Are you passionate about art and culture?

We recommend visiting Trani

Are history, mysteries and unsolved puzzles your daily bread?

You can’t miss Castel del Monte

Don’t want to give up contact with nature?

The bauxite quarries await you

Wherever you are in the world, can’t you do without shopping?

Puglia Outlet Village will empty your wallet… but fill your suitcase

The city has received the title of “city of art” several times and boasts many monuments of artistic and architectural interest. The original historic center arose near the port, which was the busiest area of ​​the city, and also included the Jewish quarter. Subsequently, the increase in population led to an expansion of the city walls that remained standing until the nineteenth century when the walls were demolished. It was in this period that the so-called nineteenth-century village was born, formed by two main streets that converged in Piazza della Repubblica. Fascinating, evocative and elegant, Trani is a town to be discovered for its beautiful port, the Swabian Castle, the numerous churches, the shops and the valuable historic buildings.

Located in the waterfront area in a truly panoramic position and is considered the main religious building in the city. The Cathedral was built during the Norman domination in Apulian Romanesque style with the use of a calcareous tuff typical of the area which makes the building very light pink. To the side of the church stands the bell tower which was built between the 13th and 14th centuries and is about 58 meters high. Do not miss the opportunity to climb to the top to admire a truly breathtaking view of the city and the coast. The complex actually houses three religious buildings: the upper church, the lower crypt and the hypogeum of San Leucio. The upper church dedicated to San Nicola Pellegrino, patron saint of the city, has a basilica plan and has three naves with semicircular apses; the lower crypt, however, dates back to the 12th century and houses the relics of the Saint. Finally, about one meter and sixty centimeters below sea level is the hypogeum of San Leucio, which is accessed via a staircase from the left nave of the church. The hypogeum is adorned with splendid frescoes and is dedicated to San Leucio, who was the first bishop of Brindisi.

Built by Frederick II of Swabia, Trani Castle is located in a strategic position near the sea and the Cathedral. The fortress, built on the remains of a pre-existing tower, had a purely defensive function and was inspired by the Crusader castles of the Holy Land. In fact, the castle originally had a quadrangular plan, an internal courtyard and a wall with a drawbridge. The complex has undergone various renovations over the centuries, until it was converted into a prison in the nineteenth century. Currently, inside it is possible to visit the Castle Museum to retrace the history of this extraordinary fortress and the city of Trani.

Built by Simone Caccetta, a famous local merchant, in 1456 and is part of the city’s rich architectural heritage. The main facade, which has managed to maintain its original appearance, is in late Gothic style. Over the years, the building, in addition to being a private residence, first became the seat of the University of Trani and then a convent for the Teresiniani monks. Currently, the Palace of Justice is located here.

It is a truly ancient neighborhood that stands near the city port. For many years, in fact, Trani was home to a Jewish community that was very active in commercial and financial activities. For this reason, in the Giudecca area there were originally 4 synagogues, but between the 15th and 16th centuries, due to the persecution and expulsions of the Jews, most of the synagogues were destroyed.

Currently it is possible to visit only the Scola Grande synagogue and Santa Maria of Scolanova, a synagogue that was transformed into a church and now houses a museum.

In addition to being a city of art, Trani is also a splendid seaside destination. If after a morning discovering the city you are looking for a place to relax and sunbathe, the Cristoforo Colombo seafront offers a soft sandy beach equipped with bathing establishments. Not too far away is also the Lungomare Mongelli which hosts a sandy beach mixed with gravel bathed by a truly clear sea. The stretch of coast that goes towards Boccadoro, on the other hand, is full of wilder inlets. Here the beaches are made up of stones and gravel while the sea is an intense blue.

Located 18 km from the city of Andria, in the heart of the Murgia, Castel del Monte, universally known for its peculiar octagonal shape, is a unique masterpiece of medieval architecture and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996. The building, dating back to the 13th century (the first document useful for dating it dates back to 1240), is inextricably linked to the name of Frederick II of Swabia, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and commissioner of the work.

Eight towers made of local limestone are grafted onto the corners of the main octagonal core, set directly on an outcropping rock bank. The courtyard, also octagonal in shape, is characterized, like the entire building, by the chromatic contrast obtained thanks to the use of coral breccia, limestone and marble. There were also once rich sculptural furnishings, of which today only a slab depicting the Procession of Knights and a fragment of an anthropomorphic figure remain. In the sixteen trapezoidal rooms, eight on each floor, the keystones of the cross vaults are characteristic, each decorated with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and phytomorphic elements. Some towers house cisterns for collecting rainwater, partly also conveyed to the cistern below the central courtyard. In others, however, there are bathrooms, equipped with a latrine and sink. The sculptural furnishings, although greatly impoverished, provide significant evidence of the original decorative apparatus. Local writers and historians, between the end of the 18th century and the first century after, describe a rich decorative apparatus characterized by mosaic tiles, majolica tiles, glass paste and mural paintings. To this day, the two anthropomorphic brackets in the Falconer’s Tower, the telamons that support the umbrella vault of one of the stair towers and a fragment of the floor mosaic in the eighth room on the ground floor are still present.

The intended use of the building has long been discussed: the term castrum, in fact, directly refers to a defensive function, but the presence of some “accessory” structures and the refinement of the sculptural repertoire have also led to the hypothesis of a residential and representative reality. If today the structure appears peripheral, at the time of its construction it stood not far from the axis that connected the two important settlements of Andria and Garagnone, near Gravina. Its position made the castle an essential element in the communication system within the network desired by Frederick II.

Strongly desired by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, there is still a mystery as to who actually designed the octagonal plan and all the connections with the towers. Thanks to its particular symbols, however, it can be said that the Emperor wanted to make the castle a sort of Temple of Knowledge, a refuge where he could dedicate himself to the study of science: his passion for study is well known, and it seems that he wanted to make Castel del Monte his perfect refuge. Far from everything and everyone, it is truly the perfect place to find peace!

The castle, moreover, is full of symbols that increase its aura of charm and have given rise to numerous legends. There are those who believe that the castle symbolized an initiatory place for all those who want to undertake the path of knowledge, those who maintain that the castle represented the crown of Emperor Frederick and those who even believe that the castle was the hiding place of the Holy Grail: an extraordinary place, which will not fail to leave you speechless!