On a peninsula set between two arms of the Adriatic Sea, Brindisi was a major port of the Roman Empire, and later for the East India Company.
In the 2nd century BC the Appian Way was built, linking the port to Rome. There is a column near the harbour which marks the end of the famous route. This was where gladiator Spartacus led thousands of rebel slaves in an unsuccessful escape in 71 BC.
Today, you will find some of the most Romanesque churches, a 13th-century castle and in the surrounding Apulia region, the remains of ancient Messapian culture.
