2012 Itinerary

Fly at c. 12.30pm from London Heathrow to Brindisi, via Rome, and drive on to Lecce. First of three nights in Lecce.

Casarano, Gallipoli, Otranto. Explore the Salentine Peninsula, the southernmost tip of the heel of Italy. Churches visited include Sta Maria di Cerrate (12th-century Romanesque complex) and Casarano (5th-century mosaics and frescoes). Gallipoli was the centre of Byzantine Italy until conquered by the Normans in 1071; the old town is on an off-shore island. Otranto, captured by Normans in 1068, has a cathedral with outstanding 12th-century floor mosaics.

Lecce. Lecce is distinguished by an elaborate style of Baroque and Rococo decoration wrought in the soft, honey-coloured tufa of the region, the outstanding examples being the cathedral and the church of Sta Croce. See also the Norman church of SS Nicolò e Cataldo, founded by Tancred, and the Roman theatre. The afternoon is free.

Brindisi, Bitonto. Possessing the safest natural harbour on the Adriatic, the provincial capital of Brindisi has been of intermittent strategic importance for over twenty-four centuries. Visits include the Romanesque churches of Sta Maria del Casale, with Byzantine frescoes and polychrome façade, and San Benedetto. Bitonto has one of the finest of Romanesque cathedrals with good sculpture and an Early Christian lower church. Continue to Trani where the next four nights are spent.

Bari, Trani. Bari, capital of Apulia, has an extensive and unspoilt mediaeval quarter beside the sea. The Basilica of S. Nicola, begun in 1087, is not only the first but also the greatest of Apulian Romanesque churches; the episcopal throne here is remarkable. Also visit the cathedral (1170) and later mediaeval Angevin castle. Back in Trani, visit the magically beautiful Romanesque cathedral on the waterfront.

Castel del Monte, Barletta. Castel del Monte, situated on an isolated peak, is Frederick II’s extraordinarily sophisticated hunting lodge and one of the most intriguing secular buildings of the Middle Ages. Barletta has a castle, cathedral, bust of Frederick II and a colossal antique bronze statue. There is some free time in Trani.

Canosa, Troia, Melfi, Venosa. Canosa di Puglia has an 11th-century cathedral and the tomb of Bohemond. Troia is a lovely town with a Pisan-style Romanesque cathedral. The hilltop town of Melfi was for a while the main centre of Norman power in Italy. The impressive but unfinished monastery of La Trinità at Venosa was built from the 12th century over an early Christian church.

Benevento, Salerno. Cross the Apennines to Campagna. Benevento was a strategic Roman colonia, Lombard Duchy and Norman from 1081. The arch of Trajan is one of the finest surviving Roman triumphal arches. Sta Sofia has a magnificent 12th-century cloister. The seaport of Salerno has an 11th-century cathedral with a fine sculpted portal and a 12th-century ivory altarpiece. Overnight Vico Equense.

St Angelo in Formis. The Basilica of St Angelo in Formis has outstanding 11th-century frescoes. Fly from Rome to London, arriving Heathrow at c. 7.15pm.