Tag Archives: Romanico Pugliese

Troia 1019-2019

05 Saturday Oct 2019

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia

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Rosone, Cattedrale di TroiaAccording to legend, Troia (TROH∙yah) was founded by the Trojan War hero Diomede (Diomedes) in the 10th century BC.  After the fall of Troy, he found out his wife was unfaithful.  Instead of going home to Argos, Diomede travelled around the Adriatic, settling in the Daunia area of Puglia.  Troia, also spelled Troja, was at the junction of the Via Traiana –the road from Benevento to Brindisi, and the road to Siponto (Sipontium).  The Romans called it Aecae.  In 1010, a medieval settlement was built on the ruins of the ancient city, and in 1017 a Byzantine fortress to protect against Saracen invaders.  Modern Troia was founded in 1019, making this year its millennia!!!  Auguri Troia!Troia Millenio 1019-2019

Troia was ruled by powerful bishops, and they built a magnificent cattedrale (cathedral), an exquisite example of Romanico Pugliese, a unique architectural mix of Pisan Romanesque, Arab and Byzantine inspired features.  It was an important connection between the Norman kingdoms of Southern Italia and the Pope. Completed in 1119, this architectural capolavoro or masterpiece is celebrating its 900th anniversary!Troia cattedrale Romanica Pugliese

The stunning rosone-rose window is made up of 11 thin columns, each with a delicate stone ‘screen’ finely carved with Islamic inspired geometric designs.  The 11 ‘petals’ or segments each have a different pattern.  They look like they are woven out of stone.  11 is an unusual number of sections for a rose window, or for anything, actually. There could be some interesting numerology related to this building.Cattedrale di Troia, Puglia 2011

The upper façade is elaborate, with the rosone and gargoyles. The arches around the window are decorated with an odd but fascinating assortment of primitive looking animal and human sculptures and are held up on either side by Pugliese lions. Side view, Troia Cathedral, PugliaTroia Cathedral bronze doors

The lower front is a 7 arch façade-the center one being the main entrance through bronze doors with the most magnificent dragon handles. They look straight out of Trono di Spada (Game of Thrones)! The doors were built in 1127 by Oderisio da Benevento. Troia cathedral dragon door handles and lion knockers The doors are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions.  There are 10 knockers; 8 lions and 2 wyverns, which are small 2 legged dragons.  On each side of the door are 3 blind arches topped with geometric carvings and a round window on the middle arch.  The arches on the side of the building are topped with geometric sun and moon patterns in green stone. The main doors are closed and entry is only through the side door, another bronze by Oderisio da Benevento.  The church is usually open during the day, and of course during Masses.Troia Cathedral bronze door lion door knockers

In contrast to the ornate exterior, the interior of the cattedrale is simple.  The design is a Latin cross plan with 3 aisles separated by 13 Corinthian columns, 2 rows of 6 and a 3rd row in the SW corner with only one column, as seen in the photo below.  These represent the 12 apostles and Christ. There is no ceiling, the beamed wood roof is exposed. The Cathedrals in the Romanico Pugliese style, including Troia’s, are on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  This is the step before becoming a heritage site!Interior of the Cathedral of Troia, with a view of the 13th column

The 1169 pulpit dates to 1169 has an interesting relief carved on one side. It is a dog biting the back of a lion, who is biting the neck of a lamb and is visible in the photo below.  The dog symbolizes God, who is faithful and vigilant, preventing poor judgement and heresy (the lion) from devouring the church (the lamb). Troia Cathedral, relief sculpture on pulpit

Il Museo del Tesoro della Cattedrale di Troia (the cathedral treasury) is worth a visit for rare 11th century parchments and other medieval sacred artifacts. There are only 32 illuminated Exultet codes (Easter scrolls) in the world, and 3 of them are here.  Also worth seeing is Il Capitello delle Quatre Razze (Column of the 4 Races).  This is a 13th Century column with 4 heads, one on each corner, depicting the 4 races of man known before 1492- European, African, Asian and Arab.  Admission is free, but it is only open Tuesday and Thursday 17:30-20 and Saturday 10-13.  Mondays are only open for school groups with appointments.  Call ahead, as they may open for groups 0881 97 00 20.Cattedrale di Troia, PugliaTroia is named for the ancient city, but unfortunately ‘troia’ is also Italian slang for ‘slut’.  My best guess is that the origin of this term is from Elena di Troia (Helen of Troy) who was an adultress.  Don’t let the name put you off though.  Troia is a charming town with a beautiful centro storico.  It is also way off the radar for most visitors to Puglia, so you will not find any crowds.Side street in Troia with Fiat Seicento (600) As an added bonus, you can find Nero di Troia vino everywhere!  Read more about this lovely vino in Vini di Puglia. My Zia lives in Troia, so I have been there a lot.  Here are some interesting Troia facts… #1-I had my confirmation at the Cattedrale di Troia when I was 15!  Interesting fact #2-Troia is the only municipality in Italia providing free public transportation! Via Regina Margherita doorway Troia, Puglia

