Apulia has always been a crossroads of different peoples, cultures and civilizations. As a gateway to the East, the region experienced one of its golden periods with Magna Graecia and its colonies. Even today, some remnants of the passage of theancient Greeks and their history still live on in our cities and towns. Let's discover them together on an evocative tour on the trail of Greek remains in Apulia.
First stop absolutely worth visiting is Metapontum, on the border with Basilicata. The ancient city, the nerve center of Magna Graecia, was founded by Greeks from Achaea around the 7th century B.C. and today preserves important archaeological evidence.
Lonely and nostalgic for what was once their glory, the famous Palatine Tables, columns of a Doric temple dedicated to the goddess Hera, endure among the ruins. Today of the original 32 columns as many as 15 remain standing and are a clear testimony to the importance of the place in the days of Magna Graecia bringing back to the present the idea of both the economic and cultural grandeur of the place in the centuries before the Roman era.
Another not-to-be-missed stop on our tour to discover Greek archaeological sites in Puglia is the Botromagno hill, close to the town of Gravina. Excavations at the Botromagno archaeological park have uncovered ancient dwellings and numerous burials dating back to the Iron Age that denote, from the quality of the grave goods, widespread wealth and well-being. Vases, agricultural tools, household utensils, jewelry, coins, and weapons from Greek and Roman times were recovered.
Afew steps away from the ravines and the Murgia territory, stretches the Itria Valley, the nerve center of our territory and a strategic point for various movements.
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Taranto, a Greek colony par excellence, was founded by the Spartans in the 8th century BC under the name Taras and became the most important polis of Magna Graecia. A city as valuable as the extraordinary collection of goldsmith's art from the Hellenistic period preserved at the Taranto MarTA (National Archaeological Museum of Taranto) from some of the necropolises in the area.
A gold and semiprecious stone diadem, richly decorated with plant motifs. Bracelets, necklaces, rings, pendants, seals, jewelry all in excellent condition and in highly sought-after fashions. All the way to a bizarre bronze nutcracker in the shape of hands with golden decorations. These are some of the so-called golds of Taranto that bring back all the splendor of the city.
To this day the museum hosts many guided tours for tourists who come from all over. For up-to-date opening times, it is a good idea to consult the museum's official portal.
Moving toward the Ionian arch we meet again the archaeological park of Manduria, a Messapian center of strong Greek influence. Absolutely worth a visit to take a plunge into the deepest roots of the local territorial identity.
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Continuing our journey on the trail of Greek remains in Apulia we find ourselves in Gallipoli, another city of Greek origin like its name: Kale Polis. The innermost Salento is a living witness still to Hellenic culture, thanks to the communities of Salentinian Greece.
An outstanding example of ancient architecture is the Greek fountain in Gallipoli, which for a long time was considered by scholars to be the oldest fountain in Italy. Today it can be admired in all its splendor near the bridge near the castle ready to symbolically unite the area of the old town with the new part of Gallipoli.
Although ruined and full of mysteries about its origin, the Greek Fountain appears majestic and intrigues tourists: it is a breath of Greece in Gallipoli, a set of stories coming from the past.
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Another gateway to the East is Brindisi, a thriving center of the Messapian civilization with strong contacts with the Greeks and the various Italian colonies.
An important center of Salento in southern Italy, the port of Brindisi has historically played an important commercial and cultural role due to its fortunate location to the East.
The Messapian Brindisi certainly maintained intense commercial relations with the opposite Adriatic shore and with the Greek populations of the Aegean: these relations are today documented by numerous archaeological finds.
In 267 BC. Brindisi, like the whole of Salento, was conquered by the Romans and became a very important port of call for Greece and the East, then was elevated to the rank of municipality in 83 B.C. and the people of Brindisi were granted Roman citizenship (240 B.C.). The city experienced its golden age during the Roman period and enjoyed important road connections with Rome via the Appian Way, Regina Viarum consular roads, and the Via Traiana.
Siponto, the initial nucleus of present-day Manfredonia, was an important seaport and its origins are linked to an ancient legend that sees it linked to Diomedes. The area was the site of an important Daunian settlement that was later Hellenized, becoming one of the northernmost ports of Magna Graecia. Conquered first by the Samnites and then by Alexander I in 335 B.C.E., it became a Roman colony in 189 B.C.E., still keeping alive its strategic and commercial importance.
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