Martina Franca is the most graceful of the Valle d’Itria’s towns, a place where exuberant Baroque architecture rises out of a dense, cool weave of whitewashed lanes. It is a town made for wandering with no particular destination.
The old town
Enter through the Porta di Santo Stefano and let yourself get lost. The Basilica di San Martino, the Palazzo Ducale and a dozen quiet piazzas reveal themselves as you go. Look up: the wrought-iron balconies and carved stone are the town’s great pleasure.
At the table
Martina Franca is famous for its capocollo, a cured pork delicacy with its own protected name, and for bombette, little parcels of grilled meat best eaten at a fornello pronto. Pair them with a glass of the local wine and you have understood the town.
From the palazzo, all of it is a short walk away, the great advantage of staying inside the old town rather than looking at it from a distance.