Overview

The castles of Frederick II, overlooking the sea

The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani offers countless wonders, starting with its famous castles, such as the Norman Barletta Castle, transformed by Charles V into an invincible fortress that today houses the civic museum. Be sure to visit Via Cialdini, and in particular the Cellar of the Challenge, the scene of the famous Challenge of Barletta, which pitted the French and Italians against each other after an argument over dinner. Then there is the Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore and its catacombs, the 13 kilometres of coastline, and the De Nittis Art Gallery dedicated to Impressionist art.

Trani stuns all who visit with its spectacular Trani Cathedral dedicated to Saint Nicholas built on the seashore, constructed out of pink-hued local stone. In this one building, you can find a church, a crypt, a hypogeum and a 59-metre-high bell tower.

Twenty kilometres from Andria, in the Alta Murgia National Park, is Castel del Monte, an octagonal fortress built by Frederick II in 1240 featuring the recurring use of the number 8 in its layout: 8 halls and 8 towers at its 8 corners.
Between Bisceglie and Corato is the Dolmen of Chianca, among the largest and best preserved in Europe. Bisceglie is home to a splendid cathedral dating back to 1073. In Canosa di Puglia, don’t miss the 12th-century Mausoleum of Boemondo d’Altavilla, now part of the cathedral.