Puglia: Lecce and the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate

In the south of the peninsula, Puglia welcomes visitors with essential, luminous landscapes shaped by time and human labour. Among ancient olive groves, stone masserie and a sea of intense reflections, the pace slows down and makes room for authentic experiences: walks in nature, age-old traditions, simple cuisine deeply rooted in the land.

In the heart of Salento, Lecce enchants with its extraordinary artistic richness. Churches, monasteries and palaces carved in golden stone transform the city into an open-air museum, particularly evocative in the warm hours of sunset. But Lecce is also a vibrant, welcoming city, where beauty weaves into everyday life among lively squares, artisan workshops and a strong sense of identity.

A few kilometres away, nestled in the Salento countryside, lies one of the most precious gems protected by FAI: the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate. Founded in the 12th century, it is an extraordinary example of Apulian Romanesque architecture and for centuries served as a spiritual and agricultural centre.

In spring and summer, the Abbey reveals its full evocative power: the silence of the countryside, the scent of the earth, the light grazing medieval frescoes and ancient stone create a deeply intimate and intense experience. Visiting this FAI property means coming into contact with a lesser-known Italy, shaped by history, slowness and harmony.

Basilicata: Matera and Casa Noha

There are places where time does not simply pass, but layers itself, leaving visible traces in every stone. Matera, in Basilicata, is one of them: a city unique in the world, where past and present coexist in a landscape carved from rock.

To truly understand it, however, one needs a gaze that can go beyond the surface. This is precisely where the journey proposed by FAI begins, inviting visitors to discover Matera starting from a very special place: Casa Noha.

Overlooking the heart of the Sassi, Casa Noha is far more than a historic residence: it is the threshold through which to truly enter the city, the ideal starting point for finding one's way among narrow alleyways, cave churches and age-old landscapes. Here, an engaging multimedia narrative takes visitors on a journey through the centuries, bringing to life the complex and fascinating history of Matera, from its most ancient origins to its contemporary rebirth.

Through images, sounds and storytelling, the immersive video allows visitors to grasp the deep soul of the city and read its every detail with greater awareness.

Once outside Casa Noha, Matera reveals itself in all its intensity: sudden vistas, suspended silences, architectures emerging from the rock. Every step leads deeper into an ever more profound story.

Through places such as the Abbazia di Cerrate and Casa Noha, FAI invites visitors to discover a unique cultural and landscape heritage, offering not just a visiting experience but a profound key to reading the territory for those travelling through Puglia and Basilicata, among the most beautiful regions of Southern Italy. Choosing these places means travelling mindfully, making a concrete contribution to the preservation of their beauty and their future.