Puglia, the ‘heel’ of Italy, is an ancient land that is highly fertile despite its harsh limestone landscape, typical of the Mezzogiorno. It was this remote corner of the peninsula that the Normans conquered in the 11th century, dominating the entire south of Italy and the island of Sicily by the mid-12th century. As they established themselves and their influence grew, great churches appeared on the horizons, combining architectural influences from France, Ancient Rome and Lombardy. For this tour we stay first in the former fortified trading town of Monopoli, before moving to the magnificent Baroque town of Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’ for the latter part of the tour. This allows us to explore the region in depth – from the vineyards, olive groves and 'trulli', the distinctive bee-hive shaped houses of the Valle d’Itria, to the cave dwellings of Matera and the exquisite churches of Lecce and Otranto.