 Introduction
Arrival Plane
From Papola Casale, Brindisi's small airport, there are internal flights to and from Rome, Naples, Milan, Bologn and Pisa. The airport is served mainly by Alitalia and Airone, althouh there are now direct flights from london Stansted with Ryanair. The airport is 6 km from the town centre. Major and local car rental firms are represented at the airport and there are regular buses to lecce (45 minutes, six daily). By Taxi it takes 5minute travel to airport.
Sea
Ferries, all of which take vehicles, leave Brindisi for Greek destination including Corfu, Igoumenitsa, Patras and the Ionian islands, From Patras there is a bus to Athens. Boats also service Albania (daily) and Turkey (seasonal). Most ferry companies operate only in summer.
Train
Brindisi is on the main train line. It has regular local sevices to Bari, Lecce and Taranto. Other destinations include Milan and Rome.
Bus
Buses operated by STP connect Brindisi with Ostuni (50 minutes, six daily) and Lecce (45 minutes, two daily) as well as towns throughout the Penisola Salentia. Most leave from Via Bastioni Carlo V, in front of the train station. FSE buses serving local towns also leave from here. Marozzi runs to Rome's Stazione Tiburtina and Pisa and Florence leaving from Viale Arno.
Bus Routes
Routes and Destinations for suburban cities
Brindisi ? Rome
Brindisi - Siena - Florence - Pisa
Brindisi - Rimini - Bologna - Rome
Brindisi - Milan - Novara - Turin
Brindisi - Bologna - Modena - Reggio E. - Parma - Salsomaggiore T.
Brindisi - Potenza - Salerno - Naples
Brindisi - Messina - Catania - Palermo
Brindisi - Civitavecchia - La Spezia - Genova
History and Culture
In 267 BCE (245 BCE, according to other sources) it was conquered by the Romans. After the Punic Wars it became a major center of Roman naval power and maritime trade. In the Social War it received Roman citizenship, and was made a free port by Sulla. It suffered, however, from a siege conducted by Caesar in 49 BCE and was again attacked in 42 and 40 BCE.
From 58 to 48 BC Cicero visited the city on a regular basis, were he was friendly received. During this period of time, hard battles were fought between Pompeius and Caesar who were both aiming to supremacy.
Under the Romans, Brundisium - a large city in its day with some 100,000 inhabitants - was an active port, the chief point of embarkation for Greece and the East, via Dyrrachium or Corcyra. It was connected with Rome by the Via Appia and the Via Traiana.
A plague and an earthquake struck the city, in 1348 and 1456, respectively.
Brindisi fell to Austrian rule in 1707-1734, and afterwards to the Bourbons. Between September 1943 and February 1944 the city functioned as the temporary capital of Italy. In the 21st century, Brindisi serves as the home base of the San Marco Regiment, a naval brigade originally known as the La Marina Regiment. It was renamed San Marco after its noted defense of Venice at the start of the World War.
Churches and Museums
The church of S.Benedict, built in 1089, is a typical example of Romanesque art, with cross-shaped cupolas that is located not far from Porta Mesagne.
Very important is its portal with 'architrave (XI century), that reproduces hunting scenes between men and dragons. Of great interest is the medieval cloister, also accessible from the old benedectine's convent.
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale
The church of St. Maria del Casale, near the airport, is a splendid example of Romanesque-gothic style of XIII century. It is a National monument since 1875, and has an elegant facade of red and white stone; its portal is surmounted with a hanging adorned structure.
Christ of the Dominicans
In the area of Porta Lecce (close by the ancient wall of the town) there is the Church of Christ. The church was built by the Domenicans in 1232 and has an evocative facade made by alternating white and red stones. It has a magnificent external rose-window with sixteen columns. Inside there is a statue of the Virgin with “Lux Mundi” and a wooden cross, both from the XIII century, and several barocco alters.
St. Lucy
The Church of St. Lucy or of the Holy Trinity has been built in XI century with a Romanesque style (facade). The upper church has three navas where there are interesting XIII and XIV century frescos, and paintings like the “Martyrdom of St. Lucy” and the XVI century polyptich of the “Madonna del dolce canto” (Our Lady of “Sweet Singing”). During XIII century, the Convent of Penitents was placed besides to the church. In the VIII century crypt, divided into four parts by means of four columns with capitals, there are fine frescos of particular interest, like “St. Nichols”, “History of St. Peter from Verona”, “Magdalena Mirrifora” (the symbol of Penitents) and the “Kyriotissa” (Our Lady on the Throne with Jesus), the last two being located in the central niches.
