Top 8 Castles around San Vito Dei Normanni

The natural oasis Torre Guaceto stands for beautiful sea and lots of nature. The landmark is this Aragonese tower Torre Guaceto

Reserve has limited areas for bikers. Scenic with variety of flora.Three bike trails lead to sea. Many more bike trails west of freeway with two passages under the freeway to reach east or west lands Most west trails are packed dirt so avoid wet weather. No stores for food or water. Road from Brindisi along Adriatic is good paved and scenic with several interesting parks, beaches,coves. Light vehicle traffic for the 16 k to Reserve.

San Vito dei Normanni is a city in northern Salento dating back to the Norman period, with a great historical, artistic and cultural heritage. There are in fact numerous Baroque churches, rock crypts and museums, as well as the 12th century Dentice di Frasso Castle around which the town developed.

Beautiful protected area full of nature and charm, the coast is wonderful

The Castle of Carovigno rises in an eccentric position, on the highest point of the town and, for this reason, strategically more suitable for defense. It has a triangular plan, with a square tower on the eastern vertex, a circular one on the western vertex and a "almond-shaped" one on the northern vertex. From the top of the towers it dominates the entire coastal strip that extends from Torre Canne to Brindisi. The first nucleus of the Castle, probably of Norman origin, is to be identified in the square tower with a strong counter-scarp adjacent to Porta Ostuni. On the south side, close to this tower, the "palatium" described in the Inventory of Maria d'Enghien of 1440 must have developed. The buildings after this date insist on the north area, incorporating both the square Norman tower both the circular one, perhaps Aragonese. The almond-shaped tower on the north-east corner was built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by the Loffreda, feuders of Carovigno in this period, as evidenced by the presence of the marriage weapon of Pirro Loffreda, walled up in the same tower. It seems that the builders of the almond-shaped tower of Carovigno were influenced by the Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, whose presence in Puglia is attested in 1492 to supervise the construction of the strongholds of Taranto, Otranto, Gallipoli and Brindisi.

The first building in the area, a tower, dates back to the 12th century. At that time this area was wooded and rich in fauna and that is why it is believed that the tower was a hunting lodge. The town of San Vito dei Normanni developed around this tower. Over the centuries, various families have taken turns to control the territory, each of which has brought changes and additions to the original structure of the building. Around the seventeenth century the Dentice family settled there, still owner of the castle, from which the building takes its current name. On the entrance portal of the chapel the heraldic coat of arms of the family, a snapper, and the motto reciting "Noli me tangere" are clearly visible.

The town of Carovigno has ancient origins with the first settlements dating back to the Messapian civilization. The current name derives from the period of Greek domination, where the village was known with the name of Carbina, a name derived from the Greek word Karbina which means "fruitful" to underline the fertility of this area. Today the town of Carovigno has numerous places of historical and artistic interest such as the Dentice di Frasso castle and the Mother Church.

Wildlife area and marine reserve of great interest. An out of season stroll is always worthwhile