Ginosa (source: Visual Puglia )
Located at about 240 m a.s.l., it includes a vast and diversified territory that stretches from the fertile plains to the sea, from the hills to the Murgia, surrounded for 3 Km by a wild canyon, once the defence for the entire plain. Ginosa is the Genusia mentioned by Plinius, a town with an ancient history. Its village, called Casale, was a rock settlement dug in tuff caves. It was a Greek colony, first, and then a roman colony. In the Middle Ages, although provided with a castle built by the Normans, it was attacked and passed into the hands of many feudatories. The new settlement dates back to the XVI century and the Mother Church provides the evidence of it. A great number of caves exist in the walls of the canyon, with finely decorated rock churches, a tangible sign of the stratification of human presence over the centuries. The extended hydraulic reclamation works carried out after World War II added great value to agriculture in the Ionic economy and reforestation campaigns in the Fifties further facilitated the construction of tourist installations. Marina di Ginosa is the town’s detached quarter devoted to high-quality tourism, which offers a splendid sea and lots of leisure activities.
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Taranto and its province have their most ancient roots in rock settlements and Greek culture. Two civilizations which developed well in this area of Southern Apulia thanks the conformation of a land once rich in water and very fertile, so much that Greek settlers were attracted by it and founded Taranto in 706 b.C. The presence of water courses, now flowing underground, is also witnessed by the several caves and creeks one can see in this area. A result of erosion, they are an ideal scenario for the development of those rock-settlement civilizations that spread over the whole region and particularly in Taranto area. Today, this province show a slightly sharper aspect in its inland, sandy sea beds and limpid sea in Taranto Gulf area. Ancient civilizations are still visible in the charm of wonderful landscapes included in natural settings.
In Taranto Murge there are deep ravines resulting from the action of ancient rivers as well as several karstic caves where a flourishing rock-settlement civilization rose since prehistory. Often a haven for shepherds and peasants, these same caves were used in Middle Ages as a place of worship by Basilian monks. Traces and witnesses of rock settlements, hypogeous hamlets and frescoed walls can be seen near Mottola and Massafra
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In Taranto province inland area, characterized by a green landscape, olive groves and vineyards, there are several small towns like Manduria or Grottaglie, which roots can be found in ancient Messapi civilization. These towns often offer very interesting archeological and naturalistic parks
The Ionian coast is characterized by wide beaches and a limpid water sloping gently into deepness. Cities such as Taranto, also known as the "city of two seas" stand over this coast, and Pulsano with their tourist vocation and famous local food
Project created in collaboration with InnovaPuglia.
Regione Puglia
Regione Puglia