Manduria Hotels - Puglia

Town of the Primitivo and the Messapics. The first is a highly prized doc red wine, the second an ancient population which, from the 8th century B.C. onwards, inhabited the area of Puglia between the Ionic coast in the province of Taranto and the Salento.

It was the Messapics responsible for the construction of what has become the symbol of the town: a well out of which an almond tree now grows, known as the Fonte Pliniano, name given to the well in honour of the Roman historian Plinio the Old who mentioned it in his "Historia naturalis".

Without shadow of doubt, Manduria's most impressive building is its Cathedral, known also as the "Chiesa Madre" or mother church. This splendid example of Puglian Romanesque architecture conserves a number of features belonging to the medieval structure which previously occupied the site, including the lions guarding the main entrance.

Not far from the cathedral there is the ancient Jewish Ghetto accessed via three 17th century portals. Last, but not least, there is the magnificent Palazzo Imperiali, Baroque edifice which completely dominates the Piazza Garibaldi.