Grottaglie is built on the hill side of Mount Pizzuto, the one of the Murgie Tarantine, and typical are the natural clefts and ploughshares that continue throughout the area with less steeps sides.
It is only 20 km away from Taranto and it is one of the largest towns of this province. The airport "Marcello Arlotta" that serves Taranto and Grottaglie is at only 4 km from the centre. It is a civil airport with a military presence which permitted the installation of important factories of the air industry.
The origins of Grottaglia can be traced from the rocky settlements in the whole area since the Palaeolithic ages. The first human groups moved towards the higher grounds and built various hamlets, such as the "Casale Cryptalearum", where today the actual city centre has been raised.
Grottaglie is actually famous for the production of ceramic articles. Ceramic exhibits of the Classic & Magna Grecian Ages evidence the roots of this tradition. This activity has been for centuries the major economic resource for the people that live here. At the end of 700' it was possible to count 42 factories and approx. 5000 local people were employed.
Places of interest are the "Castle Episcopio", which proposes a Ceramic Museum, and a series of lord manors near to the castle.