Discover the Joy of Puglia: Top 12 Must-Know Fun Facts About This Italian Gem

1. Olive Oil Ocean

When life gives you olives, Puglia makes an ocean of olive oil: Producing a whopping 68% of Italy's olive oil along with Calabria, Puglia holds the golden key to this liquid treasure that tantalizes your taste buds and keeps Italy's kitchens running smoothly.
Source => exauoliveoil.com

2. Wine Lover's Paradise

Hold onto your toga, Bacchus: Puglia is a wine lover's paradise since time immemorial! Spanning back to the days of Greek and Roman connoisseurs, this Italian heel of a region boasts cities like Foggia, Bari, and Lecce—perfectly perched on calcareous soil that seems to have been made for growing organic grapes. Raise a glass to local wine varieties like Montepulciano, Negroamaro, Primitivo, Malvasia Nera, and Uva di Troia, which flourish in the white, bright soils, and pair divinely with regional specialties like calzone barese or orecchiette. Cheers to history and deliciousness combined!
Source => casamarronewines.com

Did you know that Bologna once had over 180 medieval towers, resembling a skyscraper jungle from Middle Earth? Discover the fascinating history behind these ancient structures!

=> Fun Facts about Italy

3. Drunken Architecture Contest

Word on the street is that Lecce had its last laugh at a drunken architecture contest: This seemingly unlikely "Florence of the South" packs a whopping 48 churches and jaw-dropping Baroque masterpieces like the intricate façade of Basilica di Santa Croce, which took a cool 200 years to wrap up.
Source => kiiiu.com

4. Fashion-forward Fortress

If you're ever in a medieval Italian game of thrones and you need a royal fortress that's fashion-forward but won't mind if you leave the door wide open, look no further than Castel del Monte in Puglia: Despite looking like a castle, it lacks key defense elements like ditches, drawbridges, and basements, and was actually a swanky royal residence for Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II; nevertheless, its marble-covered rooms and unique design still made the cut as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
Source => charmingpuglia.com

5. Living Room Dive

Forget about knocking on heaven's door, these daredevils plunge through a living room for the ultimate adrenaline rush: Polignano a Mare, Puglia, hosts the Italian round of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, where athletes fearlessly dive from 21 and 27-meter high platforms, accessible only through a cliffside house, and compete in 5 different diving categories, making it an extraordinary and thrilling spectacle unlike any other.
Source => italybyevents.com

6. Chivalrous Knight Battles

In a true medieval 'knight' out on the town, some Italian fellas once partied till the French apologised and surrendered their egos: The "City of the Challenge," Barletta, earned its nickname after thirteen Italian knights emerged victorious in chivalrous battles against French knights in 1503, resulting in national pride and a bi-annual festival filled with reenactments and enthusiastic actors from around the globe.
Source => ilregno2s.blogspot.com

7. Gargano's Dating Profile

If Gargano National Park were a dating profile, it'd say "long walks on the forested cape with 300,000 acres to explore, diverse taste in flora and fauna, and enjoys beachy island getaways": The park, located in Puglia, Italy, features the enchanting Foresta Umbra and the dreamy Tremiti Islands, with rare species of plants, endemic animals, and incredible natural beauty to amuse since its foundation in 1991.
Source => beautifulpuglia.com

8. Nature's Batcave

Calling all spelunkers and cavemen wannabes: Puglia's Grotte di Castellana is where you'll find nature's own Batcave! This subterranean wonder stretches 3,348 meters, reaches 122 meters deep, and boasts breathtaking stalactite and stalagmite formations. Just remember to keep your superhero mask – erm, surgical mask – on while exploring.
Source => grottedicastellana.it

9. Little Ears Pasta Spa

Picture this, you're in Puglia enjoying a pasta dish with "little ears" chilling alongside tiny turnip-tops, waiting to bathe in a pool of olive oil and cheese like a scrumptious Italian spa day: the iconic dish orecchiette con cime di rapa is made by boiling orecchiette pasta and broccoli rabe (cime di rapa) together, then dressing them with extra virgin olive oil, grated cheese, and pepper, resulting in a delicious and nutrient-rich culinary experience Puglia is famous for.
Source => the-pasta-project.com

10. Disco Flamingos

Whoever said you can't teach old birds new tricks never visited Puglia! This Italian destination is where flamboyant flamingos strut their stuff, dancing to a pinkish disco beat while putting Saturday Night Fever to shame: Puglia's Saline di Margherita di Savoia nature reserve is home to over 200 bird species, including these groovy flamingos who flaunt their pink feathers, thanks to a diet rich in carotenoids from aquatic invertebrates. Despite their fabulous display, habitat destruction remains the biggest threat to these birds of a feather who like to groove together.
Source => margheritadisavoia.com

11. Olive Tree Zombie Invasion

When life gives you olives, make olive oil – but beware the zombie-like invasion that has befallen Puglia's ancient olive trees: At least one-third of the 60 million olive trees in the region have been infected by the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria, threatening the gnarly trees' survival, with grafting techniques led by agronomist Giovanni Melcarne offering hope to save the oldest and most iconic among them.
Source => atlasobscura.com

12. Pope's Vacation Spot

If the Pope took a vacation, he'd pray here: Vieste, in the region of Puglia, boasts picturesque churches and historical sites worth exploring, and rewards visitors with stunning views of the elegant lungomare (promenade) and eastern shores of the Gargano peninsula, served with a side of divine scenery.
Source => tripadvisor.com