The Carovana Romantica Rally 2014 edition goes to the southern end of the Italian peninsula, among endless expanses of centuries-old olive trees, along panoramic coastal roads, among ancient farms, testimonies of the remote past, such as the stone "dolmens and menhirs", and villages with baroque architecture: it is the “De finibus terrae” Rally.
We start from Selva di Fasano, a wooded area on a hill overlooking the Itria valley, also known as Valle dei Trulli, towards Alberobello, with a display of the cars in Piazza del Popolo, followed by a farewell of the institutions and a visit to the famous Trulli,
After crossing the circular village of Locorotondo, we continue to Cisternino, a small village, now a chic retreat, to display the cars in Via San Quirico, and a lunch based on the typical "Meat al fornello", and a welcome of folk music in the " Clock Square”.
In the afternoon, stop in Ostuni, the white village, whose lime-covered houses shine on the hill overlooking the valley full of olive trees. Car exhibition in Viale Oronzo Quaranta.
In the evening you cannot miss an aperitif in the splendid fortified Masseria Monteleone and a dinner in the trulli village.
We set off again towards Martina Franca, to reach the Castle of Oria, where the flag-wavers welcome the caravan before the guided tour. For a tasting of the best Apulian rosés, we move to the land of wines, near Manduria, to Masseria Altemura, crossing kilometers of vineyards. Stop in the afternoon in Lecce, with entrance from Porta Napoli and car exhibition in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. We admire the wonderful buildings in the Lecce baroque style, with golden reflections, and visit a shop where the characteristic papier-mâché puppets are produced.
Departure from Acaya, where we stay at the Golf Resort, along the coast through the beaches of San Foca, Torre dell'Orso, and the Alimini lakes, towards Porto Badisco Santa Cesarea Terme – Castro, for a visit to the Zinzulusa Cave.
Final stop at the “De Finibus Terrae” Abbey in the extreme south-east of Italy, for a “pieds dans l’eau” lunch in the wonderful waters of the “Maldives of Salento”
We continue to Specchia, with its underground oil mills, to reach Otranto and its famous Castle
The last stop of the Rally is Gallipoli, where, after a panoramic tour along the Riviera, we display the cars in Piazza Aldo Moro Square.
Gala dinner at the Acaya Golf Resort, with a folk show by the Tambourine players of Torrepaduli for an unforgettable "Night of the Taranta"
Rally 2014 Map
Highlights
Alberobello- Cisternino - Ostuni
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cinque Terre offer one of the most fascinating landscapes of the Ligurian Riviera, with their rugged and rugged hills, softened by the construction of terraces for the cultivation of citrus fruits and vines, which drop sheer down towards the sea. Hidden in the small fjords, there are the five villages ("Terre"): Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Portofino is one of the most iconic places in Italy: a magnificent seaside village, set in the green promontory, with its tall pastel-colored houses arranged in a semicircle around the famous Piazzetta. Of very ancient origins, documented in the imperial age with the name of Portus Delphini, it preserves the Roman road layout, with orthogonal meshes. Not far away is Camogli, the most romantic village on the Riviera di Levante where we will stay at the Hotel Cenobio di Dogi. In the surrounding area we will visit the Abbey of San Fruttuoso: a unique medieval monastery overlooking the sea in a bay hidden in the greenery of the Portofino mountain.
Lecce and the Salento: The "Golden Baroque"
But Emilia is also a land of culture and music. We will cross the Terre Verdiane (Busseto, Parma, Soragna, Fontanellato, Salsomaggiore Terme), the places where the artistic and musical life of the famous musician Giuseppe Verdi took place, and we will attend an exclusive show, a tribute to the great master. Not far from Parma, we will visit “Il Labirinto della Masone”, conceived and wanted by Franco Maria Ricci is the largest existing bamboo labyrinth, made up of about 200,000 plants up to 15 meters high, along a path of over 3km. It houses an impressive collection of unique art of its kind, spread over five thousand square meters, of about five hundred pieces from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. There will be tastings of the gastronomic excellence of which Italy is known throughout the planet: Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia, culatello, tagliatelle, tortellini, accompanied by wines of tradition such as Sangiovese and Lambrusco.
Otranto: Castles and Folk: "The Night of Taranta"
But Emilia is also a land of culture and music. We will cross the Terre Verdiane (Busseto, Parma, Soragna, Fontanellato, Salsomaggiore Terme), the places where the artistic and musical life of the famous musician Giuseppe Verdi took place, and we will attend an exclusive show, a tribute to the great master. Not far from Parma, we will visit “Il Labirinto della Masone”, conceived and wanted by Franco Maria Ricci is the largest existing bamboo labyrinth, made up of about 200,000 plants up to 15 meters high, along a path of over 3km. It houses an impressive collection of unique art of its kind, spread over five thousand square meters, of about five hundred pieces from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. There will be tastings of the gastronomic excellence of which Italy is known throughout the planet: Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia, culatello, tagliatelle, tortellini, accompanied by wines of tradition such as Sangiovese and Lambrusco.
Oria Castle- Manduria- Wine valley
Dozens of castles, fascinating fortresses and crenellated towers dot the hills that rise in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. For long centuries these stone sentries were witnesses of battles, invasions and sieges, today they are evidence of history, art, culture and food and wine. We will visit some of the best preserved and highly suggestive castles, such as the castles of Torrechiara, Tabiano Felino, Fontanellato and the fortified medieval villages of Vigoleno, and Castell'Arquato. A unique concentration in the world of car and motorcycle manufacturers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati, Dallara, Ducati), racetracks, museums and private collections. To fully experience the Motor Valley we will visit, in addition to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, also some highly prestigious private museums, such as the Umberto Panini Museum, with one of the most complete collections of Maserati cars in the world from 1926 onwards, housed in a building in Art Nouveau style.
Santa Cesarea: "De Finibus Terrae"
A unique concentration in the world of car and motorcycle manufacturers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati, Dallara, Ducati), racetracks, museums and private collections. To fully experience the Motor Valley we will visit, in addition to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, also some highly prestigious private museums, such as the Umberto Panini Museum, with one of the most complete collections of Maserati cars in the world from 1926 onwards, housed in a building in Art Nouveau style.