Get off the bus from Foggia or park the car near La Villa Comunale and Bar Cluny.  Walk down Via Regina Margherita to explore the centro storico.  The Cattedrale is half way down this long, narrow street, which is lined with shops and interesting doorways.  Stop at the award-winning Pasticceria e Gelateria Artigianale Aquilino for a decadent treat. Visit the oldest church in Troia, the Byzantine San Basilio with ox heads around the altar.  It was originally a Greek Orthodox temple. The haunted Palazzo D’Avolos is now home to the Civic offices and Civic Museum. Wander into the narrow side streets and you may come across a Fiat 600 or some work by local artist Leon Marino.House in Troia, Puglia with Leon Marino angel mural

Troia has a population of  about 7000.  It is situated on a hill, 439 m above the Tavoliere plain, 22 km SW of Foggia, 15 km south of Lucera and 14 km east of Orsara di Puglia.  The surrounding landscape is a beautiful blanket of wheat fields, vineyards and olive groves- like the view from the abandoned Celle Sant’Antonio, just outside of Troia.  Celle Sant'Antonio, Troia Puglia

Ferrovie del Gargano buses arrive regularly from Foggia and Lucera. The ticket is €1.80.  If taking the train to Foggia, the bus station is conveniently next door. Troia has several B&B’s including Alba d’Oro, Stella and Svegliarsi nei Borghi.  There is even a car rental agency, Automottola, on the edge of town, towards Foggia.  For more information check out Troia’s website.Troia Cathedral and Via Regina MargheritaRead more about Troia and Diomede in Puglia-Mia Regione Preferita.  Have any of you readers who are not related to me been to Troia?

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina

Puglia~Mia Regione Preferita

26 Sunday May 2019

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel, Vino

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Italia has 20 regioni /regions. So far, I have been to 14 of them.  I love them all, but my absolute favourite is Puglia.  Why?  Well, aside from the obvious reason that it is home, there are countless others.  I have narrowed this post down to my top 10 reasons to love Puglia-in no particular order.  There are a lot of links to previous posts included here.  Please check them out!  Many of my Puglia posts were written when this blog only had about 27 readers, 80% of them related to me.  These posts need some new love!1) 840 km of coastline-That is a lot of beach!  The transparent turquoise colour of the water is real.Earlier this month, 13 Pugliese beaches received the environmental designation Bandiera Blu, including Polignano a Mare, Margherita di Savoia and Peschici.

2)Cucina Pugliese is rustic cucina povera or peasant food, focusing on the freshness and simplicity of the ingredients that are in season.   Orecchiette con sugo

Pugliese specialties include orecchiette con sugo, orecchiette con cime di rape, grano arso, fave e cicorie, burrata, pancotto e patate, polpo, pesce, focaccia Pugliese, taralli, cartellate, pasticciotto, and pizza con la ricotta.  Everything is made with Pugliese ‘liquid gold’, extra virgin olive oil.Cucina Pugliese 1

Cucina PuglieseI hope I have made you hungry.  Buon appetito!

3)Vino- Oenotria ‘Land of Wine’ is the name the ancient Greeks gave Puglia. 425 km long, Puglia has a diverse agricultural landscape with mountains, plains, the Mediterranean sun, coastal sea breezes and fertile soil.  The climate is hot and dry, especially during the summer.  The name Puglia comes from the Latin ‘a pluvia’ meaning without rain. These environmental features, plus the presence of vitigni autoctoni (Native or Indigenous species of grapes) create an ideal environment for growing grapes and producing vino.

Vino is my favourite topic of research.  A few years ago, I published a Vini di Puglia trilogy-a series of 3 blog posts on the wines of Puglia!  Vini di Puglia is about the ‘big 3’ Negroamaro, Nero di Troia and Primitivo.  Part 2 Aglianico to Zibibbo is about all the other grapes of Puglia plus a glossary of viniculture terms in Italiano.  Il Tuccanese a grape native to Orsara di Puglia is the last post in the trilogy. Salute!

4)Architettura Puglia has it’s own architectural style-Romanico Pugliese (Pugliese Romanesque).  Puglia was at the crossroads between Europe and the Crusades in the 11th-13th Century.  Many cattedrale were built in this style,  including those in Troia, Trani, Bari, Otranto, Molfetta, Bitonto, Siponto and Ruvo di Puglia.  Romanico Pugliese is a unique architectural style distinguished by elements of both Eastern and Western elements. These include vaulted ceilings, Byzantine semicircular cupolas, porticoes held up by marble lions, and intricate decorations with classical Byzantine and Arab features. The Romanesque Cathedrals in Puglia are on the UNESCO heritage sites tentative list, which is the step before heritage designation.  Troia cattedrale Romanica Pugliese

The 11 sectioned rosone pictured here of the Cattedrale di Troia built in 1145 AD looks like it is woven in stone.  Other architectural styles specific to Puglia are the Barrocco Leccese in Lecce and the mysterious Castel del Monte in Andria built by Federico II, which is its own unique entity.

