Tavoliere delle Puglie

<< Apulia

The Tavoliere delle Puglie (or just Tavoliere) is a large plain in northern Apulia, which occupies most of the Province of Foggia. This area is an important agricultural region, which also houses various cities featuring numerous historic attractions.

Foggia

Foggia is the third largest city in Apulia, located at the center of the Tavoliere. Inhabited since ancient times, the modern city emerged in the Late Middle Ages, and became one of the most important centers of the region during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The city later declined, and was hit by several earthquakes. Foggia is now a large agricultural center, and features some historic landmarks.

Foggia Cathedral

Also known as: Church of Beata Maria Vergine Assunta in Cielo (Chiesa della Beata Maria Vergine Assunta in Cielo)

The Foggia Cathedral (Cattedrale di Foggia) is the main church of the city, erected during the 12th century. Originally built in Romanesque style, the church was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1731 and was later restored with Baroque additions. The cathedral features a beautifully decorated facade and houses various artworks, including a medieval icon.

Civic Museum of Foggia

The Civic Museum of Foggia (Museo Civico di Foggia) is a museum of local history and art in Foggia. The museum houses several archaeological findings unearthed around the city, including objects from nearby Neolithic villages. Its collection also includes paintings and artworks by local artists, and exhibitions on local history. The museum is hosted in a palace adjacent to the ancient city gate called Porta Arpana.

Church of San Giovanni Battista

The Church of San Giovanni Battista is a Baroque church in Foggia, erected during the 16th century. The church features an elaborate and decorated portal, and houses some artworks. In front of the church is the Piano delle Fosse, an ancient cistern once used to store wheat.

Church of the Crosses

The Church of the Crosses (Chiesa delle Croci) is a church in Foggia erected between the 17th and 18th century in Baroque style. In front of the church are five small chapels and a decorated portal which serves as the entrance to the complex.

Villa Comunale Karol Wojtyła

The Villa Comunale Karol Wojtyła is a one of the largest city parks in Southern Italy, located east of the old town of Foggia. The park features various decorations, and was built in the 19th century and later dedicated to Pope John Paul II, whose real name was Karol Wojtyła.

Lucera

Lucera is a town located in the Tavoliere west of Foggia. Founded in prehistoric times, it was later a large Roman city, but declined in the Early Middle Ages. In the 13th century, Frederick II transfered around 20,000 Muslims from Sicily to Lucera, allowing them to build mosques. The city was taken by Christian forces in 1300 and most of the Muslims were slaughtered or sold as slaves. Lucera later remained one of the most important centers in the area, and it is now an agricultural center.

Lucera Castle

Also known as: Swabian-Angevin Fortress (Fortezza Svevo-Angioina)

The Lucera Castle (Castello di Lucera) is a medieval fortress built in Lucera during the 13th century, during the reign of Frederick II. The castle is located on a hill west of the old city of Lucera, on the site of a prehistoric settlement and various Roman structures. Once an important fortress, it was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1456, and was later abandoned. Most of the walls and towers of the fortress survive to this day, along with some other fortifications.

Lucera Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Lucera Cathedral (Duomo di Lucera) is the main church of the city, erected in the early 14th century when the town was taken by Christian forces. The church was built in Gothic style and preserves its original appearance. The facade of the cathedral features a richly decorated portal, while inside it houses various artworks. The Diocesan Museum of Lucera (Museo Diocesano di Lucera) is located in front of the cathedral and houses numerous religious artworks.

Giuseppe Fiorelli Museum of Urban Archaeology

The Giuseppe Fiorelli Museum of Urban Archaeology (Museo di Archeologia Urbana Giuseppe Fiorelli) is an archaeological museum in the center of Lucera. Its collection includes archaeological findings dating between prehistory and the Middle Ages, with several objects from Neolithic settlements, Roman statues, and ancient coins.

Roman Amphitheater of Lucera

The Roman Amphitheater of Lucera (Anfiteatro Romano di Lucera) was built in the 1st century, and was one of the largest and oldest amphitheaters in the region. Abandoned in the Early Middle Ages, it was restored and partially rebuilt in the 20th century.

San Severo

San Severo is a city located north of Foggia in the Tavoliere. The town emerged in the Late Middle Ages, quickly becoming an important trade center. San Severo remained a city of regional importance for centuries, but then slowly declined. Now the city is an agricultural and trade center with some historic attractions.

Museum of Alto Tavoliere

The Museum of Alto Tavoliere (Museo dell’Alto Tavoliere) is a museum of local history and art in San Severo. The museum houses an archaeological collection that includes numerous objects from the Paleolithic and Neolithic found around the city, and also features an art gallery with works mostly by local artists.

Ordona

Ordona is a small town located in the Tavoliere south of Foggia. The town was a flourishing Roman city with the name Herdonia, and it was the site of two battles during the Second Punic War, but it was slowly abandoned during the Middle Ages. The modern town only emerged between the 17th and 18th century.

Archaeological Park of Herdonia

The Archaeological Park of Herdonia (Parco Archeologico di Herdonia) houses the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Herdonia, near the modern Ordona. The area includes the ruins of various structures, including two temples and a thermal complex. An archaeological museum in Ordona houses various objects found here.

Cerignola

Cerignola is a city located southeast of Foggia, at the southern end of the Tavoliere. Inhabited since ancient times, the modern town emerged in the Middle Ages. Cerignola was the site of a battle between the Spanish and French army in 1503, and was devastated by an earthquake in 1731. The city now remains a large agricultural center.

Cerignola Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo (Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo), Duomo Tonti

The Cerignola Cathedral (Cattedrale di Cerignola) is a large church erected in Gothic Revival style between the 19th and 20th century. The church features various elaborate decorations, and it ranks among the largest churches in Southern Italy.

Piano delle Fosse del Grano

The Piano delle Fosse del Grano is an area located south of the old town of Cerignola, which features hundreds of underground cisterns once used to store grain and wheat. This is now an archaeological area, and most of the structures date from the Late Middle Ages.