Puglia suggested itineraries

If the history of Italian cities tends to be linked with that of their principal houses of worship, this certainly applies to Foggia and its Cathedral Santa Maria de Fovea. Foggia, capital of the Tavoliere, a large expanse of flat land in northern Puglia, developed around the Romanesque Cathedral, built in the late 11th century. The cathedral was seriously damaged by the 1731 earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt in Baroque style. The bell tower, with pillars supporting ornate Corinthian capitals, is a late 18th century addition. The historic center is adorned with numerous works of Baroque architecture, the most important being the Church of S.Domenico, the Church dell'Addolorata and the Church of San Giovanni Battista and Palazzo Cimaglia. In the Passo di Corvo district, circa 10kms from Foggia, there is an enclosure dating back to the neolithic age, in which remains dating back to the 5th and the 6th Millennium B.C. have been found.

Journeying south of Foggia, beyond the salt marshes of Margherita di Savoia, we come to Barletta, town of the Disfida and the Collossus. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, at the heart of a historic center rich in medieval masterpieces, represents the perfect fusion of Romanesque and Gothic styles. On the edge of the historic center, the Castle built by Frederick II, with deep moat and attractive gardens, is now an important cultural center. Just a few kilometers from Barletta lies the archaeological site where the Battle of Cannae, won by Hannibal, took place.

In Andria, visitors once again find both a splendid Romanesque Cathedral and a Castle built by Frederick II. An important city of the Murgia, Andria, together with Trani and Barletta, forms the sixth province of Puglia. The city's mother church offers another superb illustration of the region's stunning religious architecture: its crypt houses the tombs of the wives of the Svevian King, who left his most evident mark here in the form of the Castel del Monte, included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. The castle is an imposing, octagonal shaped edifice, to which all manner of legends has been associated.

Not far from Andria, lies the charming seafront city of Trani, the historic center of which is filled with stylish shops, restaurants and bars. Trani cathedral, visited by thousands of tourists each year, is one of the finest examples of Puglian Romanesque. Within easy walking distance of the cathedral lies the Castle and the elegant Palazzo della Pretura, Palazzo Arcivescovile and Palazzo De Angelis. Trani has always been home to an important Jewish population, and the city's Scolaniva Sinagogue is well worthy of visit.