5) Promontorio del Gargano One of the most beautiful areas on earth, Il Promontorio del Gargano (gar·GAH·noh) is the promontory sticking out above ‘il tacco’, the heel of Italia.  You can also think of it as la caviglia-the ankle spur of Italia.  Surrounded by the Adriatico on 3 sides, the area is more like an island; biodiverse with unique flora and fauna. Most of the promontorio is a protected area and marine reserve, Il Parco Nazionale del Gargano, which includes le Isole Tremiti and the ancient Foresta Umbra. Fortunately, this has prevented overdevelopment by large multinational hotels and resorts.San Domino Isole Tremiti, Puglia

Il Gargano is famous for picchi (woodpeckers) and other birds, 300 varieties of orchids, almonds and olives.  There are endless ancient hillside olive groves, pine forests, sea grotte, limestone cliffs, rocky shores, crystalline water and fresh seafood.

Baia delle Zagare, Puglia

Baia delle Zagare

The winding road around the Gargano, SS 89 from Foggia, has sharp turns and viste mozzafiato (VIS·teh moz·zah·FYAH·toh)-breathtaking views. One of my favourite viewpoints is La Baia delle Zagare, where the battle scene between the Amazons and Germans in the movie Wonder Woman were filmed!

6)Trabucchi  Trabucchi (tra∙BOO∙kkee) are old fishing contraptions found on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia. The design probably dates back to the ancient Phoenicians.  Trabucchi have fascinated me since I was a child, taking l’Adriatico, the night train from Bologna to Foggia on a stormy night.  They looked like giant alien octopi coming out of the sea!  There are 13 functioning trabucchi on the coast of the Promontorio del Gargano between Peschici and Vieste, the oldest dating back to the 18th century.  They are protected as National cultural heritage sites within the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. Read more in I Trabucchi del Gargano.

7)Trulli-These traditional limestone houses are unique to the Val d’Itria in Southern Puglia.  They were built ‘a secco’, which means dry-without mortar.  Trulli have domed cone-shaped roofs built up of overlapping grey limestone slabs called chiancharelle (kyan•ka•REL•leh). 

‘La Zona dei Trulli’ includes the areas around Locorotondo, Fasano, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Ceglie Massapica and the largest concentration of 1,620 trulli in Alberobello.  Alberobello and its trulli are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Read more about trulli in this post- I Trulli di Alberobello.   Trulli Alberobello8)History/Connection to the Iliad  Can any other region say it was founded by a Trojan War hero?  According to legend, after the fall of Troy the mythical hero Diomede (Diomedes) found out his wife had been unfaithful.  Instead of returning home to Argos, he sailed about the Adriatic, created the Isole Tremiti, and then was invited by Daunus, King of the Daunia (modern Provincia di Foggia) to settle there.  Diomede allegedly planted the first grape vines in Puglia, brought with him from Greece. He also founded many other towns in Puglia.  Diomede was allegedly shipwrecked and died near the Isole Tremiti.

tomba di Diomede Isole Tremiti

La tomba di Diomede on San Nicola.

An unmarked Hellenic period tomb on San Nicola is known as ‘la tomba di Diomede’. According to legend, his crew was so upset that the Goddess Venus took pity on the grieving men and turned them into birds that continue to cry for their loss. The scientific name for the Great Albatross common in the area is ‘Diomedea’.  These birds look like seagulls and sounds like a crying newborn.  There is a scene in Fellini’s fim ‘Otto e mezzo’ (8½), where a cardinal tells this story to Guido (Marcello Mastroianni).

A Diomedea, San Domino

Orsara di Puglia landscape9)Paesaggi- The landscape of Puglia is varied and beautiful, made up of wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards and rocky coastline.  The region has 60 million olive trees,  including ulivi secolari-centuries old trees with knotted, gnarled trunks that have been twisted by time and wind.  Puglia’s trees produce 40% of the olive oil in Italia.

10)Slower pace Most of Puglia is still very much ‘real italia’, less commercialized and touristy, with great places to visit.  I am often told my photos look like they are from old movie sets.  Even though Puglia is often on the ‘places to see this year’ lists, it is uncrowded.  This is partly because the region is poorly served by public transportation, and also because most foreigners visiting Puglia only go to the Salento and Alberobello!  Italians from other regions travel to Puglia a lot, so it is a great place to go if you need to practice speaking italiano! Check out the posts A Perfect day in Italia and Il Sole di Metà Pomeriggio for more paese scenes.Fiat 500K Giardiniera AutobianchiHave you been to Puglia, mia regione preferita?  Let me know in the comments.

