AUTHENTIC ITALY

A HIDDEN REGION WITH SOUTHERN CHARM

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Apulia (Puglia) is bootshaped Italy's heel, kicking into the clear waters of the Adriatic. Steeped in history and strewn with olive groves, it attracts many to its sparkling coastline and lush interior. But there is a quieter, more authentic side to the region. Here's how you can discover it for yourself with ITS ITALY, which specialises in regenerating old towns and villages.

GINOSA

Close to the heel's arch, in Taranto province, medieval Ginosa rears up from a rocky, horseshoe-shaped ledge that dominates a green, ravine-riven landscape. Formerly named Genusium, it was established by the Greeks as an important centre between the coastal towns of Taranto and Metaponta, and its Greek influence is still notable. It is also equidistant between Ginosa Marina, a charming, sunny beach town with miles of golden sand, and Matera, the spectacular, cinematographic cave-dwelling city made famous by the most recent Bond film, No Time to Die. You can even see the remains of rock-cut settlements in Ginosa, a legacy of past inhabitants who carved homes and churches out of the land's natural stone. Other striking landmarks include the town's stark Norman castle, the gabled facade and belltower of its 16th-century Chiesa Madre church, and the neoclassical clocktower that looms above the Piazza Orologio in the heart of the historical centre.