Key Points:
Brindisi is not one of the best travel destinations, but is an important part of travelling around the world.
WikiVoyage has the original version of travelling in Brindisi. But we have rewritten and integrated several articles together to create a better version.
According to Wikipedia, "Brindisi is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an important role in trade and culture, due to its strategic position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city remains a major port for trade with Greece and the Middle East. Its industries include agriculture, chemical works, and the generation of electricity."
Here we quote the best way to travel in Brindisi provided by wikiVoyage, a multilingual, web-based project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. Wikivoyage is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other project such as Wikipedia. Please edit the articles and find author credits at the original wikiVoyage articles on Brindisi. Content on wikiVoyage can be shared under a Creative Commons License.
Part 1: Understand. The city was founded by the Messapians, a population of Illyrian origin, with the name of Brunda, meaning "deer's head". This name is due to the natural harbor which resembles the shape of the animal's antlers. The city assumed the name of Brention and then Brentèsion in Ancient Greek, to be later called Brundisium after the conquest by the Romans in 267 BC.
Part 2: Get Around.
By car
Surrounding areas, such as beaches to the north, are best reached by car.
On foot
As the city center area is not so large, a bit over a kilometer from the train station to the Roman Columns, most of the sights in the city center can be seen in an afternoon on foot. Because of many military facilities in the surroundings of Brindisi, areas north or south of the city center are not easy (or very pleasant) to reach on foot. For most things outside of the center, it is better to take a bus or rent a car.
Part 3: Itinerary
Monumento al Marinaio d'Italia (Monument to the Italian Sailor), Viale Duca degli Abruzzi. 09:00-13:00/16:20-19:00; closed on Thursday. A tribute to the 6,000 Italian sailors died in WWI, built in 1933. It is 53 meters (174 ft) high and it has the shape of a rudder, made in reinforced concrete and clad with limestone rock. You can visit the crypt or climb an helical stairway to reach its top, where it is possible to admire the view over the whole city and its harbor. Free entry.
Roman columns (Colonne romane), Via Colonne, 53. A symbol of Brindisi, they were thought to mark the termination of the Appian Way, but probably they only had a celebrative purpose. Only one of the two, standing at 18.74 meters (61.5 ft), is still visible, since the other one crumbled in 1528, and the ruins were donated to the city of Lecce to hold the statue of its patron Saint Oronzo. They were built during the 2nd century AD, with a Corinthian capital.
Santa Maria del Casale, Contrada Baroncino (just beside the airport), ☏ +39 0831 412668. 08:00-20:00. Church completed in 1322, in Gothic-Romanesque style. The facade has a geometrical pattern of gray and yellow stones, with an entrance cusp-covered portico. The interior has 14th century frescoes in late-Byzantine style. Due to its artistic relevance, in 1875 it was declared as National Italian Monument. Free entry.
Church of San Benedetto, Via Guglielmo Marconi, 2, ☏ +39 0831 597474. Romanesque church of the 10th century, with a massive bell tower with triple-mullioned windows and Lombard bands. A side portal is decorated with 11th century motifs, while the interior has a nave covered by cross vaults, while the aisles, separated by columns with Romanesque capitals, have half-barrel vaults. Noteworthy is the cloister, with marble columns and a 13th century fresco. Free entry.
Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro, Piazza San Giovanni al Sepolcro. 08:00-20:00. Circular Romanesque church built by the Normans in the 11th century; it was probably owned by the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. The interior has the shape of a "horse shoe" with eight columns in concentric circle within. The 12th century portal has an architrave made from marble, which is supported by two columns that rest on two lions made from marble as well. Despite its small size it is one of the most relevant Romanesque churches of southern Italy. Free entry.
Cathedral (Basilica Cattedrale), Piazza Duomo, 12, ☏ +39 0831 521157, cattedralebrindisi@gmail.com. 09:00-12:00/18:00-20:00. Romanesque structure dedicated to St. John's the Baptist, built between 1098 and 1132. It has been almost entirely rebuilt, following the original design, after the earthquake in 1743. Inside it is possible to admire a polychrome mosaic from 1178 and a crown in wood from 1594. Free entry.