GUIDED TOURS MASSAFRA OLD CITY CENTRE: THE CANDELORA RUPESTRIAN CHURCH – MOTTOLA: THE CANYONS OF PUGLIA
TOUR DURATION: FULL DAY TOUR
GUIDED TOURS MASSAFRA DESCRIPTION
With this day tour we will learn something about the Canyons of Puglia! In the morning, we will visit Massafra, a jewel of the Tarantine Ionian area and one of the most representative cities of the rupestrian civilization since two of its canyons are harmoniously integrated in the modern urban agglomeration with its typical “vicinanze”. In the churches and villages carved in the canyon’s rock, it is possible to find many frescoes realized from the Basilian monks who escaped from the Eastern world because of the iconoclastic persecutions around the 8th century A.D.: they brought iconography, sculpture and several techniques, but also a variety of plants and breeding methods. Our walking tour will take you to the old city center in the middle of the canyons all around: the one of St. Marc will show you the imposing 14th century castle and one of the most charming examples of rupestrian church: the Candelora with the famous fresco depicting the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. After the lunch (on your own or in a recommended restaurant), we will move few kilometers away in Mottola’s area for our trail in the canyon of Petruscio. This impressive and beautiful karstic fracture, long about four kilometers from North to South, is one of the most spectacular in the entire Ionian area and for sure you will be able to compare it to the most famous canyons in the world for its charm and beauty. During the trail you will detect prehistoric settlements and medieval dwellings of the 11th – 12th century. The canyon of Petruscio offers a unique landscape: from the architectural point of view it reminds a modern construction made of overlapped grottos with connected environments: it has been estimated about two hundred caves even though only around a hundred have been detected and studied so far.
