Perhaps you are finding it difficult to make a final choice. Perhaps you don't have the time to search through all of the properties and make a decision. Whatever the reason, let us help you in any way we can...
Relax Puglia Limited values its beneficial alliance with home owners, suppliers, support staff and personnel. Together, through our holiday rental management services, we inspire travellers, like us, from around the world, to the southernmost region of Italy, in Puglia, because it is magical, fascinating and unforgettable.
Relax Puglia Limited, operational offices in Cisternino, Puglia (Apulia), has been welcoming visitors to this magical and richly colourful region of Italy and providing Puglia vacation rentals since 2010; providing travellers with an authentic and memorable experience of the local life as well as offering a showcase of holiday villas to rent in Puglia.
"We have had a wonderful time here in Puglia and have especially loved our stay at Villa Perego which is absolutely perfect, we cannot fault it in any way at all. We could quite easily stay here for another week or 2 but unfortunately I didn’t bring enough books 😟
Thanks again for all of your help, we will definitely be recommending Villa Perego.
Oh and we absolutely loved Locorotondo 💕
Enjoy the rest of your Summer x
Peter - Villa Perego (August 2025)"
Relax Puglia provides a range of additional services to make your stay more relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable. On your arrival, we can arrange for a food basket to be waiting for you. Why not spoil yourselves with your own, in-house local chef, or a luxurious massage in the comfort of your villa. We have a wide range of tours and activities to choose from and we can provide transfers and taxis to help you get around.
The Dolce Vita is from coast to coast; from the Adriatic to the Ionian, between Otranto and Gallipoli. If you wish to discover the key to local artisan excellence, include a stopover in one or more of the hamlets and villages that trip along the coastline, topple on the summits of hilltops or make a splash in to the small bays and lagoons.
A selection of articles that explore the region of Puglia: its wonderful countryside and coastline, its rich history, its fascinating culture, its delicious food and wine and, of course, its warm and welcoming people...
The Aragonese Castle, also known as Castello Aragonese Taranto or Castel Sant'Angelo, is a historic fortress in Taranto, which marks the boundary between the old town and the new town. The castle was built by Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini in 1492, after being commissioned by influential monarch King Ferdinand I of Naples.
The land on which the castle is built dates back to Greek occupation around 4th-century BC. The Normans built the first castle on the site but the Byzantines, at risk of attack from the Saracens and Venetians, developed the basis for the current fortification.
Preliminary work included building a canal around the structure. This allowed for boats to pass easily to the castle but more importantly, it created a moated defence to isolate the fortification from the sea.
Fearing an attack from the wide expanse of the Ionian waters, the King requested the original castle be modernised to accommodate the increased use of cannons in battle. Therefore, the previous shape of the castle, with its four tall towers, gave way to a more round design to protect the castle from modern artillery.
Four short and wide circular towers were introduced in a quadrilateral, with four overlapping firing positions. The towers were christened with religious names: St. Cristoforo, St. Lorenzo, dell’Annunziata and della Bandiera. The project close to completion, Taranto almost finally had a castle worthy of withstanding any assault.
Three extra towers were then added to protect the inner perimeter of the structure. The King also ordered two exits, each with a drawbridge, connecting the old town and the new Taranto, then a rural area with a small population.
One year before completion, a triangular-shaped ravelin outlook was added between the San Cristofalo and della Bandiera towers to provide further defensive protection. The castle was then deemed finished in 1492 and a plaque was engraved with the Aragonese coat of arms to commemorate the completion.
Inside, the castle retained the same elements built by the Normans, formed of many short, wide internal walkways and spherically-shaped hallways. In the 16th century, the renaissance chapel of San Leonardo was added.
However, confidence in the castle’s military significance did not last long. In 1594, the fortress withstood an Ottoman assault, but the onset of artillery modernisation saw the castle instead being used for gun storage and as an artillery platform.
In the early 18th century, under the rule of the House of Habsburg, the castle was converted into a prison. Shortly thereafter, it reverted back to its original use as a military fortress. In this period, the castle famously imprisoned Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a French general and the father of the famous author of The Count of Monte-Cristo, during the French Revolution.
In the late 19th century, one of the towers, San Angelo, was demolished in favour of the new Ponte Girevole bridge. Later, another two towers were removed in order to expand the canal. Since then, the Italian Navy has taken over the castle, which is used as its primary seat.
Tourists can visit the castle for free and view many of the castle’s archaeological finds, as well as embark on a journey through the history of Taranto.
Relax Puglia Limited - Company Number: 10537981 - Registered Office address: Derwent Dale Cottage, York Road, Stamford Bridge, York YO41 1AH
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Relax Puglia accepts payment through Stripe
Relax Puglia Limited, through co-founder Francesco Lanzilotta, is a licensed Real Estate Agent in Italy, License no. 1753, released by the Chamber of Commerce in Bari, Italy. (CCIAA di Bari)
Chamber of Commerce Registered office address, 5, Piazza Eroi del Mare, Cisternino, Brindisi.
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