The Baroque of the old town, the verdant green areas surrounding the city, the crystal-clear sea water. And again, coastal towers, museums, the old farms.
Nardò is a gem that will leave you breathless. A timeless atmosphere. Walking at night when the city is lit just by the low lights of the old town, sitting down in the marinas squares – authentic terraces by the sea – and enjoying the wonderful sunsets, tasting food and wine delicacies: everything will make your stay in Nardò an unforgettable experience at any time of the year.
Some data about Nardò: 32 thousand inhabitants, the area extends 190 km2, the coast extends 22km from Torre Squillace to Quattro Colonne, 365 days to fall in love with a territory open to hospitality, the one linked to traditions, to sincere welcome and spontaneous smiles. The ancient Neretum – one of the most important cultural centres in Salento, site of universities, academies, literary and philosophy studies – it in nowadays a distinctive destination for those who prefer slow, cultural, and relaxing journeys.
Brief Historical overview
Nardò, city of art, has old roots and boasts testimonies of every era. The beautiful Museum of Prehistory, located in the former convent of St. Anthony of Padua, hosts manufactured items and fossils coming from the archaeological studies carried out since the beginning of 60’s of the last century, in the caves of the park of Portoselvaggio frequented in the Paleolithic (caves of Serra Cicora A, Mario Bernardini, Uluzzo, Uluzzo C, Cavallo, Zei, Torre dell'Alto) and in the Neolithic Serra Cicora. Among the most important finds there are the most ancient fossils of Homo sapiens of the Eurasian continent, but another exceptionality is the high number of archaeological sites that testify almost one hundred thousand years of Homo's life.
It is exactly the park of Portoselvaggio the real “postcard” of the Neretum territory, a magnetic charm determined by the unpolluted background that still gathers visitors in every period of the year. Almost three hundred hectares of pine forest and seven km of jagged and rocky coastline, different interesting sites as the beautiful Capitano’s marsh, a water mirror nourished by spring and salty water hosting both different aquatic animals and rare vegetal species. Again Torre Uluzzo, Torre Inserraglio, farms in Torre Nova and Torre dell’Alto, caves, the plateau of Serra Cicora with the archaeological finds dating back to Neolithic and Frascone area that preserves the testimony of a settlement during the roman imperial age. The hashtags used on Instagram and dedicated to Portoselvaggio have been 768 just in July 2019, same as the biggest national tourist destination.
Before entering the urban background, it is worth visiting the Museum of Memory and Hospitality in Santa Maria al Bagno, that gathers the testimony of thousands of Jewish refugees that found hospitality in the territory of Nardò between 1943 and 1947. The Museum preserves historical graffiti realized by Zivi Miller, the only graphic evidence still existing in Europe of the Aliyah Bet, the journey that led the survived Jews to the Promised Land at the end of the war.
A model behaviour and solidarity that allowed Nardò to win the Medaglia d’Oro al Merito Civile in 2005 from Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Presidente della Repubblica. You can’t miss the numerous villas in both Moorish and Liberty style located in Cenate area, that deserve a dedicated itinerary to completely abandon yourself to the discovery of architectural elements, historical and family events, noble traditions.