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is the greatest plain in the Mid-Southern Italy with intensive cereals
and vegetables cultivations. In the Frederick II age, this place
was a forest with marshlands, woods and great grasses and pastures,
that increased the nomadic cattle-breeding. Later on the transhumance
was practised, the shepherds made use of rich pastures, on the plain
in winter and on the mountains in summer. In the centuries the pastoral
economy was replaced by the agriculture one, it was possible thanks
to the great number of reclamations as from the end of the XIX cent..
In the heart of the Tavoliere (tableland) Foggia is placed, it was
also main town of the Capitanata. It is an important agricultural
and industrial town, where the wheat was formerly cultivated in
the ancient time. The name of the town comes from fovea such as
hole, where the wheat was kept. The origin dates back to the year
Thousand, but in the Roman Age a very important colony Arpi was
situated; at present it is an interesting archaeological site, 8
kms north-east of the main town. The ?nds discovered in the area
of the ancient Arpi and of the Daunia, are exhibited
in the archaeological division of the Town Museum.
The old centre of Foggia was mostly destroyed by earthquakes and
by the violent bombardments of the last world war. The Arch
of the Frederick’s II Palace, dated back to 1223, is one
of the most ancient ruins. It was reconstructed on the side of the
Arpi Palace, seat of Town Museum. The Cathedral,
built at the beginning of the XII cent., was “redecorated” in the
XVII cent. and at present is in Baroque style. In the Cathedral
the Image of the Iconavetere is kept. The Holy
Image of the Madonna with seven veils (patron saint of the town)
was found by some shepherds in a bog in 1073. Among the churches
of Foggia, the Church of the Crosses is to mention.
It was built in the ?rst half of the XVIII cent. and is typically
made of a monumental triumphal arch, followed by ?ve little chapels,
ranged with a suggestive perspective. Other churches are noteworthy:
the Church of Our Lady of Sorrow, dated back to
1739, with the wonderful statue of Our Lady of Sorrow; the Church
of San Giovanni di Dio, the Church of Gesù e Maria,
the Church of San Giovanni Battista (XVIII cent.),
where the apparitions of the Madonna with seven veils to Sant’Alfonso
Maria de’ Liguori (1731) and the wonder of Our Lady of Sorrow with
the end of the cholera epidemic of the year 1837, took place. The
Dogana Palace is the old seat of the Royal Duty
for the counting of the sheeps, at present it is seat of Town Gallery
of Modern Art. Close to it, the Church of San Francesco
Saverio (XVIII cent.) with a ?ne entrance pronaos in Ionic
order; the Town Park shows a nice pronaos in Neoclassical
style by Luigi Oberty, dated back to the year 1820. In the following
year the architect Oberty also planned the Theatre “Umberto
Giordano”, dedicated to the famous musician of Foggia,
composer of well-known works all over the world: Fedora, Andrea
Chenier. Frederick II and his numerous “ travelling retinue” moved
from Foggia to the wood of Incoronata, that was
much more rich in vegetation than at present. He was very fond of
hawking and he wrote theory about it. At present the wood is well-known
thanks to the Sanctuary of the Incoronata, according
to the tradition the origins date back to the year Thousand after
the apparitions of the Madonna among the branches of a tree in the
wood. In the modern church the statue of the Black Madonna is venerated,
in May it is celebrated with very spectacular rites. The near museum
is interesting and exhibits a great number of votive offerings.
Close to the Wood of the Incoronata the towns Orta
Nova, Stornara, Stornarella,
Carapelle and Ordona are placed.
The origins of these towns date back to the year 1773, in this time
the buildings of the Jesuits were confiscated by the Reign of Naples
and the farms were populated by farmers. The “Five Royal
Towns” were formed. Close to Ordona the excavations of
the old town Herdoniae are to see. It was one of
the most ancient and important town in the Southern Italy, dated
back to the IV cent B.C..
