Three Stops in Southern Italy - Torre a Mare, Matera, Gravina in Puglia

Hello my friends. I hope you're all doing well. My recent trip was quite interesting. And I hope you enjoy reading about it. I'll tell you about the time I spent with my friend Maria, whom I hadn't seen in a long while. We made sure to make the most of our time together collecting unforgettable memories.

We started our day in the Torre a Mare neighborhood, located on the southern coast of Bari. This area once home to fishing villages, has now grown into a charming district. It's the southernmost part of the city.We visited a bar called Bar Baya dei Porci there, where we first had cocktails. Afterward we decided to head to Matera for lunch and to explore the city. I absolutely love Matera because it’s an ancient cave city, located at the edge of the Gravina Canyon with an incredible history. Once considered the shame of Italy, it’s now protected by Unesco and was even named a European Capital of Culture a few years ago. We had a wonderful lunch there. And I can still remember the saffron and gold risotto, as well as the crispy shrimp I had at one of Matera's famous restaurants. It was an unforgettable experience. After lunch we walked around the streets of Matera and ended the day in the small town of Gravina in Puglia, which is very close to Matera. Whenever I visit Matera I usually make a stop here as well. It was such a full day.

Torre a Mare in the southernmost part of Bari, is such a charming area. It has its own harbor, traditions and history, offering a cozy and historical vibe on the Adriatic coast. After breakfast Maria had an alcoholic drink at Bar Baya dei Porci, while I opted for a non-alcoholic Bellini since I was driving. Torre a Mare is such an interesting place and I really love it here.

We then visited Matera. 😍 I brought Maria to my favorite city and we started with lunch since we arrived there around 2 pm and hadn’t eaten yet. After our breakfast in Torre a Mare, we made our way to Matera.

We visited Piazza Vittorio Veneto, which is home to the Palombaru Lungo water reservoirs. Beneath this square are massive caves that used to supply water to the old residents of Matera. We had our lunch and then took a stroll through the old city in the Sassi di Matera neighborhood. The view was stunning and Matera is a unique place.

Watching the incredible view was such a wonderful feeling. The area offers a lovely café and an amazing perspective of the city.

There are many interesting restaurants too and we quickly sat down to grab a bite. They brought us freshly baked, salty taralli which were absolutely delicious. The local bread was also fantastic. We sat on the terrace with a view of the old city and had a colorful dish with shrimp and flowers, which was very surprising. We were also served a fresh, creative salad made of fruits and vegetables and the shrimp were just perfect. It came with mayonnaise, a strange jelly and ginger. We even ate the flowers. 😄 They were part of such an intriguing presentation.

Then came the saffron risotto. The flavor of the saffron was quite extraordinary and delicious. Maria really loved the risotto, it had a very unique taste. I also really enjoyed it. We also noticed that there was a sweet and unusual taste in the risotto and we eventually found out that licorice powder had been added. It made an incredible difference in flavor.

In the evening while walking through the old part of Matera, we entered a church. It was the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist Church), a very ancient and interesting structure. Inside there were statues, some peculiar gargoyles and animal figures.it was an impressive place.

This church was very striking, reminding me a bit of the San Flavio Church in Montefiascone because it too, is made of dark stones and surrounded by large columns. It's a very interesting structure with columns, each adorned with different details and a capital featuring a figure holding beings that wrap their heads with their hands. It's a very intriguing feature.

We then saw another capital, which looked like a figure of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. The interior of the church was quite impressive, with the dark stone architecture creating an atmospheric and dramatic effect.

There’s a beautiful view here and with this perspective, the city looks really captivating. The ancient cave city, made of golden stones, overlooks the cliffs of the Gravina Canyon. Everything in this city carries a historic touch.

Next we noticed that the Sant'Agostino Church and Monastery right next door was open, so we went in and explored. This church was destroyed in a major earthquake many years ago but was later rebuilt. Inside there are beautiful paintings and sculptures. There’s also an organ from the 18th century. The church is dedicated to St. Augustine and was once part of a monastery. It still stands today in a large stone building. I love Matera. Whenever I visit I always try to discover a new place and I love sharing these experiences with you. The weather was also fantastic.

We arrived at Piazza San Francesco, where the San Francesco da Sisi Church and the Purgatorio Church are located. We visited these churches, but we saw so many interesting temples that I was running out of energy. I finally said "Let’s go, that’s enough, I can’t walk any longer." Although you know how much I enjoy visiting churches, I had to admit I was exhausted that day.

We then returned to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where we had started our exploration earlier in the day. By this time the square was filled with tourists and the atmosphere was lively. The lights looked beautiful and we climbed up the hill where we had parked our car to wrap up our visit to Matera. But our day wasn’t over yet, as we headed to Gravina in Puglia.

My visits to Matera often combine with trips to Gravina in Puglia. Both cities are located on the edge of the Gravina Canyon and it takes about 40 minutes to travel between them. I find several similarities between the two cities. They resemble each other quite a bit. Also some scenes from the movie "James Bond: No Time to Die" were filmed in Matera, while others were filmed in Gravina in Puglia. So lately I’ve gotten used to exploring both cities together.

However, the journey isn’t always easy. This time my GPS took me to a place I didn’t know and I nearly got lost in the narrow streets of the old town. The sky was already starting to darken and I had no idea where I was going. But once I managed to leave the city, I realized what had happened. Normally, I set the GPS for Old Town Gravina, but this time things got a bit mixed up.

Driving in the narrow ancient streets of Italian cities is always a challenging adventure, especially when the GPS leads you down a tight alley. However, the aqueduct and the stunning views in Gravina made up for the stress.

The aqueduct and the surrounding cliffs, along with the cave churches, were absolutely mesmerizing. Plus it was so impressive to know that this place hosted a scene from a James Bond movie. Walking through such a dramatic and striking location, where chase scenes were filmed, made me feel like I was a part of the film.

The sunset at the end of the day with the soft light illuminating the mountains, along with the unique views of Southern Italy, was the perfect conclusion to a day filled with adventure.