Trani

In the absolute light and against the deep blue of the sky and sea are outlined in front of each other two huge monuments: massif in its simple square volumes the fortress; elegant in its design, with the slender bell tower that, based on a great arch, soars into the sky, the Romanesque Cathedral. Both in the light local limestone of a warm golden white. The great extension of the square separating them enhance their importance. On the right of the church, in a turquoise blue sea the candid arms of the port stretch out.
The town is of very ancient origin, but it is in Medieval times that it reaches great importance, as a matter of fact in 813 the bishopric seat is moved there and in 1099 the works begin of the Cathedral, that will be finished around 1200.
Hub of maritime and land traffics, the town became an internationally known centre and several consulates of foreign countries were opened there, among which England's, Holland's, etc., whose seats were in the buildings in front of the Cathedral. There also many families coming from Maritime Republics (Venice, Pisa, Genova, Amalfi) set up.
Under the Byzantine empire till the XII century, the town fell then under Norman domination, and afterwards was part of the reign of the great Frederich II of Swabia, for whom the castle was built. He fortified the town and bestowed to it remarkable administrative privileges. The town, that had become one of biggest Adriatic ports, hosted a rich and powerful Jew community, as is still today evident as there are four existing synagogues, and also Florentine merchants set up there.
After a period of crisis in XV and XVI century, under Angio's and then Aragona's domination the town had a remarkable revival, it attained to splendour under Bourbons, strongly lessened in Napoleon's period, when it lost its condition of capital city in favour of Bari.
The town has today little more than 50.000 inhabitants, and is part of a recently constituted County including Andria-Barletta-Trani, this one takes a big portion o f Murgia, a very wide Puglia's sub-region.
The most important monument is surely the splendid Cathedral, one of the most beautiful examples of Puglia's Romanesque architecture, noticeable also for its suggestive position on the sea.
A double flight of stairs starts from the square up to a balcony, here, in the middle of a series of arches, a huge portal decorated with sculptures rich of symbols leads to the interior.
The arches, the portal a rose window and four small windows are the only ornaments of the light limestone façade. Its slender shape reveals the height of the interior naves.
Outside the lateral walls are marked by sturdy buttresses surmounted by large arches and a massif transept with three apses closes the church towards the sea with a strongly plastic effect.
By the right side of the façade is the high bell tower, dating back approximately to 1230. Sober and imposing is the interior, with the high lateral naves separated from the central one by twin columns and surmounted by the two ladies' galleries. Worthy a visit also the double crypt.
The Swabian Castle was built on account of Friedrich II in 1233. Notwithstanding the many following changes, it still maintains the original configuration: a quadrangular plan, enforced by four towers at the corners and perimeter walls. Towards the half of XV century, under Charles V, the castle was adapted to the new exigencies borne with firearms: the southern front was strengthened and endowed with embrasures; two ramparts, a spear point shaped and a square one were erected beside south-west and north-east corners, thus providing for a total protection of the whole complex.
But it is also pleasant to wander about in the very well maintained historic centre, where the narrow roads paved with the typical "chianche", slabs of the light local limestone, are overlooked by smart private palaces of '700-'800 and nice churches.