Grottaglie

Grottaglie, in the Province of Taranto, takes its name from the Latin Cryptae Aliae ("many caves"), a reference to the rocky ravine (gravina) and network of grottoes that the town grew up around; the site was settled from prehistoric times and later fortified under Byzantine and Norman rule. From the 13th century onward, the abundant clay in the surrounding ravine made Grottaglie a major pottery centre, and it remains known today as Puglia's "city of ceramics." Its historic Quartiere delle Ceramiche occupies the oldest part of town, built into and around the ravine, where around a hundred family-run workshops — concentrated along Via Crispi — keep their fronts open so visitors can watch potters at work. Overlooking the quarter is the Castello Episcopio, a 13th-century fortress later expanded in the 15th century as a residence for the archbishops of Taranto; it now houses the Museo della Ceramica, with a collection of several hundred pieces tracing the craft's evolution. Below both the castle and the ceramics quarter, the ravine's soft tufa walls are honeycombed with cave churches, cisterns, and dwellings dating to the Byzantine period (8th–11th centuries).

Grottaglie has its own station on the regional rail line linking Taranto and Brindisi, and it lies just off the SS7 highway between the two cities, making it an easy day trip from either.

The old town and the Quartiere delle Ceramiche are compact and walkable; a car is useful for reaching Grottaglie from surrounding towns.

The Quartiere delle Ceramiche, with its open-fronted pottery workshops along Via Crispi, is the town's centrepiece. The Castello Episcopio overlooking the ravine houses the Museo della Ceramica. The ravine itself (Gravina San Giorgio) holds Byzantine-era cave churches and dwellings cut into the tufa rock below the castle.

Watching potters at work in the open workshops of the ceramics quarter, and buying directly from the makers, is the main visitor activity in Grottaglie.

Hand-thrown and hand-painted ceramics from the Quartiere delle Ceramiche's workshops are the town's signature product.

Taranto is a short drive or train ride away; the Valle d'Itria towns (Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Alberobello) lie to the north.