Puglia Ginosa

A medieval castle perched on the summit of a canyon announces our arrival in Ginosa, Puglia. This, the culmination of a historic center which plummets down into the so called "gravine" or ravines: deep rocky gorges of Karst origin which since 2005 have been awarded protected status as "Terra delle Gravine Regional Park".

Since the Palaeolithic age, these ravines have been inhabited by man, and it is still possible to see numerous traces of ancient constructions here, in particular the crypts and places of worship built by the monks and hermits who chose to live hidden amidst the rocks over the centuries.

It is here, in this quite unique setting, that each year the re-enactment of the Passion of Christ is performed; spectacle which sees some 300 actors involved in the representation of the life of the Nazarene in some twenty two acts.

Ginosa is also a much-loved seaside town. Overlooking the Ionic sea, Marina di Ginosa boasts a long stretch of sandy beach, protected by lush Mediterranean vegetation and pine trees. Close to Ginosa there is the Salinella Lake, a small basin of water inhabited by numerous types of fish and guarded over by the Torre Mattoni, a watch tower erected by the viceroy of the King of Naples in the 16th century.