Puglia is a region of Southern Italy, it has 4.069.869 inhabitants and its chief town is Bari.
It's the Eastern region of Italy: Punta Palascìa (in Otranto in the area of Salento), is more or less 80 km far from the coasts of Albania and it represents the Eastern place of Italy.
Puglia borders the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas.
Its geographical position, which has become strategical thanks to the recent increase of importance of the Eastern and Mediterranean economies, its good amount of facilities and the firmness of the cultural relationships and of the commercial exchanges in the Mediterranean area make Puglia a region with high economic potential.

Since ancient times, Puglia's arts and culture developed in a weaved historical fabric, during which, overlapping the primitive Illyrian peoples of Magna Graecia and the Romanesque, bloody rulers followed one another, like the Longobards, the Saracens, the Byzantines, the Normans, the Angevins, the Aragoneses and the Bourbons. All these peoples left in the region indelible signs, that finally created Puglia.
With a few exceptions, the lifestyle has been unchanged for ages, with all the shades that every people settled in this land of conquests brought in with its own customs, its own rites and passions. The resulting cultural heritage is then very rich and various, finding marvellous expression in the archaelogical sites, in the art and in the ancient traditions.
Among the most ancient witnesses of human settlement in this region, we can mention the famous Dolmen in Bisceglie, the suggestive caves of Castellana and Zinzulusa, the characteristic “trulli”, mostly situated in Alberobello (Heritage of UNESCO); observing these works, sculpted by man and Nature, one surely ends up by falling under the mysterious and overwhelming spell coming from distant times.
The excavations of Egnazia and of Canne, the most known ones, together with the works conserved in the museums, Taranto is the largest one, offer a vaste and very attractive survey on the Roman and Hellenic antiquity. The most distinguished monuments are undoubtedly the cathedrals,the sanctuaries and the rural churches, inspired by the Romanesque and the Baroque styles: the Baroque of Lecce, represented by numerous buildings and churches, is the most original and sumptuous. The secret of its originality is chiefly due to the amazing qualities of the stone of Lecce; which is so tender and friable, and then very suited for manufacturing.
Among the most important works of this style we can mention: the palace of the Celestini (Santa Croce), Santa Chiara, the Duomo and the church of the Saints Nicolò and Cataldo, founded in 1180 by King Tancredi.
The most ancient and sublime example of Romanesque architecture is the basilica of San Nicola in Bari. This wonderful architectonic masterpiece, superb ed austere as a fortress, was erected at the beginning of the last millennium, and is dedicated to the patron saint Nicola (who had Turkish origins), whose remains were brought there in 1087, thanks to the intervention of the Crusades.
Thanks mainly to the Karst nature of the soil, Puglia can boast the highest number of examples of rocky churches and of crypts of the entire Italy. Military fortresses, castles and medieval villages are widespread all over the region, sometimes protected on the top of a hill, sometimes on high cliffs that fall sheer to the sea; besides, they are mostly still undamaged and today they represent one of the distinctive historical and artistic characteristics of the region.
We can see a great example of that in the spectacular Castel del Monte. This jewel is defined as the most beautiful hunting mansion of Europe. Built by order of Federico II of Svevia, who spent most of his lifetime in Puglia. The mansion has octagonal and imposing shape and seems to overlook all the region from its high hill. The architect is unknown, but according to the legend it was Federico II itself who planned the building.