From the wonderful caves to the oldest carnival in Europe: discovering Putignano
Putignano is a town in the province of Bari which, thanks to some of its peculiarities, is undoubtedly among the most interesting places to visit in the surroundings of the Apulian capital.
Located on a hilly area of the Alta Murgia over 300 meters above sea level, Putignano boasts (by virtue of its geographical position) several fascinating caves that can be visited throughout the year;
among these there is one in particular, discovered in 1931, and which is impossible not to visit during a trip to Putignano. This is the Grotta del Trullo , a karst cavity about 20 meters deep and about 60 meters long, as well as rich in fantastic stalactites and stalagmites which glitter even without artificial light thanks to the presence of water and some rock conformations which generate small plays of light . A particularly suggestive and fascinating place whose access point is in correspondence with a typical Apulian Trullo (hence the name given to the cave) ; upon entering this trullo, in fact, it will be possible to descend into the cavity by means of a spiral staircase that connects the trullo to the splendid cave .
Fantastic huh? It is useless to point out how the temperature changes underground, decidedly colder than that on the surface, and whether it is summer or winter it makes no difference, so it is better to bring something to cover yourself. Putignano , however, has many other things that make it very characteristic and interesting; the suggestive ancient village , for example, should be explored very calmly if you want to admire the architectural details of this historic centre, as well as the alleys, small squares and the mother church.
However, what makes this lovely town near Bari is its carnival , the oldest and best known in Europe (the tradition dates back to the Middle Ages) and which, even today, continues to attract thousands to the city of people coming not only from all over Puglia , but also from the rest of Italy.
Not only that, the Putignano Carnival is also the longest carnival in the world since it officially begins in December and ends with the start of Lent; and it is precisely in this last period, in fact, that the carnival perfectly enters the heart of the party with the parade of allegorical floats made with the typical and unmistakable Putignano style.
A parade of colorful and cheerful floats made by real papier-mâché masters who entertain young people and families every year with their papier-mâché works. An event not to be missed if you want to experience first-hand the creativity of this country and the traditions of the oldest carnival in Europe .
For more info on the Putignano carnival , visit https://www.carnevalediputignano.it
The Putignano carnival
Where is Putignano located?
Other places to see near Bari
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