| VIESTE,
it is an important tourist town in Gargano and one of the most ancient
towns in the Daunia. According to many historians, it is the old Apeneste
(in this area the ruins of another ancient town Merinum are to see).
It was built in the Roman time and in the honour of the goddess Vesta,
the town was called with the present name. A visit
at the Town Museum is very interesting, it exhibits many
tomb equipments, coming from the next necropolis of San Salvatore and
dated back to the IV and I cent. B.C.. The Malacological Museum
is also to visit, it exhibits 11.500 shells, coming from all over the
sea in the world. In the high area of the town, the Castle
is placed. It dates back to the Normann-Swabian time, its origin is probably
more ancient. The Cathedral is one of the most ancient
example of the Apulian architecture of the XI cent.. In the heart of the
old town the “chiang amer” (such as bitter
stone) is placed. According to the folk tradition, in 1554 the town suffered
the assault of the pirate Dragut Rais, admiral of the Mahomet’s
II Ottoman ?eet. The disabled and old people, who couldn’t transferred
or sold as slaves, were killed on this stone, that was afterwards called
“bitter stone”. The coast of Vieste is rich in marvellous
gold sand beaches and rocky ravines, which are interesting both for their
natural fascination and for the historical evidences, jealously guarded.
On another rocky headland, south of the built-up area, the monolith
“Pizzu e munnu” (pick of the world) lies. It is a
26 m high white monolith: according to the legend, a young ?sher, named
Pizzomunno, was in love with a girl, killed by jealous sirens. The pain
for the loss of his beloved was so deep, that he was petri?ed. Every one
hundred years in a full moon night, the young ?sher regained his human
features to love again his beloved till to sunrise.
PESCHICI From an headland (90 mt a. s. l.), it overhangs
the sea and overlooks the beach below. In the heart of this little and
typical town the Castle stands (a tower of the XVII cent.),
that bounds the old town from the new one. A walk in the old town gives
the possibility to admire panoramic views in a maze of small streets and
a tangle of houses with dome-shaped roof of oriental origin. The church,
dedicated to the patron saint St. Elia, is also to visit; the population
of Peschici is devotee of the Saint, by intercession of him, the cultivated
fields were set free from a terrible invasion of locusts. From Peschici
the road goes down to the sea with short hairpin bends; it is possible
to see its high stately coasts and golden big beaches, that run down to
the blue sea. They are covered by tourist resorts, villas and fragrant
pinewoods. The coast stretch between Peschici and Vieste is marked by
a great number of trabucchi, suggestive wooden fishing
structures. It is possible to see many watch towers, placed along the
coasts of Apulia and built by the Aragoneses to protect them from the
attacks of Turks. The Benedictine building of Santa Maria di Calena
(IX cent.) with the church, the refectory and the dormitory of
monks is also to visit. Another Marian church is the Madonna di
Loreto, built between the XVI and the XVII cent. in the same
place, where, according to the tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to
some seamen, swept away by a storm.
RODI GARGANICO, a
small town, perched on a little headland in the northern coast. It is
encircled by orange and lemon trees, hidden by a thick cane-brake and
with a smell of orange flowers. It was built by the Cretens (later on
the Greeks settled down). At present, of the stately town walls, the ruins
are still to see, the history of the town is above all linked to the religion.
The very nice old town is typical with its narrow lanes, stairs and little
gardens. Here the church of San Nicola di Mira in Byzantine
style and the church of San Pietro, dated back to 1200
with statues of the XVI cent., are to see. The port, dock of the ferries
to the Tremiti Islands, is a gathering place for tourists, going to the
islands.
VICO DEL GARGANO, grows from the green Umbra Forest to
the blue sea with the beaches of S. Menaio and Calenella.
It is a picturesque little town, the older area is the “Rione
Civita”. It is a maze of roads and narrow lanes and is
notable for the Castle, built by Frederick II and rebuilt
in the XIV cent.. At present a fortified cylindrical tower, some rooms
with ogival cross vaults and an ancient olive-press are to see. In 1618,
in order to fight the bad harvest of citrus fruits, the population of
Vico asked to the Pope and obtained to change their patron saint, St.
Valentine in the place of St. Norbert. He was celebrated on June and it
was impossible to pray him in winter. At present St. Valentine is celebrated
from February 9th till to 15th, the picture of the Saint, adorned with
oranges, clementines and lemons is carried in procession. The citrus fruits,
given to the beloved, are a love-potion, to taste in the Vico
del Bacio (Kiss Lane), a pander meeting place about 50 cm wide.
|
Land
of faith, sea and nature near the Tavoliere (Tableland) of Apulia,
Gargano is really a different world. It is a rocky spur of Karst
formation, a natural area isolated from outside influences, so that
it is the italian sub-region, which holds the supremacy of biovariety.
Gargano has plenty of history, nature, art and tourism; it is a
full experience to visit it. Along its coasts the towns on the sea
welcome and offer their vitality to the visitors. There is a luxuriant
vegetation under the National Park of Gargano protection; there
are roads, covered by pilgrims for thousands years. They reached
this place along the ways, which linked Santiago de Compostela to
the Holy Sepulchre and to the Holy Land, passing through Rome. This
is Gargano and that’s not all! It is a land, that reconciles its
millenary history with a present time rich in nature, history and
religion and with a greater and greater variety of accommodation.
Chapel of the Magdalen with trecento frescos,
is linked to the church. Another attraction for the visitor is the
Castle, built by Swabians and carried out by Angevines
and Aragoneses. At present it is seat of the National Archaeological
Museum of Gargano, that exhibits archaeological material
and a considerable collection of Daunia Stones, calcareous sepulchral
stones, discovered in the area of Siponto, testimony of the ancient
population of Dauni, who settled down in this area in the X cent
B.C.. Siponto, well-known seaside resort, is placed
close to Manfredonia. Of the ancient Sipontum the Basilica of S.
Maria Maggiore di Siponto remained, cathedral of the town,
it is one of the most important Romanesque-oriental buildings in
Apulia. Along the state road 89, that linked Foggia to Manfredonia,
a few kms far from Siponto, the Convent of St. Leonardo
di Siponto (XI-XII sec.) is to visit. The church, with
the same name, is well-known because of its decorated portal in
Romanesque style and the summer solstice: through a “gnomonic
hole” a rosette in the ceiling of the main nave, the sunlight
falls on a particular point of the ?oor of the nave. It takes place
once a year.