The town of Peschici is built on a cliff of carsica origins with a wonderful view over the bay. The centre is a series of small squares, narrow alleys, stair cases, arches and white painted houses that run uphill from the touristic port to the Svevo Castle. The coastline proposes high promontories, a lot of natural sea cave (grottos), bays and inlets of great charm. Peschici is a famous touristic centre, recently, July 24th 2007 a large forest fire destroyed an important part of the surrounding woods of Aleppo pines (a special dry season resistant wood variety similar to the domestic and maritime pine, but its look is slightly different due to a larger foliage at the top rather to the bottom). Today the environment is slowly returning how it was before this disaster. The name Peschici has probably Slavonic origins. The antique name "Pesclizo" finds its roots from "pes" that in Slav means sand, clear reference to the sandy nature of the land. A Slavonic trace of trading between Dalmatia and the Gargano area is sure from VII century d.C. In 970 the Slav soldiers, called by Emperor Ottone I, settled in the area between Vico and Peschici, with the intent to free the local communities from the frequent raids of the Saracens. Thanks to new safe conditions and the good relationship between the Benedectine monks and the Slavs, Peschici traced its foundations on the ruins of an ancient household nearby to the Benedectine Church of Santa Maria di Calena. In the Middle Ages, Peschici, was ruled by different families; under the Norman dominion the Castle was built. Antique is also the small Church of Saint Michele, which a document of 1176 contemplates its cultural heritage to the Abbey of Calena.