Ancient cities conquered by the Romans, who brought their building skills and designs to a land of historical battles, crossed by the most important road in the Empire – Via Appia.Day 1
The Excavations of Egnatia
Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Visit to the Archaeological Museum and excavations of Egnazia. This ancient city stands on a rocky promontory on the border between the ancient Messapia and Peucezia. In addition to the acropolis surrounded by ancient walls and overlooking the sea, we will visit the ancient abbey, with houses and shops from the period of the Empire, the forum and amphitheatre, the Sacello delle Divinita’ Orientali, the civil Basilica, the Roman furnace and the cryptporticus. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
2
Between Brindisi and Lecce - Where the Via Appia Ended
and Ancient Licea Stood After breakfast, transfer to Brindisi, where two columns (one on the spot and the other preserved at Lecce) mark the end of the Via Appia. Visit to the Hohenstaufen castle, the Forum, where fragments of architectural sculptures have been found, and the Archaeological Museum, containing Messapia, Greek and Roman finds. After lunch, transfer to Lecce
and visit to the theatre and amphitheatre, built between the 1st and 2nd century A.D.. At San Cataldo, visit to Hadrian’s port. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.3
Roman Traces Between Canne, Canosa and Lucera
After breakfast, departure for Canne, where in 216 B.C. Hannibal’s Carthaginians defeated the Romans. Visit to the archaeological area and then transfer to Canosa to visit the Baths of Lomuscio, the Temple of Giove Toro, and the archaeological collection at the Civic Museum. After lunch, visit to the monuments of the Via Traiana and then on to Lucera, ancient settlement of the Dauni that became a Roman colony in 314 B.C.. The Roman period has left us the amphitheatre, the baths of San Matteo, and the Temple of Apollo. Visit to the Giuseppe Fiorelli Civic Museum where the history of Roman and mediaeval Lucera can be traced.
