What to do · Itria Valley
A walk through Locorotondo, the round town above the valley
Information
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 1 h 30
- Season
- All year; at sunset, the best light
- Who it's for
- All ages
- With a dog
- On a lead in the streets of the old town
What it is
Locorotondo looks out over the Itria Valley from a hill 410 metres high, and its old town is almost a circle: hence the name, "round place". It is one of the Borghi più belli d'Italia and holds the Touring Club Italiano's Orange Flag, which rewards, among other things, being easy to explore on foot. Inside is a maze of white lanes that its residents look after with great care, and fewer souvenir shops than in Alberobello.
What to see
The town's typical houses are the cummerse: regular-shaped façades with a pitched, gabled roof made of two layers of limestone slabs, the same material as the trulli but in a different shape. Look at them from below, in the streets that run down towards the edge of the old town.
At the top is the Chiesa Madre di San Giorgio, built between 1769 and 1821, with a Renaissance-style façade and Neoclassical details. Look out also for the small Romanesque church of the Madonna della Greca, on the edge of the old town, and that of San Rocco, patron of the summer festival.
The end of the walk is the viewpoint: from the edge of the town facing the valley you see the whole Itria countryside, with vines, olive trees and the grey cones of the trulli scattered across the farms. That countryside is an example of dispersed settlement: the trulli were built around a shared yard, on farms that in the 19th century were granted on long leases for planting vines.
The wine
Locorotondo gives its name to a white-wine designation of origin, still or sparkling, made mostly from verdeca and bianco d'alessano, on about 1,650 hectares of vines. It is the wine you will be served at any table in the town. If you want to see it up close, ten minutes away is the I Pàstini winery, with visits on weekdays.
Getting there and parking
Locorotondo lies between Alberobello and Martina Franca, a few minutes by car from each, and a little over an hour from Bari. The old town is pedestrian: park on the streets outside the wall and walk in. It has a Ferrovie del Sud Est station, on the Bari to Martina Franca line.
Tips
- Go at sunset The viewpoint looks over the valley and the low light gilds the walls.
- Eat inside the old town Bina, on Via Dottor Recchia, is open at lunchtime every day except Monday.
- Festivals San Giorgio is celebrated on 22 and 23 April with a fair; San Rocco, in summer, with music.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need in Locorotondo?
An hour and a half for the old town and the viewpoint, without hurrying.
What are cummerse?
Houses with a regular façade and a gabled roof of two layers of limestone slabs, typical of Locorotondo.
Can you go with a pushchair?
You can, but some lanes have steps. The old town is small and quick to cover.
Which wine do you drink?
The white Locorotondo DOC, made from verdeca and bianco d'alessano.
As a familyWith a dog
