Gallipoli

Gallipoli, "the Pearl of the Ionian Sea", appears in its unique and suggestive atmosphere with its long beaches full of Mediterranean vegetation, with indented coasts licked by the blue and crystalline waters of the sea. The city is characterized by an ancient part with its typical streets, with eighteenth-century buildings, churches rich in pictorial art. It was entirely built on an islet contained among its strengthened boundaries, and connected to the land (the new part of the city) by an old bridge (1600) on the extremity of which a Greek Fountain is found.

The coat-of-arms...

The coat-of-arms of Gallipoli is represented by a rooster wound by a sheet (cartiglio) on which it is written: "FIDELITER EXCUBAT". It faithfully watches over the city, to testify the impregnability of its own boundaries and the loyalty and the fidelity of the people of the city. They bravely defended the town from the Angioins in order to remain faithful to the emperor Federico II. In 1485 the Venetians harshly struck it because of its fidelity to the Aragonese crown. It is said that the rooster represents the symbol of the mythical founder of the city Lizio Idomeneo, hero of the war of Troy and king of the Crete island, who had on his battle shield a rooster as symbol.

...and its history.

The ancient city was entirely built on an island; it is thought that it has got Messapic origins, and this fact is testified by the ancient name of Anxa. It reached the maximum magnificence between the XVI and the XIX century when it became the most important harbour in Puglia to deliver the salentinian oil which was used to illuminate the great cities of Europe. Therefore there were a lot of vice-consulates. In 1603 a stone bridge was built which still today ties the ancient suburb to the new part of the city. 

Monuments,...

Places to visit in the city are: the Castle called "the Rivellino" more times rehandled, it stands out in the clear waters of the dock, the churches of the ancient suburb full of pictures, the Cathedral, the noble buildings, the courts, the alleys, the civic museum, the hypogeal crushers, the Hellenistic fountain with representations of the Greek myths, the statue of the "Mallatrone" that inspired Gabriele D'Annunzio in the poetry "La Beffa di Buccali", the sunsets, the market of the fish and finally the local gastronomy. 

...outskirts and curiosity.

CAmong the beauties of the outskirts there are the wonderful noble villas in the countries of Alezio and Sannicola with delightful gardens, the Museum of the Country Civilization in Tuglie. We have to remember that, in Gallipoli, there is the first and the only closed tunny-fishing grounds in Puglia. The famous "soap of Marsiglia" should be called of Gallipoli, because it was born here from the waste material coming from the transformation of the olives with the addition of caustic soda.