Itria Valley (in Italian: ''Valle d'Itria'') is an area located 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 ...
region, in
Southern Italy
Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions.
The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
.
Itria Valley spreads over
Province of Bari
The province of Bari (; ; ) was a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Bari.
It has an area of , and a total population of 1,594,109 (2005). On 1 January 2015 it was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Bari.
Lis ...
,
Province of Brindisi
The province of Brindisi () is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. It has an area of and a total population of 401,652 (2013).
Geography
The Province of Brindisi is situated in southeastern Italy, exte ...
and
Province of Taranto
The province of Taranto (; Tarantino: ; Salentino: ), previously known as the province of the Ionian, is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto. It has an area of , and a total population of 581,092 (2017). ...
, and coincide with the lower part of
Murgia upland (Low Murgia).
The towns of
Martina Franca
Martina Franca, or just Martina (Bari dialect, Martinese: ), is a town and ''comune, municipality'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, Italy. It is the second most populated town of the province after Taranto, and has a population (2016) of ...
,
Locorotondo
Locorotondo ( Barese: ) is a town and municipality of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, with a population of about 14,000. It is situated between Martina Franca and Alberobello in the Valle d'Itria, a green stretch of country ...
,
Cisternino
Cisternino is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the coast of south-eastern Italy, approximately north-west of the city of Brindisi. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Its main ...
and
Ceglie Messapica
Ceglie Messapica (; ) is a town, and ''comune'', located in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, in southern Italy, in the traditional area called Salento.
Geography
The area of Ceglie Messapica is located between the Murge and the Up ...
overlook Itria Valley.
"Valley" is an inaccurate term, because Itria Valley has not the typical conformation of mountain area valleys: it is just a depression due to karstic phenomena.
History
Itria Valley place-name is probably derived from Basilian Fathers oriental cult of the ''Madonna Odegitria'' (that is, ‘the Virgin Mary who shows the way’), patron of wayfarers, which founded - using a natural shelter located in Itria Valley - a monastic site where a fresco portraying the ''Madonna Odegitria'' was found.
Over the ruins of this medieval place of worship, located in Martina Franca, the Capuchin Monastery (in Italian: ''Convento dei Cappuccini'') - which nowadays is an interesting tourist attraction - was built in 1545.
Features
The main Itria Valley features are the following:
*
''trulli'', the typical ancient Apulian small round houses of stone with a conical roof;
* a large amount of
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
s from which they obtain
olive oil
Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil.
It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...
;
*
vineyards
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
from which they obtain high quality
white wine
White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...
, such as
Locorotondo DOC
Locorotondo ( Barese: ) is a town and municipality of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, with a population of about 14,000. It is situated between Martina Franca and Alberobello in the Valle d'Itria, a green stretch of countr ...
and
Martina Franca DOC
Martina Franca, or just Martina ( Martinese: ), is a town and ''municipality'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, Italy. It is the second most populated town of the province after Taranto, and has a population (2016) of 49,086. Since 1975, ...
.
Comprehensive list of the town territories comprised in Itria Valley area
* In
Province of Bari
The province of Bari (; ; ) was a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Bari.
It has an area of , and a total population of 1,594,109 (2005). On 1 January 2015 it was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Bari.
Lis ...
:
**
Alberobello
Alberobello (; literally "beautiful tree"; Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a small town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It has 10,237 inhabitants (2022) and is famous for its unique ''trullo'' buildings. The ...
**
Locorotondo
Locorotondo ( Barese: ) is a town and municipality of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, with a population of about 14,000. It is situated between Martina Franca and Alberobello in the Valle d'Itria, a green stretch of country ...
* In
Province of Brindisi
The province of Brindisi () is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. It has an area of and a total population of 401,652 (2013).
Geography
The Province of Brindisi is situated in southeastern Italy, exte ...
:
**
Ceglie Messapica
Ceglie Messapica (; ) is a town, and ''comune'', located in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, in southern Italy, in the traditional area called Salento.
Geography
The area of Ceglie Messapica is located between the Murge and the Up ...
**
Cisternino
Cisternino is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the coast of south-eastern Italy, approximately north-west of the city of Brindisi. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Its main ...
**
Ostuni
Ostuni (; ) is a city and ''comune'', located about 8 km from the coast, in the province of Brindisi, region of Apulia, Italy. The town has a population of about 32,000 during the winter, but can swell to 200,000 inhabitants during summer, ...
* In
Province of Taranto
The province of Taranto (; Tarantino: ; Salentino: ), previously known as the province of the Ionian, is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto. It has an area of , and a total population of 581,092 (2017). ...
:
**
Martina Franca
Martina Franca, or just Martina (Bari dialect, Martinese: ), is a town and ''comune, municipality'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, Italy. It is the second most populated town of the province after Taranto, and has a population (2016) of ...
{{coord missing, Italy
External links
Valle d'Itria
Valleys of Italy