Bari. The flower season between petal villages and Donne del Vino

Bari enjoys this spring weekend by opening to the public the Teatro Margherita, which was built on the water in 1914 and boasts many floral decorations on its Art Nouveau façade. Then it is a short walk to the San Cataldo Lighthouse, the third highest in all of Italia and the one that has always regulated maritime communications with Albania. Inside, Guglielmo Marconi carried out one of his primordial experiments on the actual functioning of radio signal transmission. It was thus almost consequential that the museum set up in this building dedicates a large space to the radio with models on display from the collections of Alberto Chiantera and the Italian Amateur Radio Association. The Archaeological Museum also enjoys a privileged position facing the Adriatic in the medieval Benedictine monastery of Santa Scolastica and the adjoining 16th-century bastion: among these recovered and beautifully rendered vestiges, one penetrates the history of Apulia by 'encountering' the Iapigi, the Peucezi and other ancient peoples up to the Greeks. Having tasted the focaccia prepared with care and joy at the Magda bakery, which now also provides a room to enjoy it, one can go and have a chat in Via Arco Basso with the ladies who prepare orecchiette (small ears of bread) outside the doorways near the Basilica of San Nicola and the Swabian Castle erected in 1131. Staying at the VIS Urban Suites & Spa, moreover, spring is right in front of your eyes thanks to the upholstery and furnishings inspired by nature and its inhabitants: you can already take a bath in the tubs of the underground spa.

These are still the days of the intense blossoming of the almond trees, which will be followed by those of the cherry trees: Toritto, a village just before Altamura, is ideal for admiring the plantations near the hamlet of Quasano, perhaps visiting the Almond Farm to taste all the healthy products made from these fruits. Conversano and Turi will celebrate the appearance of cherry petals in a few weeks. Even an escape to Speziale is a gem this season to walk along the sheep-tracks of the Dune di Ostuni Regional Park, admire the olive trees from the heights of the two-thousand-year-old Dolmen in Montalbano, and taste Puglia's most genuine hot buns at the Tony Bar. On the other hand, at Masseria Le Carrube this very weekend, Le Giornate delle Donne del Vino (The Days of the Women of Wine) are scheduled, featuring tastings and samplings under the direction of chef Massimo Santoro, who enhances the flavours of vegetables and all the delicious goodness of Apulia's land and sea. Also on this weekend, an extraordinary opening is scheduled in Mola di Bari of the Matrix Church dedicated to St Nicholas.