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Grottaglie (Taranto) «la città della ceramica»

Grottaglie

Grottaglie rises on the step of a plateau at 133 mt. s.l.m. and is the most populous municipality in the province of Taranto after Martina Franca; The town is 24 km. from the city of Taranto. The first settlement was founded around 960 A.D. when, following the invasion of the Saracens, some populations found refuge in the many caves that exist in the surrounding area. Later abandoned the depth of the "ravines" to occupy the high ground on which they founded Grottaglie isolated, surrounding it with fortified walls.

Grottaglie has a predominantly agricultural economy, but it owes its fame to the rich handicraft production of ceramics that has its roots in Ancient Greece and in the Middle Ages. Walking through the city you can visit the many shops displaying their handicrafts made with the same dough and colors used in the medieval perio

Among the monuments to visit stands the Castle and its superb angular crenellated tower, built by the bishops of Taranto between the fourteenth and fifteenth century. "The castle-bishop" is today the eye with the military architecture of a medieval fortress rather than as the "domus episopalis" with the distinct character of the fortress, cold in its Baroque style in front, while in the center lets you see a high tower source from the back yard of the facade

In the south-east of the castle you can visit the Ceramics Museum which houses hundreds of artifacts from public and private collections.

The Mother Church dates from the late eleventh century, early twelfth. The facade was rebuilt in 1739 by Domenico da Martina, has a portal shape Apulian Romanesque at whose right hand stands the dome in polychrome tiles of the Rosary Chapel which houses the altars of St. Cyrus and St. Francis De Geronimo, patrons of Grottaglie . The interior has a nave and is characterized by the presence of several baroque chapels and Renaissance sculptures.

Further interesting monuments to visit are the Shrine of St. Francis De Gironimo dedicated to the patron saint and erected in 1830; the church of the Carmine, where you can admire a crib by Stefano from Putignano, the sixteenth-century sculptor from Puglia; the seventeenth-century Sanctuary of St. Mary Mutata, about 6 km. the country, built by Brazilian monks to house an image of the Madonna and Child.

Important events:

Festival of San Ciro with procession and lighting of Pira (30/31 January);

Feast of St. Francis de Geronimo (September 7);

Exhibition of ceramics and majolica (third Sunday in August).