Manduria

15 minutes by car

Situated in Northern Salento and in the middle between Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce, the town of Manduria is also known as “City of the Messapii”, or as “City of Primitivo”. Its territory extends on a coastal area of about 18 km, in which river Chidro flows. It is the most important river in Salento which, besides being a Site of Community Importance, is part of the “Nature Reserve of the Tarantine Eastern Coast”. Founded by Messapii, Manduria still preserves several witnesses of its past. Its old town is made up of a lot of narrow and twisted streets, where it’s easy to get lost if you don’t know the city. Among the most important monuments there are: the Romanic Church Collegiata (best known as “Chiesa Madre”), the Medieval Jewish Ghetto, the Clock Tower, noble palaces built in different ages and parts of the ancient Messapian curtain wall. Another important place to visit is the Museum of the Primitivo Wine Culture, situated in the Cantina Produttori Vini Manduria.