Wellness Trails Comenius 2010

W

T

Dear Comenius friends, we are pleased to draw your attention to our trails of Puglia covering a suggestive range of visits and excursions to appreciate our country’s natural beauty. We have chosen Brindisi and its province as a holiday destination since it offers a wealth of travel experiences: from unspoilt stunning scenery – oasis and fashionable beaches – to art and vocational itineraries. Our rooted travel and stage experience as students of the Hospitality School enables us to promote and plan a tourist offer distinguished by unique “typical” features and attractions. Herewith we have pleasure in presenting you our 2010 programme Wellness trails dedicated to you as prospective guests and tourists of our country… Feel free to enjoy the trail which best suits your expectations, among Nature, Spa, Art, Taste and alternative vacations.

Art

Alternative vacations

Nature

Taste

Thermal spas

The Church of Santa Maria del Casale

SSaannttaa MMaarriiaa ddeell CCaassaallee

Ever since antique times for its location along the Trajan way, Brindisi played a decisive role in the regional road system as the key junction between Rome and the East for trade and pilgrimages. The magnificent Church of Santa Maria del Casale, a point of contact for communication with the East, is an interesting place of worship, built between 1300 and 1310. This is a remarkable specimen of architectural transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic style, which stands on the site of an ancient chapel with a much-worshipped icon of the Virgin with Child. The church, built in Angevin times, must have been commissioned by Philip, Prince of Taranto. The building is mentioned in the proceedings of an important lawsuit against the Knights Templar that was held there. The entrance is embellished by a hanging prothyrum, and the interior has one nave only. It contains Byzantine frescoes, the most interesting of which are the Annunciation, the Tree of the Cross, the Virgin with Child and Saints, the Nativity, Christ Enthroned, scenes from the Passion and the Last Judgement. Inside the church a marble pillar with a IX-century cross has to be admired.

San Pietro degli Schiavoni

It is the archaeological area of Brindisi which reveals ruins and memories of the ancient Roman city. San Pietro degli Schiavoni is the name of the city quarter which hosted the church devoted to St. Peter and the immigrant inhabitants of Slav and Albanian origins since the second world war.

The Yacht’s luxury in Brindisi

Brindisi is a modern port on the Adriatic Sea and the main ferry port for Greece. In ancient times it was a Roman naval station.

A 13th century castle overviews its natural beauty and the extraordinary rich variety of ships, fishing boats and luxury yachts.

Yachts are welcomed in the beautiful quay facing the harbour office in the old city. The main area of this quay, opposite the harbour entrance, is now used by the city’s large fishing fleet.

There is no water or electricity on the quayside; water can be collected in cans from the road-side dispenser at the far end of the quay.

Brindisi hosts two marinas: Lega Navale, in a wonderful natural bay equally welcoming boats and yachts and the new marina - just outside the harbour waters – “Marina di Brindisi”, also known as Porto Touristico.

The magical Oasis of Brindisi TORRE GUACETO

Guaceto Tower was for centuries a constant point of reference for those who arrived by boat from the southern ports of the Mediterranean, seeking fresh water and a safe harbour- well protected from winds. The very name "Guaceto" derives from GAWSIT, which means "place of sweet water" a witness that the Saracens had accurate knowledge of these waters.

The distant strategic location of this area ,while contributing to its preservation, is enhanced by the natural environment: the peaceful and rare wetland is rich in archaeological memories…Out of its clear waters fragments of the Mycenaean and Messapic art emerged and numerous appearances of the Bronze Age are to be counted . The continuous monitoring of the WWF has preserved the most interesting natural features. A walk by the tower will give you evidence for the coexistence- within a very small area -of three different ecosystems interacting with each other and even influencing its history: the Mediterranean, the wetland and the sea…

Over the time, following to the various historical vicissitudes, the suggestive area of Torre Guaceto has experienced periods of alternate traffic and use: its strategic location for military logistics on the routes between Venice and Brindisi has always arisen the sailors’ interest , so to become the seat of a renown sailing school and to be even used for smugglers’ traffic. It was right for the easy chance of landing there that in the sixteenth century the Marquis Ferdinando De Alarcon, agreed upon presiding the bay by a watch tower as a defensive system control over the coast. The tower – properly named Guaceto Tower- was built around 1531 and fortified in 1567.

One of the most interesting natural oases of Italy, is located in the province of Brindisi, and takes its name from the watch tower that stands on the exposed sections of the bay.

Ostuni’s sand & sun

Inbetween the blue sky and the crystal sea, the Adriatic coast stretches for many kilometres and the jagged coastline is covered with the green Mediterranean maquis…Sandy beaches, cliffs and fossil dunes are the scenery for popular beaches: Lido Bosco Verde, Ldo Morelli, Il Pilone ...

Rosa Marina is the most famous village of the coast; with all its services, it’s the ideal place for a peaceful holiday. Not far from there Monticelli tourist village reveals ruins from the Bronze Age. Diana Marina and Villanova along the coast are worth a tourist visit as well.

