Culture of Apulia ( Puglia ) Italy - Travel Guide & Information

Culture Of The Region Apulia Of Italy

The region has plenty of historical, artistic and architectural wonders, from the gorgeous buildings in the center of the main cities to the rural landscapes with the white trulli surrounded by the green olive trees. Bari enjoyed its "golden age" during medieval times. The Cathedral and Church of St. Nicholas with their Romanesque forms bear majestic witness to that period in Puglia. The building of the Basilica was commissioned by Abbot Elia in 1087 to preserve the remains of Saint Nicholas.

In the province of Bari, there is an unique medieval manor house stands on top of a hill in the Apulian Murgia, 540 metres above sea level and 18 km from Andria. Castel del Monte was built in 1200 by Frederick II of Swabia, Roman Emperor and King of Sicily and Apulia, to serve as a manor house and hunting lodge. Various architectural elements and styles are harmoniously brought together in this building: Classical, Renaissance, Romanesque, Gothic and Arabic. Castel del Monte, named after the Benedictine church of Santa Maria del Monte which exists in that area, has a rich and varied history belonging to the period of the Reign of Naples. The castle, along with the town of Andria, was a part of the Royal State under the Swabians (1240-1266), the Angevins (1266-1443) and the Aragonese (1443-1503) who succeeded each other to the throne of Naples and in 1876 it was acquired by the Italian State.

Lecce with its historical center, buildings, churches, streets, and squares, is a wonderful example of baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful Italian cities. The Cathedral has two decorated façades and an angular and unusual bell tower, which one can climb to admire the wonderful view over Salento’s landscape. But there is also a little part of the center, Sant’Oronzo square, where the baroque style is living together with the remains of a Roman theatre, discovered in 1901, which becomes a performing open-stage theater in the summer.

In the Salento area there are many fortified buildings and castles. Two of the finest examples of Renaissance military architecture are the Carlo V’s Castle in Lecce and fortified town of Acaja with its moat and bastions.

Taranto is a modern city that still keeps its ancient heart. In the northern part of the city there are the calm waters of  the Mar Piccolo, at the southern end the grandeur of the Mar Grande bursts into the Gulf of Taranto (on the Ionian Sea): the secret of its glamour is there. The swing bridge is the connection between the past and the present, the island of the città vecchia (old town) and Taranto. It is mainly in the old town and in the National Museum that one can find evidence of the glorious history of Taranto, which was a colony of Sparta and capital of the Magna Grecia. Because of its strategic position Taranto suffered from the invasion of Bizantines, Ostrogoths, Saracens,Normans, Swabians, Angevins and Aragoneses. Their domination left a mark on the architecture and civilization of Taranto and its  città vecchia. The Cathedral (1071) of Taranto is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in Apulia and it is dedicated to the Patron of the city, San Cataldo. Restructured, modified and burnt down several times through the centuries, the cathedral has a baroque facade of the early 18th century. The impressive interior is characterized by a wide nave and two aisles supported by marble columns that are decorated by carved capitals (Romanesque, Arab, Bizantine, Longobard style). The floor still keeps some remains of its original mosaic paving. The central nave is covered by a beautiful wooden coffer ceiling from the 17th century. The interior transept and cupola belonged to a Byzantine church of the 10th century.

The National Museum of Taranto is considered one of the most important archeological museums in Southern Italy due to its wide collection that gives visitors a complete view of the Magna Grecia civilization.

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