Azzurro 6 is in Martina Franca, a refined and baroque town from the fourteenth century, in the hearth of Valle d’Itria.
It is a place full of charm where cultural awareness and culinary tradition coexist in equal measure; located halfway between the two Seas, Ionic and Adriatic, it can be a starting point for discovering the beauties of this land.
Martina Franca
The heart of the town is its historical centre, a real village embraced by walls and doors which preserve its architectural beauties. You will be surrounded by the charme of the Baroque style, less pompous than the one you can see in Lecce, but equally suggestive.
To see
Palazzo Ducale, currently the town-hall seat, it hosts the frescoed rooms of the “Bible”, the “Myth” and the “Arcadia”.
A lovely walk will take you along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, starting from the magnificent Arch of Santo Stefano,in order to discover ancient noble palaces.
Piazza Plebiscito, evocative due to the presence of the pictoresque Cathedral of San Martino and the Palazzo dell’Università.
Piazza Maria Immacolata, well-known as “I Portici”,ideal cultural gathering of the town, once location of a local market.This fascinating space, through a skilful play of proportions with the surrounding architecture, creates the spectacular effect of a theatrical backdrop.
The Cloister of the ex Convent of San Domenico,just next to the church itself, is a real gem often skipped by visitors; today it is the seat of the Paolo Grassi Foundation and often hosts interesting concerts and cultural events.
To experience
Festival della valle d’Itria, international music festival, unmissable event for all opera lovers. It takes place, under the open sky, in the charming context of the town-hall lobby between mid of July and the first week of August.
Regional Nature Reserve “Bosco delle Pianelle”,15 km of marked paths, surrounded by unpolluted nature for trekking and birdwatching lovers.
Distance 13,5 km.
Not to be missed
The Capocollo of Martina Franca, Slow Food preserved, traditional cured meat with its unique taste due to the smoking process with a local variety of oak tree called “fragno”, the skillful marinade and the curing in a reduced wine must; broad beans puree combined with chicory and the well-known orecchiette,little ear-shaped pasta, laboriously hand made by our expert housewives and seasoned with a tasty tomato sauce or a local wild-grown vegetable called “cime di rape”.
