Brindisi, Italy; a port town at the end of the Roman Appian Way

Visit Brindisi

Brindisi has a natural harbour and has been an important port town since Roman times. It is still a busy port and is also a ferry terminal for trips to Greece. Brindisi has an attractive old town and a lively evening 'passeggiata'.

Brindisi is located halfway down the 'heel of Italy' on the Adriatic Sea.

Explore Brindisi

Italy This Way Review: Brindisi has an attractive old town and a pleasant seafront area. It is not a major tourist destination but pleasant if you are nearby.

Brindisi is at the end of the Via Appia, 'the Appian Way', the ancient Roman road that ran here from the Porta Capena in Rome.

The end of the road is marked by the Scalinata Vigiliana, Virgil's Steps, at the top of which is the remaining one of two columns, the Roman Column of Brindisi, which helped to navigate ships to the harbour.

The other column has been moved to the Piazza Sant' Oronzo in nearby Lecce.

From here walk away from the sea and along Via Colonne, an attractive road lined with 17 and 18th century palaces, towards the cathedral which dates back to the 11th century.

The cathedral was reconstructed in the 18th century following an earthquake in 1743 and was rebuilt in Romanesque style. Inside the cathedral you can see parts of the original mosaic pavement.

Opposite is the Archaeological Museum with finds from along the Appian Way, 'the Via Appia' and some superb Hellenistic Greek bronze sculptures from nearby underwater exploration.

Head west along the Via Tarentini and visit another main site of Brindisi, the church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro. This church is a small, 12th century church which unusually is round in shape. Inside are some beautiful, though faded, 13th century frescoes.

Nearby are the churches of Santa Lucia with 12th century frescoes and the church of San Benedetto originating in the 11th century. It has an impressive bell tower and an 11th century cloister.

The most interesting church is the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale which is 3km north of all the other sites near to Brindisi airport. This church was built in the 13th century in a mix of styles.

Its facade is decorated with Arabic geometric patterns and inside are some lovely 14th century Byzantine style frescos depicting the Last Judgement. The frescos are by Rinaldo da Taranto.

The port area has elegant buildings, palm trees and restaurants but also the industrial port area.

From here you can see the tall Monument to Italian Sailors, a tall modern structure built to commemorate the men who died at sea during World War One. You can take a ferry over to the monument and then climb the stairs or take the lift to the top of the monument for views of Brindisi.

Generally it is just wandering through the streets of the old town and the seafront that is very pleasant at Brindisi. It is not full of tourists and has an authentic Italian feel which also means prices are relatively low.