From Ostuni to Matera: whitewashed walls, ancient stones, olive oil and crystal-clear seas

DAY 2 – POLIGNANO–BARI

A 30-minute drive takes you to Bari. The road between Polignano and the Apulian capital winds through fertile countryside with glimpses of the Adriatic. Once in Bari, the Plenitude On the Road app will help you find the nearest charging point—via Napoli 338 is perfect for leaving your car and exploring the city on foot.

Be sure to visit the San Nicola district, also known as Bari Vecchia, perched on a small peninsula between the city’s old and new ports. Set between the modern Murat district and the sea, Bari Vecchia is a maze of streets, squares and alleyways, a part of the city that smells of tradition, dotted with churches and votive shrines. The walking tour begins at Piazza del Ferrarese, one of the city's most vibrant hubs, and continues to Piazza Mercantile, once the political center of medieval Bari and home to Palazzo del Sedile, where the local nobility once gathered. Among the city’s religious treasures are the Byzantine Cathedral of San Sabino, a classic example of Apulian Romanesque architecture; the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, an important pilgrimage site; San Marco dei Veneziani, built to thank the Venetians for liberating Bari from Saracen rule in 1002; and the Monastery and Church of Santa Scolastica, dating from the 8th to 11th centuries.

In the afternoon, continue exploring the old town’s artisan workshops and boutiques offering local specialties. Don’t miss the walk along the city walls, with views of the sea and the port. Among Bari’s most striking buildings is the Norman Castle, once home to Isabella of Aragon and later used as a prison and barracks. Other notable sites include the Fortino di Sant’Antonio Abate, Palazzo Gironda, and Palazzo Verrone.

From here, the itinerary continues to Matera, about an hour’s drive away.

DAY 3 – BARI–MATERA

To truly fall in love with Matera, start at the Belvedere—a stunning panoramic terrace overlooking the city’s most iconic views. From here, Matera looks like a nativity scene: a labyrinth of cave dwellings, baroque palaces and rock churches. Matera is a place of wonder, a fragment of the timeless South. Spread across two natural amphitheaters—Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano—with the Civita hill at the center, the city offers a journey like no other.
Wandering through its narrow streets is a leap through centuries of history: churches and bell towers, arches and terraces, stairways and gardens. The ancient quarter clings to a dramatic ravine carved by the Gravina stream.

From the ornate portals of Sasso Barisano to the Roman-style cave dwellings of Sasso Caveoso, Matera never stops surprising. One of the most evocative sites is the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, built in the 13th century and adorned with 18th-century paintings, frescoed chapels and wooden polyptychs.

Continue the visit through steps and arches until reaching the Cathedral of Maria Santissima della Bruna, built in the 13th century on the Civita’s summit, which separates the Caveoso and Barisano quarters. Its Apulian Romanesque style is marked by a 16-ray rose window and interiors featuring a Byzantine fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, a Last Judgment fresco and a 16th-century nativity scene. The cathedral’s bell tower, 52 meters tall, is one of Matera’s iconic landmarks. Other architectural gems include the Baroque Church of San Francesco d’Assisi and the Church of Purgatory, known for its remarkable 18th-century wooden door carved into 36 panels. Just outside the old city lies the unfinished Tramontano Castle, in Aragonese style, left incomplete after Count Giovan Carlo Tramontano—an expert swordsman—was assassinated by locals in 1514. The castle consists of a central keep and two round side towers.

After admiring so much architectural beauty, take time to stop in local shops and artisan stores.

This is how a journey full of emotions and unforgettable moments comes to an end.

A road trip made all the more enjoyable thanks to the Plenitude On the Road app and its network of charging points—always close at hand—bringing the joy of electric driving to one of Italy’s most fascinating regions.