- Itria Valley
Itria Valley (in Italian: "Valle d'Itria") is an area located in
Apulia (in Italian: "Puglia") region, inSouthern Italy .Itria Valley spreads overProvince of Bari ,Province of Brindisi andProvince of Taranto , and coincide with the lower part ofMurgia upland (Low Murgia).The towns ofMartina Franca ,Locorotondo ,Cisternino andCeglie Messapica overlook Itria Valley."Valley" is an inaccurate term, because Itria Valley has not the typical conformation of mountain area valleys: it is just a depression due to karstic phenomena.Itria Valley place-name is probably derived from Basilian Fathers oriental cult of the "Madonna Odegitria" (that is the Virgin Mary who shows the way), patron of wayfarers, which founded - using a natural shelter right in Itria Valley - a monastic site where a fresco portraying the "Madonna Odegitria" was found.Over the ruins of this medieval place of worship, located in Martina Franca, the Capuchin Monastery (in Italian: "Convento dei Cappuccini") - which nowadays is an interesting tourist attraction - was built in 1545.
The main Itria Valley features are the following:
* "trulli", the typical ancient Apulian small round houses of stone with a conical roof;
* a large amount of olives from which they obtainolive oil ;
*vineyards from which they obtain high qualitywhite wine , such as "Locorotondo DOC".Comprehensive list of the town territories comprised in Itria Valley area
* In
Province of Bari :
**Alberobello
**Locorotondo
**Noci * In
Province of Brindisi :
**Ceglie Messapica
**Cisternino
**Fasano
**Ostuni
* InProvince of Taranto :
**Martina Franca
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