Troia

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

The village of Troy is located at that point in the Capitanata where the sub-Appennine Dauno fades into the flat immensity of the Tavoliere. In the past it was a crossroads of cultures and watersheds between the Holy Roman Empire of the East and that of the West, today it is one of the barycentres of the Camino della Francigena del Sud and a stage on the Via Micaelica.

The visit to the historic centre, with a medieval layout, has to be made on foot, along the corso Regina Margherita which is the main route overlooking numerous prestigious buildings and from which various side streets unfold. A must-see is the romanesque cathedral dating back to the 11th-12th centuries with its unique rose window with 11 small columns decorating the main façade. Next door, there is the Cathedral Treasury Museum, with 3 exultets, ancient parchment scrolls wrapped on a wooden board called umbilicus, of which there are only 32 examples in the world. San Basilio is the oldest church in the village and is also the focus of the traditional, evocative and highly attended events of Holy Week, celebrated with a full calendar of events ending with the Procession of the Kiss on Easter Day.

The land around Troia is a land of wines: the most typical is the ruby-red Nero di Troia DOC, served in the town's many wine bars, bars, cellars and restaurants. In 2004, the Decanto cooperative winery invested in the region and revitalised indigenous grape varieties, now producing excellent bottles, such as Unus.