Ali del Levante N.54 Dicembre 2012 - Aeroporti di Puglia

uilding ruins have been carefully
preserved by the National Trust and
offer spectacular views of the island.
Also intriguing are the plantations,
which survived for many years before
soil exhaustion, drought and hurricanes.
The Apulian Aerospace District
by Maria Moretti
The Apulian Aerospace District is…
well, taking off! As Maria Moretti
points out, one of the most strategic
sectors of Apulian high-tech economy
is not only a case study across
the nation and abroad, but most
of all is bringing new occupational
opportunities to an ailing job market,
and not only in Puglia. The Italian
aerospace business cluster, planned
as long ago as 2006, can now count
on over 9 billion euro yearly turnover
and over 39,000 workers, thus
contributing to 8-10% of the Italian
GDP and over 2% of export. Few are
aware though that the coordination
of the Italian aerospace district has
been given to its Apulian branch, as
it was the first to be established in
2009.
Valle d’Itria, the Valley of Desires
by Maria Teresa Cirillo
Between the Ionian and Adriatic
coasts, there is the great limestone
plateau of the Murgia, and at the
heart of the Murge travelers find the
idyllic Valle d’Itria. First time visitors
are astonished to spot curious
circular stone-built houses dotting
the countryside, their roofs tapering
up to a stubby and endearing point.
These are trulli, Puglia’s unique rural
architecture. It’s unclear why the
architecture developed in this way;
one popular story says that it was so
the dry-stone constructions could be
quickly dismantled, to avoid payment
of building taxes. The rolling green
valley is crisscrossed by dry-stone
walls, vineyards, almond and olive
groves and winding country lanes,
and punctuated by the towns of
Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino,
Martina Franca and Ostuni, each
shimmering with charm. In Martina
Franca, without any doubt the cultural
capital of Valle d’Itria, graceful
baroque buildings, airy piazzas and a
web of lanes make up an enchanting
old quarter, Puglia at its most elegant.
This town is the highest in the
Murgia, and was founded in the 10th
century by refugees fleeing the Arab
invasion of Taranto. It only started
to flourish in the 14th century when
Philip of Anjou granted tax exemptions
(franchigie, hence Franca),
becoming so wealthy that a castle
and defensive walls complete with 24
solid bastions were built. The modern-day
town is just as comfortable
and contented as its historic counterpart
and is a prosperous wine-producing
center.
At the heart of Valle d’Itria there is
one of Unesco World Heritage Sites,
Alberobello or the town of trulli.
Stubby pointed roofs, white-tipped
as if dusted by snow, the town is
named after the primitive oak forest
Arboris Belli (beautiful trees) that
once covered this area.
The Most Beautiful Italian Villages
by Pierluigi De Santis
More than a “cold” tourist ranking,
the Club of “the most beautiful
Italian villages “ is a project of ANCI
(National Association of Italian
Municipalities). This project arose
from the need to promote the great
heritage of history, the arts, culture,
environment and traditions found in
small Italian towns which are usually
cut off from the flow of visitors and
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English summary
tourists. There are in fact hundreds
of small villages in Italy that risk depopulation
and a consequent decline
caused by a situation of marginalization
as regards the economic interests
that gravitate toward tourism
and commercial trends. The goal
of the Club is the preservation of a
great heritage of monuments and
memories that would otherwise be
lost. This is the so-called “smaller”
Italy, albeit its best treasure, hidden
and less known but nonetheless
representing the unfolding of the
millenary history that left indelible
marks. The Club publishes a renowned
guide, where one can find
general or “access” information on
each village. There is also the “Spirit
of the Village” section of the guide,
while the section called “Sights”
gives a brief description of the most
important architectural structures
in the village and surrounding area:
churches, fortresses, public buildings,
residences, streets, squares, views,
etc. The “Pleasures and Flavors” part
of the guide lists all things good and
beautiful in the village.
“Primitivo wine…
and then I can die!”
Katja Brinkmann interviews
Stefan Maiwald
“If sentenced to death I would ask
just one thing: a Primitivo from Manduria”.
Travel writer and journalist
Stefan Maiwald is a true “Italophile”
as German readers have called him,
and among Italian regions he deems
Puglia as one of the best discovers
since he moved to Italy, married and
Italian and happily lives in Grado.
In her interview Katja Brinkmann
describes Stefan Maiwald as a quite
original chap: he travels for work and
does not fly, he rather drives in the
search of lost and forgotten details