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As
from the sixties, the archaeological excavations brought to light finds
of the Roman Age: the amphitheatre, the forum, the
ruins of the basilica, the workshops, the temples, the circular market
with soft frescos. The finds of Herdoniae are exhibited in the Town Museum
of Foggia. Near to Ordona, along the state road 16, Cerignola
is to reach. It is the heart of the agricultural Apulia, testified by
the Piano delle Fosse, a large square and a great number
of wheat silos under it, where wheat was kept since the ancient times.
The Museum of wheat and the Ethnoghaphic Museum
are dedicated to the important agricultural tradition. Cerignola is also
well-known for the Cathedral, built in the modern age
in Gothic style, its high cupola can be seen from a distance. Close to
the town, Torre Alemanna stands, the only one building
of medieval age in Capitanata as the abbey of San Leonardo di Siponto,
belonged to the Teutonic Knights Order. Going on along the coast, other
towns are to reach: San Ferdinando di Puglia, agricultural
town, built in the half of the XIX cent. by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and
Trinitapoli, with the Town Archaeological Museum, situated
in a nice building of the XVIII cent.. The museum exhibits ?nds of the
Archaeological Park of the Hypogeum. From Trinitapoli
it is easy to reach Margherita di Savoia, seaside and
thermal resort, it is well-knowm thanks to the saline. It is famous both
for the salt production and for the nesting of water fowls, such as the
pink fiamingos. The saline date back to the ancient times and are the
result of the growing swampy of the lake, that was placed in this place.
On the lakeshores Salapia was placed, an old Roman colony,
built in the I cent. B.C. The ruins of the ancient town are to see and
easy to reach from Margherita and from Zapponeta, a little
seaside resort. In the last century the saline expand after the full reclamation
of the Salpi Lake. The damp areas south of Siponto and
close to the Candelaro stream were saved from reclaiming. At present these
areas are naturalist oasis of the National Park of Gargano:
the Frattarolo marsh and the LIPU oasis of Salso
Lake. North of Foggia San Severo is placed,
it is the most populated town in the Tavoliere. It was populated since
the Paleolith but in the Middle Age it most expanded. At present the town
is an important agricultural-industrial and trading centre and is well-known
thanks to the wine production. It is worth visiting: the sanctuary of
the Madonna del Soccorso in Baroque style, the Cathedral,
consecrated to Our Lady of the Assumption, built in the XI cent. and changed
in the Baroque Age, and the Church of San Severino, on
the right side the Romanesque façade with lions, supporting columns,
and the rose-window of the XII cent. is to see. From San Severo, other
towns in the Tavoliere are to reach: Torremaggiore with
the Ducal Palace of the XVI cent. and few kms far from
the ruins of Castel Fiorentino, an old castle, loved
by Frederick II, where the Emperor died. San Paolo di Civitate,
built in the place, where the town Civitate was situated (the Cathedral
ruins are still to see close to the town), stands near the Roman site
Teanum Apulum, Serracapriola with the mighty Medieval
Castle and the fine church Santa Maria in Silvis of the
XVII cent.; Chieuti, a little town, built on the ruins
of the Italic Cliternia and the seaside resort Marina di Chieuti
near the coasts of Molise. In April in Chieuti, during the San Giorgio
celebrations, the race of oxen takes place. It is a controversial
race, that is organized by the population, separated into districts (the
cart districts). A very heavy cart laden with bay branches, is drawn by
four yoke of oxen for about four and half kms. A crowd of people runs
after the oxen and a group of horse men goads the oxen with long sticks.
The winner of the race receives a coloured hat and the tarallo as a prize:
a string of caciovallo cheese of 80 kilos with the Saint Georg’s
deeds. From San Severo in direction to Gargano, Apricena
is to reach; it is a big agricultural town of medieval origin, well-known
marble town. The Baronial Palace, built in 1658 with
the ruins of the Frederick’s II castle and the ruins of the
Medieval Church of S. Martino are to see. From Apricena along
the fast flowing national road, Gargano and the coastal towns are easy
to reach. 10 kms away Poggio Imperiale is to see. The
town dates back to the second half of the XVIII cent., built by the Prince
Placido Imperiale, after him the town was named. Poggio Imperiale celebrates
a very typical town fair, that takes place in August, when the town square
becomes a “living draught board”.