Puglia is the region of Southern Italy which boasts the greatest number of buildings from the Romanesque period: a time when a succession of magnificent churches and cathedrals were erected from the north to the south of the region, cathedrals such as those of Trani and Otranto and Sanctuaries such as that of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte S. Angelo. "La Capitanata" - or the province of Foggia - and the "Lands of Bari" are, without doubt, the areas of Puglia with the highest concentration of Romanesque monuments.
We commence our journey in the town of Bovino, home to the Cathedral S.Maria Assunta. This austere building is, like great part of the basilicas constructed during the medieval age, extremely plain inside. Original stucco work framing the small windows which let the light in to the church can still be seen. Still in Bovino - considered to be one of the most beautiful towns in the whole of Italy - we find the ancient Church of S. Pietro. At Siponto, just outside the important harbour town of Manfredonia, there are the splendid churches of San Leonardo and S.Maria, the latter surrounded by numerous ancient hypogeum.
Whilst travelling along the road winding their way up through the Gargano, visitors should not fail to make a brief detour to Monte S.Angelo - the highest town on the promontory and some 15kms from Manfredonia - so as to visit a cluster of authentic masterpieces of the period, such as the Abbey of Pulsano - in an isolated spot not too far from the center of town, the Church of S.Maria Maggiore and the Sanctuary of San Michele. The sanctuary, built in the 13th century by Carlo d'Angiò, was constructed by the cave where legend has it that the Archangel Michael appeared sometime between 490 and 493. Destination of pilgrimages since the middle ages, the legendary cave, deemed to be 'one of the four most sacred places on earth' has led to the Gargano promontory being known as the "Sacred Mountain".
Once in the province of Bari, the first place to visit is the town of Canosa with its ancient Basilica of San Sabino, built by Duke Arechi II. A fine example of the Romanesque style, with a number of Byzantine influences, the Basilica is built on a Latin cross plan and features 5 magnificent domes and a beautiful stained glass window depicting the patron saint. The Basilica of Canosa was seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1851 and is less frequently visited than Cathedrals found in the nearby towns of Trani, Barletta, Giovanazzo, Bari and Bisceglie.
Travelling southwards, towards the high plain of the Murge, we come to Trani, the true birthplace of Puglian Romaesque. The cathedral erected in honour of S. Nicola Pellegrino is, perhaps, second only to that of S.Nicola di Bari. The impact of this most imposing of houses of worship is guaranteed; the dazzling white façade of which forming a stark contrast with the intense blue of the nearby sea. It is believed that the immense structure was built between 1159 and 1186 whilst work on the beautiful, 59 meter high bell tower only began in the 13th century. The cathedral houses a number of artistic masterpieces including the intricately carved main portal in marble and bronze featuring stunning geometric and floral patterns which accompany human and animal forms.
Another obligatory port of call in Bari's Murgia area is that to Ruve di Puglia. Here we find a splendid cathedral, often mentioned in art history books and included in numerous cultural itineraries. The Basilica was built between the 12th and 13th century although numerous alterations and additions have been made to the edifice over the centuries. The façade is characterised by three portals, the central one embellished with reliefs depicting Christ and the 12 apostles. Not to be missed, the figure of St Michael Archangel defeating the devil. Within the cathedral we find the wooden statue of St. Biagio, and the silver reliquary of the saint, patron of the city of Ruve di Puglia.
In the town of Oria, in the province of Brindisi, there are a number of stone chapels such as that of the Crepacore close to the Torre S.Susanna and that of the Madonna della Scala, just 3kms from Oria on the old road leading to Manduria. It is believed that these simple, one might even say severe, chapels date back to some time between the 13th and 14th centuries.
As we approach Otranto we come across the Latina Cathedral, built after the Norman conquest. The edifice was, in fact, erected in 1088 although a number of Renaissance additions have significantly altered its original appearance - fine example of which the Rose window formed by 16 columns arranged around a gothic style nucleus. The Baroque portal dates back to 1764. The cathedral still commemorates the sacrifice paid by the people of Otranto when the city was attacked by Solomon the Magnificent and his Turkish troops. Indeed, more than 800 skeletons belonging to the victims are conserved in glass shrines in the Martyrs' Chapel. Particularly noteworthy is the cathedral's grey, black and brown pavement - a magnificently complex display of symbolic and allegorical motifs in which to find references to the Sacred writings, mythology, and everyday life.
