Holiday in Fasano
The tourist office of the city of Fasano has produced a fold up guide entitled 'across olive groves, from the hills to the sea'.
The guide is are split into eight distinct sections which allow the independent visitor to plan a full week away from the office to really get into the local culture and life.
First up are the Dolmen and Archaeological park.
You have to head to the hamlet of Montalbano di Fasano to view one of the most siginficant megalithic stone table monuments in south Italy. The site of today's National Archaeological Park of Egnathia was founded by the Messapians to subsequently become an important Roman town along the Via Trajana. The city walls and the Tomb of Medusa remain.
The Cave Settlements actually date from the 11th century AD and were popular housing for another 400 years following the abandonment of secure Egnathia. Byzantine frescoes can still be seen and do visit the largest cavern cut out of the soft rock, Lama d'Antico, near the railway station.
The Old Town of Fasano is fuill of narrow lanes, paths, archways and small squares. A large Keep, which was once part of the city walls, is still visible in Via San Francesco, while in Via del Bali a tablet commemorates the victory of the Fasano inhabitants over the Turks on June 2nd 1678.
The Hills and Sea near Fasano are scattered with villas and old trulli. Vineyards and dry stone walls further mark the landscape of Laureto and Pirro. Although the beach of Savelletri is mainly rocks, small sandy coves peak out until the main beach of Torre Canne. Olive trees and tall dunes crop up close to the waterfront.
The Masserie accommodation overlooks the area of Fasano from the hills. These were huge fortified farmhouses and offered protection in this territory of battles of plunderers. Many belonged to religious orders together with the smaller casali.
The Fasano Olive Oil Museum is located in Masseria di Sant'Angelo de'Graecis, a Benedictine estate dating from the 11th century. The building was once owned by Cardinal Renato Imperiale who built the church dedicated to the cult of St. Michael Archangel.
The typically Mediterranean cuisine of Fasano is thanks to the fertile soil close to the sea. It's not all pasta and extra virgin olive oil, but meat sauces, 'carne al fornello', lamb giblets, sausages and fish dishes. Typical sweets include 'bocconotti', 'cartellate', 'copeto' and 'pettole' made with almonds, walnuts, honey, jam and grape 'mosto'.
After all that, treat yourself to a Spa cure at Terme di Torre Canne, and the kids to a Zoo Safari at Fasanolandia.
www.comune.fasano.br.it |