St. Theresa
The Church of St. Theresa, an example of baroque architecture, was completed in 1697 in the ancient Spanish quarter. The facade is adorned with capitals and pinnacles. Inside there are valuable paintings in the chapels (“St. Andrew” and “The education of Our Lady”), the statues of Medical Saints in papier-mache and, on the ceiling, a wooden statue of Our Lady of “Carmine”. Near the church there is the cloister, built in XV century as a convent, nowadays it hosts the Record Office.
St.Paul
The Church of S.Paul is the most ancient and eloquent testimony of gotic architecture of XIV century, although its facade has been remade and the church has been shortened. Inside there are intersting Barocco Altars, some paintings, a sacristy's built-in wooden wardrobe (1725), the afrescoes and the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
Diocese museum
In the Diocese museum, which is close to the cathedral of Brindisi, there is a stone jar, which presumably was brought into the city by the Crusaders directly from the Holy Land itself. There has always been speculation of its authenticity, to be one of the six containers (jars) where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine, at the Jewish wedding in the Galilee village of Cana, between Nazareth and Capernaum (Israel).
Museo Archeologico
In this museum are the Bronze Statues of Brindisi. This was described as the greatest archaeological find of the season. Over two hundred archaeological finds on the sea bed found in the locality of “Punta del Serrone” an area approximately 2 miles north of the city of Brindisi.
Historical buildings and monuments
Approaching Brindisi from the sea you will see the Aragones Castle, better known as Sea Fortress which was built in 1491 on the S.Andrea island opposite the port, by Ferdinand I the Aragones, in defence of its city, against possible sea attacks. For many centuries, it has been utilized for this purpose.
It is made up by two distinct parts: the Red Castle, so named for the distinct and characteristic colors of its bricks, and the Fortress, built afterwards as a depot housing the garrison.
Harbor Columns
The Roman Columns rests has always been considered the symbol of Brindisi. For many years the columns, thought to symbolise the ending of the road, “Via Appia”, was in fact a referral of that time to navigators of the port of Brindisi. Of the two twin columns only one is intact, with a sculptured capital, at the top; meanwhile, from the other column, which fell in 1528, only the base and a rock are still in place; the other part was given as a gift to the city of Lecce, to form a part of the column to St. Oronzo.
Tancredi Fountain
The Tancredi Fountain was built in 1192 by King Tancredi in occasion of the wedding of his son Ruggero with the daughter of the Emperor of Costantinopoli. This fountain was once used by travellers for refreshing their transport animals while arriving through one of the most important entrance ways to the city. The fountain also played a part in keeping the beautiful surrounding gardens irrigated.
Near there is the ancient “Fontana di Monsignore” (Bishop's fountain), built about in XVI century.
Italian Sailor Monument
Italian Sailor Monument (also called the Big Rudder) built in 1933 in the shape of a rudder, which stands 54 meters tall. Together with the Roman Columns it is considered the symbol of the city. You can reach here by crossing the Pigonati Channel where the main port is divided into two parts: West and East Coves. At this point one meets the Italian Sailor Monument.
It took approximately 10 years to collect the funds for this construction and the famous tenor Tito Schipa took a particular interest in this project contributing the takings from his concerts. At the base of the monument is a sacred chapel in memory of the fallen sailors during both world wars as well as the bell from the battle ship “Benedetto Brin”, which sank in the port of Brindisi in 1915. In the upper square at the entrance there are two anchors which are relics from Austrian-Hungary battle ships as well two submarine cannons of the same era.
Swabian Castle
Swabian Castle was commissioned by Federico II in 1227, built from materials obtained from the old walls and monuments of the city.
In 1488 Aragoneses built up another external wall; this way, inner svevo. the inner Swabian part has been preserved during centuries. The Castle has been utilized as an important naval base during last two world wars; it hosted King Vittorio Emanuele III in 1943 and was used as a central command base during Brindisi's capital period (Sep 10th 1943 to Feb 14th 1944).
Places of Interests
The port is divided into 3 parts:
The OUTER PORT is between the mainland to the south, the Pedagne island to the east, the island of S.Andrea to the west and the imposing Punta Riso dam to the north. The whole surface covers 3 million square meters.
The MID PORT is made of the sheet of water before the channel leading to the port (Pigonati channel) and covers a surface of 1.200.000 square meters.
The INNER PORT, made of the natural inlets - seno di Levante and seno di Ponente, penetrates the town, covering a surface of 727.000 square meters.
Events
The traditional “Procession on the sea” takes place once a year in first week of September, during the celebration of Saint Protectors of the City of Brindisi.
The Adorned Horse
This ceremony takes place during the celebration of Corpus Domini, when the Bishop, riding an adorned white horse, takes the Holy Sacrament (host) through the main streets of the City.
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Brindisi Travel Guide
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