mappeditalia

historical information

Castellaneta it rises above an edge that emerges from one of the deepest ravines of the Murge, at 245 meters above sea level, with a territorial extension of approximately km2. 240. It is located in the heart of the area that constitutes the Gravine Regional Park. Surrounded for two thirds from a protected oasis of over 400 hectares, is composed of a nucleus citizen, a seaside hamlet, Castellaneta Marina, and several hamlets rural. The origins of Castellaneta date back to the 10th century. City Directed in 1200, it witnessed the ups and downs of the dispute over the Kingdom of Naples between the Spanish and the French. A period of Flemish domination followed and a long period of decline in the hands of various feudal lords. The oldest part of the town is perched on the Archinto hill, surrounded by the Gravina

tourist route

In the Castellaneta countryside there are today around one hundred farms historical, some of which are fortified. But it's the ravines that make it even better the landscape is more evocative with the numerous rock settlements dating back to different historical periods. The oldest part of the town is perched on the Archinto hill, surrounded by the Gravina. The historic center preserves today, in addition to the walls, the eighteenth-century urban structure. It has a medieval layout with very narrow alleys and streets although the most valuable treasures architecturally they are from the Baroque period. They are present in the ancient village numerous stately palaces, a symptom of the succession of feudal lords. and numerous churches testifying to its great importance as a religious center for centuries seat of the Diocese (Episcopal Seat since 1099). Through the visit tourist you can admire interesting artistic and monumental themes among the which stands out: The Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and probably first to San Nicola who constitutes one of the most significant testimonies in the history of art and of spirituality.

castellaneta marina

Immersed in the Bosco Pineto, Castellaneta Marina is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the gulf, thanks to the transparent and shallow waters, the numerous services and the hospitable accommodation facilities. Established in the 1960s, the pretty town develops between Viale dei Pini and Lungomare degli Eroi, gathered around Piazza Selene and Piazza Kennedy, a busy night meeting place. Around the coast, the vegetation becomes luxuriant and, between aromatic bushes and dry stone walls, we find the sinuosity of the fossil dunes and the coastal forest formed by a pine forest of Aleppo pines. Of great naturalistic interest is the mouth of the river Lato. Nearby stands the Torre Lato, a 16th-century coastal lookout, observation point and defense against Saracen raids. The coast is equipped with amusement parks, discos, shopping centres, golf courses, riding stables, hotels and restaurants, to make your stay on the fine sandy beaches, awarded with the Blue Flag, even more pleasant.

rodolfo valentino

Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi, alias Valentino, was born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta. At 17 he moved to Paris; then in December 1913 he embarked for America, where he distinguished himself as a dancer at Maxim's Atlantic; here he met Norman Kerry who convinced him to go to Hollywood in 1915. The process in the cinema was tough: first he made an extra, the drunk, the beggar and then he began to have the first parts. In 1921 he interpreted "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" where he danced the famous tango together with Alice Terry, it was a triumph. He began to play film after film, including "The Sheik", "Blood and sand", "The black eagle" and "The son of the sheik". Right at the premiere of this film, in New York, he was admitted to the polyclinic hospital for an attack of peritonitis and died at the age of 31 on August 23, 1926. The funeral took place with great pomp in a collective frenzy never seen before. Castellaneta commemorates the silent film star with a plaque on his birthplace in Via Roma, with a ceramic monument at the end of the Promenade named after him and in the Documentary Museum at the former Convent of Santa Chiara, in the heart of the historic centre.

gastronomy

The flavors of the Castellaneta gastronomy are typical of the Apulian cuisine. The gastronomic tour starts with one of the poorest foods: "a ciallèdd": dry bread, soaked in water, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano and tomato. If the same condiments are sprinkled on a layer of bread dough and everything is put in the oven, you get the focaccia to taste, better if filled with onions, black olives, capers, raisins and anchovy fillets. For the Easter holidays, taralli are prepared with sugar and eggs, the traditional "scarcèdd”. In spring is time for lamb "a callarèdd", a small broth flavored with onion, celery and a handful of wild chicory. A place of honor in the local gastronomy must certainly be reserved for the lamb interior rolls, the so-called "gnumm'rèdd". But a triumph of taste, despite the simplicity of the ingredients, is "u zip'zip", the main dish of cold winter evenings: sautéed chopped tomatoes in plenty of olive oil, garlic and plenty of hot pepper. One of the most typical dairy products of the local cuisine is the strong fermented ricotta which is used as a condiment for orecchiette with tomato sauce, with legumes, spread on roasted bread, focaccia and fried panzerotti.

map of castellaneta marina

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