L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 L'Italo-Americano M e n t i o n y o u ' r e g o i n g t o Puglia and chances are people will ask about Bari or Lecce, maybe the Gargano P e n i n s u l a o r t h e t r u l l i o f Alberobello. But it's unlikely t h a t a n y o n e w i l l a s k y o u about Barletta. Yet a day trip to this city of about 95,000 is worth the time. Located along the Adri- a t i c S e a , a b o u t 6 0 m i l e s north of Bari, Barletta is one of a trio of towns making up Italy's newest province, Bar- letta-Andria-Trani, created in 2009. With the sea to its east, Barletta is enveloped on the other three sides by farm- lands and countryside. The r e g i o n g r o w s i t s s h a r e o f grapes, olives and almonds, but much of its economy is rooted in manufacturing. Barletta was founded well before the Romans con- quered the region, with esti- mates dating back to the 4th century BC. During ancient times, the area was called Bardulos or Barulum. When the Normans arrived around 1000 AD, they built a defen- sive fortress on the coast. During the Middle Ages, Barletta's strategic position as an eastward-facing seaport made it an important gather- ing point for the knights of the crusades. Centuries later, in the 1700s, a devastating plague hit, decimating the population. Disease and the e x t r e m e p o v e r t y t h a t f o l - lowed impacted Barletta's g r o w t h f o r t h e n e x t 2 0 0 years. Barletta has rebounded in modern times. In addition to its scenic seaboard loca- tion, today Barletta makes a pleasant day trip for travelers looking for a more authentic tourist experience as they explore the town's three his- toric treasures: a mysterious c o l o s s u s , a m a g n i f i c e n t cathedral, and a massive castle. The history of the colos- sus, called Eraclio by city residents, is a bit murky. No one knows exactly who it is; some historians think it pays homage to Emperor Theo- dosius II. Larger-than-life, at about 13 feet, the bronze statue stands casually along a b u s y s t r e e t , h o l d i n g a g l o b e i n o n e h a n d a n d a cross in the other (the cross was originally a scepter). Some early records say that the colossus was excavated in Ravenna under the reign o f H o l y R o m a n E m p e r o r Frederick II and transported to Barletta. Other accounts p o i n t t o i t b e i n g w a s h e d ashore during a shipwreck on the way back from Istan- b u l a n d t h e c r u s a d e s . I n either case, the statue lay a b a n d o n e d u n t i l t h e l a t e 1400s when Fabio Alfano, a sculptor from Naples, came t o B a r l e t t a t o r e s t o r e i t . T o d a y t h e c o l o s s u s i s installed on a market square near the Basilica del Santo Sepolcro. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, the sec- ond of Barletta's treasures, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries but, as with many Italian cathedrals, its history goes back further than that. The church was built on a pre-Christian site established in the 4th centu- ry BC. While restoring the church during the mid-20th c e n t u r y , a r c h a e o l o g i s t s found "grotta-cella," tombs containing human skeletons and funerary objects, buried 15 feet below sea level. The space appeared to be part of a n a n c i e n t p a g a n t e m p l e dedicated to the god Nep- tune. The current church was started by the Normans a r o u n d 1 1 4 7 i n a Romanesque style and con- secrated in 1267. It's located at a central point in the city, between the ancient village o f S a n t a M a r i a a n d t h e Swabian castle with its sur- r o u n d i n g g a r d e n s . T h e cathedral's interior is unusu- ally rich with carved stones — f r o m t h e a r c h b i s h o p ' s chair to the tops of columns d e c o r a t e d w i t h a n i m a l s , monsters and figures. L a s t l y , w e c o m e t o t h e crown jewel of Barletta: the Castello Svevo. Erected by the Swabian people, a pow- erful dynasty centered in southern Germany, the cas- tle is one of the finest exam- ples of its kind. The massive castle is surrounded on all four sides by a dry moat and extensive gardens. To enter, cross over the stone bridge and through a doorway that leads to the central court- y a r d . D u r i n g o u r v i s i t , a handful of young men and women, dressed in colorful medieval costumes, greeted visitors, making it easy to l e a v e t h e m o d e r n w o r l d b e h i n d a n d s t e p b a c k i n time. Displays inside the cas- t l e s h o w c a s e m e d i e v a l weapons and tools, but even the empty rooms are incredi- b l y a t m o s p h e r i c . O n t h e lower level are several enor- mous chambers with arched d o o r w a y s a n d w a l l s . O n e contains a surprise: an echo chamber. In this huge brick-domed room, a large central open- ing or oculus is positioned at the apex. The acoustics are a m a z i n g a n y w h e r e i n t h e s p a c e , b u t o n c e y o u s t e p directly beneath the oculus, the clarity of the sound is incredible. It envelops and surrounds you, every tone d i s t i n c t , c l e a r , s h a r p a n d bright – an ancient version of Dolby sound. If you get to the castle when it first opens, you'll likely have the space all to yourself. The castle complex also holds the civic art museum a n d a l i b r a r y ; e x h i b i t s change periodically. In Octo- ber, there was a charming display of children's litera- ture – mostly Italian, British, American and French books from the past two centuries. Where to eat: there are plenty of wonderful restau- rants in Barletta. We enjoyed lunch outdoors at Ristorante I Nuovi Saraceni on Piazza Plebiscito. Located across the street from the restau- rant itself, the pleasant out- door seating flanks a public park. Food was great and so was the people-watching. Public transportation: Barletta is less than 30 min- utes by train from Bari. For a full day of cathedrals and castles, consider Barletta in the morning and Trani in the afternoon. A train passes fre- q u e n t l y b e t w e e n t h e t w o towns; the ride takes 9 min- utes. Barletta's Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore was built in the 12th and 13th centuries on an ancient pagan site hon- oring Neptune (Photo: Dale Smith) Colossus, Cathedral and Castle: three reasons to explore Barletta RITA CIPALLA ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES The origins of the bronze Colossus of Barletta are unknown, but the statue is beloved by town residents (Photo: Dale Smith)

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