Salento West Coast…

Inspired by the immense historical heritage of our region, and by its internationally recognized beauty, we would like to take you on a tour of the “heel” of the Italian boot, the southernmost tip of the Apulia region, and Italy’s easternmost point: Salento, and particularly its west coast. Let’s go to Salento West Coast! We want to share with you the wonders of our site. Why not visit with us? We can be your guide. No charge. So everybody is coming with us. Very good! Our journey starts…: 1. with a scenic entry into the town of Nardò, where our school is based. Nardò is today a beautiful town of about 31.000 inhabitants, but has an incredible history, which starts over 3000 years ago when it was founded by the Messapi. It also offers a unique landscape, including over 20 Km of coastline, characterized by crystal clear, unpolluted, sea waters which are regularly ranked among the cleanest in Italy. We will first describe Nardò’s historical centre, its many churches, and its superb main square, which has been the set of many films. 2. We will then move to Santa Maria al Bagno, a wonderful fisherman village built around a tiny, but Caribbean looking sandy beach, and unspoilt rocky beaches. Santa Maria al Bagno is now a popular touristic destination, but at the end of World War II, between 1943 and 1947, its inhabitants contributed to helping over 150.000 concentration camp survivors Jews, who settled there before moving to newly created State of Israel. A museum has been created to remember this page of history. We will also describe some of the coastal towers in Salento, which are coastal watchtowers, built to protect our peninsula's coast that was long subject to maritime attacks. The first towers may have been Norman. The remaining historic towers are mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries. 3. Our journey will continue to the regional wildlife reserve of Portoselvaggio. With its 400 hectares of pinewood forest and seven kilometres of high quality, unpolluted coastal waters, and one of the main green lungs of the Apulia region. Not only does Portoselvaggio offer dramatic views on the Iong coast, but also hides, in its Grotta del Cavallo, the oldest remains of the Homo Sapiens, dating about 45.000 years ago. 4. For our last expedition together we have chosen something really extraordinary: we will tell you some secrets about the 60 million olive trees, some of which are thousands years old, of Apulia.