Martina Franca, in the eastern hills of the Murge plateau and equidistant from the Ionian and Adriatic coasts, derives its name both to its devotion to St. Martin who saved the townspeople from enemy invasions, and also to the time when Philip of Anjou offered the local inhabitants a tax exemption (franchigia in Italian).
The town, one of the most densely populated in the Taranto province, is a melting pot of history and art. Highlights of the historic centre include the characteristic white houses that wind their way up the small, twisting streets, and the sumptuous baroque architecture of the Ducal Palace, Palazzo Martucci, Palazzo dell’Università, Palazzo Motolese, Palazzo Maggi, and Palazzo Ancona. The notable Cathedral of St. Martin, with sculptures by Stefano da Putignano and Giuseppe Sammartino, is also inside the town’s medieval walls.
The town’s simple, rural soul is evident in the surrounding countryside with its characteristic trulli and cultivated fields enclosed by drystone walls.
Apulia Film Commission
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