Southern Italy: a Peculiar Procession – from £1,092 pp with Sunvil Discovery

Wed 01 Jun 2011
Italy

In between the toe and heel of Italy – the in-step, so to speak – you'll find the idyllic town of Matera where, on 2 July each year, a beautiful Madonna statue is carried by procession on an ornate wooden cart, guarded by knights on horseback. That’s until villagers smash the celebratory cart into a thousand pieces as fireworks light up the night sky. Hole up in nearby Puglia at the Hotel San Paolo al Covento, where a seven-night stay costs from £1,092 pp (two sharing), including flights (Gatwick), car hire and B&B