Fasano (; Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brindisi, Apulia, southern Italy. It is the second most populated town in the province after Brindisi, with a population in 2021 of 39,026. History According to a folk ...

which also houses the nearest major train station. The nearest airports are in the cities of

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

and

Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...

which are both less than one hour’s drive from Cisternino.

Twin towns

* Kreuzlingen, Switzerland

Notable People

* Lisetta Carmi - photographer * Una Chi - novelist, translator

References

External links

*
Cisternino on www.Comuni-Italiani.it

{{authority control Cities and towns in Apulia Borghi più belli d'Italia