I have been spending the Christmas holidays in Puglia since forever. Every year, regardless of where I find myself, I travel to the esternmost Italian region to spend time with my friends and family. Every year, regardless of where I find myself, I travel to Copertino, a city known for its castle, its patron saint, and its food and red wine (largely Negroamaro-based wine).
1) Scene-setter
Il Castello di Copertino (Copertino Castle) is the town’s visual and historic focal point. It is an imposing fortress widely regarded as one of the standout defensive structures in Salento and a central anchor of the old town. It is a Renaissance fortress built around 1540, wrapping older medieval structures into a gunpowder-era defensive design. Defined by four corner bastions and wide moat, it remains one of Salento’s most striking strongholds, and Copertino’s defining landmark.
2) Mid-scene
One thing I always make time for when I am in Copertino is training with my friends. We usually go to a gym called Technofit, which always makes me feel welcome (big shoutout to Alessandro and Antonio for their availablity). One morning over the holidays we planned an early session, and the owners warned us the room would get busy later with a ladies’ yoga class. We went ahead with our team workout, and halfway through a group of cheerful women started filing in (about half an hour early) to roll out their mats and get settled. The contrast was hilarious: my friend and I grunting through the hard sets while they chatted about Christmas, family meals, and everything they’d eaten over the holidays. Somehow we finished just in time, right as the yoga session was about to begin.
3) Human trace
Torre Chianca is a seaside hamlet of Porto Cesareo on the Ionian coast of Salento, named after the 16th-century coastal watchtower (often associated with the Spanish-era defensive system under Charles V) built to spot and deter corsair raids; today the tower is partly ruined but still defines this stretch of shoreline. Just offshore is one of the area’s most distinctive features: the submerged Roman columns within the Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area. Five monolithic cipollino-marble columns (about 9 m long and 70–100 cm in diameter) rest parallel on the sandy seabed in shallow water (around 5 m depth and generally within ~100 m of the coast), widely interpreted as the cargo of a Roman-era shipwreck (2nd-century AD), with the stone traced to the Karystos quarries on Euboea. In summer, this sandy beach is always crowded, but in winter you may be able to enjoy it almost entirely to yourself (not that day, though).
4) Detail
Copertino’s old town is a small maze of narrow, sun-warmed streets where pale stone facades, arched doorways, and quiet courtyards create a timeless rhythm. Wandering here feels unhurried, and each turn reveals a fresh glimpse of everyday Salento life. I have found myself meandering through these streets many times, often with a friend, chatting about nothing and everything. That day, I was walking with my dad, noticing the renovations on some of the houses and listening as he pointed out how the streets had changed since he was a child.
5) Sensory anchor (food)
Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas without lunch at my aunt’s. It’s not the holidays without the smell of freshly cooked meatballs, homemade lasagna, BBQ-grilled lamb, slow-roasted beef, a crisp salad of lettuce, celery, and walnuts, and an endless parade of desserts (pandoro, panettone, and pastries), followed by coffee. It’s a food marathon that starts at 1 p.m. and somehow ends around 5, an explosion of flavours that has stayed wonderfully consistent for decades. It’s a comfort zone: every year, no matter what, I know that on December 25 my aunt will have the table set with the same dishes, ready to welcome us. You should try it.
This year has felt much like the ones before it, almost as if they’re all blending together into a familiar routine. And yet, small discoveries still surface: a detail of the town I’d never noticed, a new awareness of things that have always been there, a loved one who seems an inch taller. Everything feels the same, but time still leaves its mark.
- Best part: Surprisingly, the highlight was going for a swim in the sea. The water was 15°C (still warmer than the sea in Denmark in summer).
- Unexpected: I didn’t expect to finish a whole book in a day, but I read La bugia dell’Orchidea by Donato Carrisi in a single afternoon, curled up by the fireplace. Completely hooked and completely cozy.
- Note to future me: Swim more often. The sea was fantastic.
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro · Edited in RawTherapee v 5.12
Giampiero Tarantino 