Bagni di Lucca and Beyond

Our wanderings through Cisternino didn’t take as long as we thought so we headed to nearby Ceglie Messapica, a town that doesn’t receive as much attention as the trio of Locorotondo, Cisternino and Alberobello.

That is a pity that is it not as well known as it has some interesting things to see and is quite different from the other towns. The style is almost Moorish.

It is one of the oldest towns in Puglia. It dates back to the 15th century BC. It has a well preserved historic centre which is one of the largest in the area.

The Ducal Castle dominates the skyline. It was having a bit of work done while we were there and the tower was covered in scaffolding, but we were able to wander inside. The first floor rooms have been put to good use as a library and meeting rooms, something not evident from its old exterior.

The main piazza of Ceglie Messapica is huge and very impressive.

The narrow streets hide some great looking buildings, many with  crumbling baroque balconies. Some of the houses were obviously much older than we saw in nearby towns.

We came another large piazza with a panoramic view over the surrounding countryside. Most of the piazza was taken up by a restaurant with a huge outdoor area. It must be wonderful on a summer night.

Ceglie Messapica is known as a gastronomic centre and we saw some interesting and well presented restaurants…pity we were there mid afternoon and there was little open.