Elaine Trigiani
experience Italy
Puglia:
Valle d'Itria & the Salento
7 - 13 Sept 2026
registration deadline 1 Jan 2026
Make a late summer visit to Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. With a group of 10 - 12 travelers we’ll make day trips from a base in a typical masseria / farmhouse in the area between Bari and Brindisi exploring from Bari down into the Salento, the tip of the heel of the boot.
Experience life in the small villages of the interior and along the Adriatic sea, taste with artisan producers of Puglia’s food staples, visit the ponderous Norman cathedrals and ancient sites. Barivecchia (the historic center of Bari) is the original mixed use concept: the Norman cathedral dedicated to the revered San Nicola shares the narrow lanes with garage fry shops, old fashioned bakeries, women making orecchiette and kids zipping by on their scooters. In the Valle d’Itria the countryside is animated with trulli, the characteristic domed, stone farmhouses and an agricultural community of artisan producers of wine, cheese, salame and spectacular olive oil. The Salento is noted for its centuries-old olive groves, Baroque architecture and a heartfelt sense of tradition that infiltrates every facet of life from music to feast days to the local pastry shop.
Pugliese recipes reflect the influence of their particular heritage, the farming community and their proximity to the sea; we'll try them all in humble trattorie, the back room of a butcher shop and in more elegant, internationally known restaurants.
itinerary
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day 1 arrival
Late afternoon first group meeting in Bari to explore the historic center Barivecchia. The warren of little lanes hides, surprisingly, the ponderous Norman cathedral dedicated to San Nicola, fry shops and one of the best bakeries in the city for iconic foccaccia barese. Transfer to our masseria, orientation cocktails and group supper.
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day 2 Valle d'Itria, capocollo and wine
Out and about exploring the villages of the Valle d’Itria we’ll visit a salumificio with production of the justly famous capocollo di Martina Franca, aged pork cured with what they have to hand: wine and almond shells. Lunch at a fornello [butcher shop with tables] in Cisternino and time to explore the charming historical center. Afternoon visit to a winemaker who works with the region’s autochthonous grapes: verdeca, minutolo, negroamaro, bombino nero. Group supper in the garden of our hotel.
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day 3 cheese, kitchen experience, olive oil
Visit a family farm with dairy to learn about the ancestral magic that turns highly perishable milk into cheese, a (relatively) shelf stable source of protein. Meet the current generation, their animals and see how they make the iconic pugliesi burrata. Cooking class with traditional recipes and group lunch. Visit with a producer of super high quality extra virgin olive oil to learn about how it’s made and how to recognize the perfumes and flavors of high quality olive oils. Evening and supper on your own in Ceglie Messapica.
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day 4 the Salento
In the Salento we'll explore the villages of what is known as Grecìa Salentina, a remote area where they still speak a dialect that's a direct descendant of ancient Greek, with pastry tasting, artisan visit and country lunch. Free time in the city of Lecce with its particular brand of baroque architecture .. exuberant architectonic detail carved from the warm colored local tufa, free time to explore and have an aperitivo or a caffè leccese, cold espresso with a splash of almond milk. Group supper in the garden at our hotel.
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day 5 the Alto Salento, wheat and Ostuni
At San Vito dei Normanni in the upper Salento (or lower Itria valley) meet a series of young San Vitesi who chose to remain in their hometown and participate in (revitalize) the local economy. Our visits are loosely based on the production of and use of wheat, meet and taste with farmers, bakers and two brothers who who opened a restaurant in their grandmother’s house in order to exalt her recipes. Late afternoon and evening in Ostuni with its whitewashed historic center, imposing Norman cathedral and great ceramics shops. On your own for supper in Ostuni.
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​​​day 6 ancient ruins, fresh fish, dip in the sea
Discover the ruins and antiquities of Egnazia, a bronze age Messapic settlement with fortified port that eventually melded with Roman invaders to become a bustling Roman city [a very well preserved stretch of the 110AD Appian Way shortcut goes right through the heart of the city]. Typical seaside lunch of fresh fish and vegetables and a lazy afternoon seaside. Final group supper.
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day 7 departure
Transfers to Bari and Brindisi.
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Please note that this is an initial itinerary to provide a template of what to expect.
The people and places that we will be visiting are not typical tourist destinations
so plans may be modified at the last minute. We will craft the final itinerary
to provide the experience as described above.
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details
This trip is run together with Lorenzo Girolami who you know from our online classes. With a group of 10 - 12 travelers we’ll stay in a charming hotel in the area between Bari and Brindisi, all rooms are in a series of renovated trulli, pool and restaurant on site.
We have private vans and drivers for all ground transportation.
Your activity level should allow you to walk for 3 - 5 miles per day including up and down steps, on uneven cobblestone streets and through vineyards and olive groves that are planted on hills and terraces.
Request the guest registration document for all information including cost, payment terms, cancellation policy, etc.
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feedback
Especially thank you for arranging so many visits that we would not be able to do on our own - it makes your tours unique.
In total, the BEST tour we’ve taken to date. Elaine crafted a week long small group experience with the perspective and knowledge that only an insider could provide. It was a perfect balance of delicious regional food, wine, art and culture. We are already making plans to travel with her again.
Fantastic trip. Wonderful agenda. Elaine, her team (Lorenzo, Bruno, Tony) and her network of friends and artisans were fantastic. The masseria accommodations were great. It was clear that a lot of effort was put forth in planning for our best experience. We are well traveled globally, but doing this Puglia trip on our own we never would have experienced the special agenda Elaine put together. A wonderful added outcome was the great friendships we made within our group over the week. We strongly recommend traveling with Elaine.