At 431 metres above sea level, Martina Franca looks across the Valle d’Itria, with its red soil, trulli, masserie and dry-stone walls. Inside the town, interlaced lanes, courtyards called ’nghiostre and stone steps lead between Piazza del Plebiscito and Piazza Roma. For another Valle d’Itria centre, continue to our guide to Locorotondo, or use our Puglia guide to plan a wider stay.
The earliest known document for Castrum Martinae is dated 15 July 1260; on 12 August 1310, Filippo I d’Angiò recognized the Casale della Franca Martina. A separate privilege followed three days later, addressing specific grazing and watering dues. The municipal account links the name “Franca” to these privileges.
In 1507 Martina became a duchy under the Caracciolo family. Petracone V began Palazzo Ducale in 1668 on the site of the older feudal castle tower, giving Piazza Roma its civic counterpart to Piazza del Plebiscito and San Martino. The Comune lists a Galleria of painted rooms, including the Ducal Chapel and rooms of Arcadia, Myth and Bible, decorated by Domenico Carella in 1776; many other palace rooms remain offices and are not open to visitors. The Sala degli Stemmi window looks toward the valley when the Galleria is open.
San Martino gathers older and newer fabric in one view. Its late-Romanesque bell tower survives beside the later Rococo basilica, whose cornerstone was laid in 1747 and which was consecrated in 1775. The pale local-limestone façade carries a relief of Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar. Inside, the parish describes a Latin-cross plan and a 1773 marble high altar.
