Massafra Voyage Tips and guide

Massafra is a town in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.

In the Massafra area, there are numerous traces of settlements and necropolises dating back to the Neolithic and the 4th-3rd centuries BC, along with crypts and rock churches carved into the limestone ravines, dating from the 7th to the 14th centuries. Massafra has experienced all the historical changes of Southern Italy, preserving many of its remains almost like a treasure chest, including numerous churches and convents, the Castle, traces of the ancient city walls, the Clock Tower, and the noble palaces nestled in the ancient city center, which has evolved over the centuries.

Today, Massafra is the third most populous municipality in the province of Taranto: its territory extends from the Murgia and the Itria Valley to the Ionian Arch of Taranto, offering a wide variety of landscapes and environments.

The most anticipated event of the year is Carnival, on the Sunday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Bari-Palese Karol Wojtyla International Airport and Brindisi-Papola Casale Salento Airport are approximately the same distance from the city. From these, Massafra can be reached by the A14 motorway (or SS 100) and the SS 7, respectively.

Massafra railway station serves passengers on the Taranto-Bari route with daily regional trains.

From the city of Taranto, from the Mercantile Port, you can take the Cotrap (CTP) service, which arrives in Massafra also making several stops within the town, including one at the hospital, one on Corso Roma in front of the Post Office, one in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, one above Colonnello Scarano, one on Via Guglielmo Marconi 61 (in front of the De Amicis comprehensive institute) and the last stop is on Via del Santuario 49.

Another bus line that goes to Massafra, from the city of Bari, is the Ferrovie Sud-Est (FSE) bus, which, however, does not generally stop in the town; its stop is at the "bivio," that is, on the main road, outside the town. Although in reality, if you take the bus at certain times, such as the 2:24 PM one, the bus goes up into the town and makes one stop in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and the other one on Corso Roma, in this case, however, it is not a direct route, but a local route, so the travel time will be approximately an hour and a half instead of an hour.

Map of Massafra

To get around town, the Miccolis bus line is available, with stops throughout the town and even in rural areas like Parco di Guerra.

• 40.587117.11121 Castle.  (updated May 2026)
• 40.602217.11312 Santuario Madonna della Scala (gravina della Madonna della Scala), Via del Santuario (inside the ravine), ☏ +39 099 885 2265, [email protected]. 8:30-12:45AM; 3:30-7:30PM. It is a place of worship in Baroque-neoclassical style and is a place of worship of the Madonna, protector of the city of Massafra since 1776. Free entry.  
• 40.6025217.113163 Grotta del Mago Greguro (gravina della Madonna della Scala), Via del Santuario (inside the ravine). The Gravina della Madonna della Scala contains a natural environment rich in caves and plants. It is said that in this very environment there was a healer known as Mago Greguro who lived in one of the many excavated caves that he himself transformed into a pharmacy, dedicating his days to the treatment of plants to obtain medicines. free entry. Guided tours are subject to a fee.  

• 40.59117.12051 Massafra Carnival, Corso Roma, [email protected]. 5PM-11PM. The Massafra Carnival is one of the most famous carnivals in Puglia, renowned for its enormous papier-mâché floats, traditional masks, and, above all, its strong popular participation. The most spectacular elements are the gigantic papier-mâché floats, handcrafted by local papier-mâché masters; some floats can reach up to 20 meters in height and depict political, satirical, and fantasy themes. This carnival is dominated by popular participation, with the streets filling with music and confetti, and its motto is "Everyone is a protagonist, no one is a spectator." The floats are further divided into a first category (the largest and most technically advanced floats), a second category, and finally, the masked groups, each of which, upon arriving in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, performs before a panel of judges. The Massafra Carnival is considered a "Historical Carnival" recognized by the Ministry of Culture, and in 2026, its 73rd edition was celebrated. free entry.