What to do · Itria Valley
Baroque Martina Franca: gates, Palazzo Ducale and San Martino
Information
- Price
- Free on the streets
- Duration
- 2 h
- Season
- All year; in July and August, with the opera festival
- Who it's for
- All ages
- With a dog
- On a lead in the old town streets
What it is
Martina Franca is the largest town in the Itria Valley, with about 49,000 inhabitants, and the one with the most stately old town. Inside its walls, narrow white streets suddenly open onto squares with palaces and carved stone doorways: the Baroque of southern Italy in hill-town form. It is the most convenient base in the valley if you travel without a car, because it has a station and is a hub of the Ferrovie del Sud Est network.
The walk
Start at Piazza Roma, the largest square in the old town, with a triangular garden in the middle. Facing it is the Palazzo Ducale, from the 17th century, the palace of the Caracciolo dukes, lords of Martina. From here you enter the old town along streets that climb and drop between white facades with iron balconies.
The centre of the walk is the basilica of San Martino, with a great Baroque facade opening onto one of the central squares. Around it, get lost in the lanes without a plan: the old town is small and you always come back to one of the squares. Look at the gates in the wall, Baroque, which mark the entrances to the old town.
The festival and the food
Since 1975, Martina Franca has held in summer the Festival della Valle d'Itria, an opera festival, with rarely performed titles. The 2026 edition, the 52nd, ran from 14 July to 2 August; tickets are requested from the box office by email, [email protected], or by phone, +39 080 840 7250.
At the table, Martina is famous for its capocollo, a cured pork-neck sausage, and for the bombette, rolls of pork neck stuffed with canestrato cheese, salt and pepper, cooked on the grill. Its wine is another white with a designation of origin, from verdeca and bianco d'alessano.
Getting there and parking
Martina Franca is a little over an hour from Bari by car, about 74 km, and a few minutes from Locorotondo. The old town is limited-traffic: park outside the wall and go in on foot through Piazza Roma. By train, the Ferrovie del Sud Est line runs from Bari via Alberobello and Locorotondo.
Tips
- Towards evening With the low sun, the white of the facades softens and it is less hot for wandering the lanes.
- Order bombette They are served grilled throughout the valley, also at the butchers' grills in Cisternino.
- Book the festival early The summer performances fill up; write to the box office in spring.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Martina Franca?
Piazza Roma and the Palazzo Ducale, the basilica of San Martino and the Baroque gates of the old town.
How much time do I need?
About two hours for the old town; more if you stay for dinner.
When is the opera festival?
In July and August. In 2026 it ran from 14 July to 2 August.
What are bombette?
Grilled rolls of pork neck stuffed with cheese, typical of Martina Franca.
As a familyWith a dog