This post is written as part of the #dolcevitabloggers monthly blogging linkup, hosted by Jasmine, Kelly and Kristie the 3rd Sunday of the month.  Click the link to check out what the rest of the Dolce Vita bloggers have written on this month’s topic ‘favourite region of Italy’.Porto, San Domino, Isole Tremiti, Puglia

Ciao, Cristina

Trani

30 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel

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A crescent shaped port, fishermen selling their catch on the waterfront, a timeless, picturesque centro storico that looks like it could be a movie set, a castle, and a stunning limestone Romanesque cathedral right at the water’s edge where you expect to find a lighthouse.  These are some of the reasons why Trani is one of my favourite day trips.  It is a beautiful, peaceful, uncrowded fishing port on the Adriatic, between Barletta and Bari.  Trani is on the main ‘Adriatico’ railway line so it is easily accessible without a car.

Trani is ancient Tirenum, allegedly founded by Tirenus, son of Diomede.  Trani is famous for issuing the ‘Ordinamenta et consultudo Maris’ in 1063.  This is the oldest surviving maritime law code in the west. The street along the harbor is called ‘Via Statuti Marittimi’.  Trani is also known for Moscato di Trani, figs, almonds and olive oil.

During the rule of Federico Secondo (aka Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II) in the early 13th Century, Trani became an important political center and trading port with the Orient.  Since Trani was on the pilgrimage route to the Holy Land it grew and prospered.  Trani also had a close diplomatic and trading relationship with Venezia.When I got off the train in Trani, I walked about half an hour, straight to the cathedral.  I am a big fan of Romanico Pugliese (Pugliese Romanesque), an 11th-13th Century architectural style unique to Puglia.  Romanico Pugliese includes classic Romanesque features such as tall facades, campanili and rose windows, blended with Byzantine and Islamic architectural details.  In fact, since 2006, the Romanico Pugliese churches in Puglia are on the the UNESCO World Heritage Sites tentative list.  This is the step before becoming a World Heritage Site.The Trani cathedral was built in 1099 out of local tufo, a creamy coloured limestone that almost seems to glow in the sun.  One of the oldest and largest cathedrals in Puglia, it was used as a model for the ones built later. It was named for San Nicola Pellegrino (the Pilgrim), a 19 year old Greek shepherd who died while on pilgrimage in Trani in 1094.  His bones are in the crypt.  Note….this is not the same San Nicola who is buried in Bari and is the inspiration for Santa Claus.  Trani’s cathedral was constructed on layers of history.  It was built over the foundations of a 5th Century Byzantine church, Santa Maria della Scala, which was built over the Roman crypt of San Leucio.  Both of these ‘layers’ are accessible. The beautiful bronze doors are a copy.  The original doors are on display inside.  The 32 panels were sculpted by Barisano di Trani who also did work on the cathedrals in Ravenna and Monreale. The 60m high campanile built in 1239 has square corners and an octagonal spire.  The number of windows increase with each floor. The campanile was being renovated when I was there, so I have included a photo I took in 1994 without the scaffolding.

Trani 1994

Right on the harbour is the Chiesa di Ognissanti, built in the 12th Century by the Knights Templar in the courtyard of their hospital.  Trani was on the route to the Holy Land and the knights had a hospital here for those wounded in the crusades.  It is not open to the public.At the far end of the harbour, the Villa Comunale is a park with benches and a seaside walk.  The breakwater near the Cathedral is a nice place to sit and soak up the sun or go for a swim.

Federico II built the Castello Svevo in 1249.  It has square towers at each corner.  The sea water moat was filled in.  From the 1800’s-1974 the castello was used as a prison. Now it is open to visitors and hosts cultural events.  Admission is €3.

Trani once had southern Italia’s largest Giudecca community or Jewish neighborhood.  It was not a ghetto, as it was not closed off.  There were once 4 synagogues.  The Scolanova Synagogue spent centuries as a church, but in 2006 it was rededicated as a synagogue.

Trani is small enough that you can walk everywhere.  From the Stazione, walk straight out and turn left at Piazza della Repubblica.  There is an info point here.  It is about a half hour walk along quiet streets with beautiful palazzi to the cathedral and port.  Just ask a local for ‘Il Porto’ if you need directions.  Shops are closed from 1-5 pm.

For seafood lovers, the port has many excellent restaurants.  My cousins had given me 3 restaurant recommendations.  It was such a beautiful sunny day I just wanted to sit near the breakwater and enjoy the sea.  I had a mad craving for polipo-octopus.  I ended up getting a take away insalata di polipo and a glass of Falanghina.  It was perfect!

Trani is a great base to stay for exploring several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Castel del Monte, Alberobello and Matera are all about 1 hour away.

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina