Martina Franca is a charming baroque town a few kilometers from Alberobello and is the largest town in the Itria Valley (the Trulli Valley).
The name with which it is known was given to it for the first time by Filippo I D’Angiò. The epoch of greatest splendor for this town was the eighteenth century when were built the most important monuments and churches that still dot the historic center. Baroque is the dominant style: you can find it in many civil and religious buildings; this style has taken here characteristic features that distinguish it from the other variations of this artistic and architectural current, so much that we can speak of Martinese baroque.The main Baroque buildings are the church of San Martino and the Palazzo Ducale. Strolling in the historic center you are captured by the majestic and suggestive facade of the Basilica where you can also admire the statue of the patron saint, San Martino.Continuing the cultural journey through the history of the city, passing through Piazza Roma, you will find the famous Palazzo Ducale, built by Duke Caracciolo in the seventeenth century and today the seat of the Municipality and main venue of the Valle d’Itria Festival. An annual summer event for music lovers since 1975, the Valle d’Itria Festival in Martina Franca is one of the main classical music and opera festivals in the world.Every year, between the middle of July and the beginning of August, the festival showcases a series of works. The operas are generally organized in the enchanting surroundings of Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca, while orchestral chamber music and choral concerts take place in different venues around Martina Franca and in nearby towns.