Petrolla is renown as a landing port with a fortress dating back to the fourteenth century. From the immensity of sandy shores to the creeks of Gorgognolo, Costa Merlata, takes its name from the shape of the rocks. Up to Santa Lucia and continuing towards Torre Pozzella, the landscape is a source of small bays overviewed by the ancient fourteenth century tower. Lamaforca as a beautiful sandy beach hosts the international tourist village Valtur

FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) has allocated to Ostuni and its beaches

the Blue Flag

For the thirteenth time in its history the White City will bear the prestigious award given under strict controls for the seawaters, the unspoilt coast, the safety measures and environmental respect

FASANO’S SELVA The “Selva di Fasano” is in the charming suburbs of Fasano, a renown town in the province of

Brindisi. From its hills, covered with natural flora in the shadow of oaks, pines, chestnut trees

and cypresses, the Selva overviews the unique trulli’s landscape.

Within such a wooden environment the Safari zoo & Fasanolandia- one of the greatest zoos in

Europe- is to be admired.

The freedom of its animals is a memorable travel experience both for children and grown ups

looking for an alternative vacation

Food and WineTasting

Apulia, a land of flavors and fragrances. With their mastery, bakers, dairymen, and farmers turn land fruits into products that owe their rich flavors and fragrances to their simpleness. One cannot leave Apulia without tasting Altamura bread, widely renowned thanks to its unmistakable taste and yellow color derived from wheat flour. Aleatico, Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro wines represent the glory of a qualified, world-famous winemaking tradition. The bread of Altamura is a mixture of re-ground durum wheat from the varieties appulo, arcangelo, duilio and simeto. Its origins are ancient and connected with the local rural world and traditions. The technique and ingredients are still those of the past: a mixture of yeast, also known as acid paste, sea salt and water. Primitivo di Manduriais a table wine available as white and Ottavianello, 50 to 85% from Impigno vines for the white, while the Rosé, also known as Ottavianello. The white is typically rich straw yellow in colour, with mellow golden speckles, it has a rich, quickly-fading flavour, which is fruity, slightly flowery with some delicate notes of peach and hawthorn flowers. Caciocavallo it is a medium-hard cheese with a thin, smooth and dark-yellow rind. The paste is think with tiny white holes and a yellow colour that is paler than that of the rind. Mild and delicate when young, it becomes spicy when mature, however it remains fragrant and melting to the taste. Collina di Brindisi oil has a maximum acidity of 0.80%, the taste is mild, slightly fruity while the flavour is stronger, the colour is rich golden yellow with some greenish nuances. The olive tree has been in the region since time immemorial, as proven by some centuries-old olive groves in Fasano and Ostuni, its most common cultivars, Ogliarola and Chiarita, dating back to Roman times.

SSaalluuss ppeerr AAqquuaamm Thermal Spas Brindisi

In the Puglia region, the "masserie" were large agricultural centers for farming the land and preserving farm produces. There were several buildings used for the working of farm products.

One building was the house for the "massaro's" workers and was -occasionally- used by the owners as their residence.

The historical center of the Masseria San Domenico dates back to the XIV century and was used by the Knights

of Malta, whose main center in Puglia was S. Stefano, as a watch tower against Saracens' attacks.

SS pp aa

TTaa ll

aa ssss oo

tt eerr aa

pp yy

pp aa

TT

aa llaa ss

ss oott ee

rr aapp y

y

The essential element of thalassotherapy is sea water. Its salinity is very rich in minerals and the abundance of trace elements also makes it a primary source of purification for

the human organism.

In order to obtain the maximum of these benefits, international thalassotherapeutic experts-particularly in Thalgo-have performed research to extract the greatest

benefits from sea water, while keeping in mind its nature and potentiality.

The water used in our center is drawn from a deep underground stratum, which sits at about 400 meters below

the sea level.

This water is also completely purified by means of filters and afterwards heated in our center's circuit by means of

the most up-to-date equipment. Another extremely beneficial sea material is seaweed. This seaweed has vast

concentrations of minerals and vitamins, indispensable for the improvement of our biological functions. This seaweed is crushed and micropolverized and then added to sea water in hydromassage and compresses. Sea water and seaweed are

an exceptional cocktail producing a equilibrating, tonic

invigorating and detoxifying effect.

GGaalllleerryy

IPSSAR Brindisi

Wellness Trails Comenius 2010 by

Manca Sabrina (Introduction)

Mazzotta Deira (Art) Manfreda Mauro (Alternative vacations)

Gloria Claudia (Nature- Oasis) Fantasia Manuel (Nature- Selva) Riccardo Manfreda( Nature-Blue Flag)

Leggieri Marco (Thermal spas) (Taste)

Tutor. prof.ssa Severina Carnevale

Technical assistance: Marco Leggieri

Manule Fantasia