A speciality of the town, a ‘bombetta’ is a parcel of meat filled with cheese, more meat and spices, which is rolled up and cooked on a grill or in the oven. Purchase them from one of the ‘Fornelli’ in the old town, butchers’ shops which prepare and cook the bombette while you sit outside at one the tables. Delicious!
Not surprisingly, Cisternino has a festival dedicated to pasta, the ‘Sagra della Orecchiette’ (pasta shaped like little ears), which originates from Puglia. It takes place the 2nd weekend in August with a medieval parade and tournament, fireworks, music and food. September sees a wine festival, whilst on the last Sunday of May, the local wine producers open their doors to the public, not just in Cisternino but throughout Puglia.
You are never too far from the coast in Puglia. From Cisternino, take your pick from the beaches in the National Coastal Dune Park – Torre Canne (small seaside resort with fine sand and shallow waters), Lido Bizzarro, Lido Morelli (fine white sand, surrounded by sand dunes) down to Torre San Leonardo (at the far end of the Il Pilone beach).
The town of Castellana Grotta is home to a vast underground network of caves, the ‘Grotte di Castellana’. A popular visitor attraction, the guided tour is along a 3km path through caverns and canyons covered in stalactites and stalagmites, and stones in all colours, shapes and sizes. A fascinating experience!
When mentioning caves, it would be remiss not to mention Matera and the ‘Sassi’ (cave dwellings), which is one of the most famous troglodyte cities in the world. Strictly speaking, Matera is in Basilicata but only 1hr 30mins from the Valle d’Itria, so infinitely do-able as a day trip. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is an incredible place to see and explore.
