Castel del Monte, Andria, Trani
Description
Castel del Monte is the most famous castle built by the eclectic Swabian Emperor Frederick II and it’s an Unesco site. The castle stands lonely on a hill near Andria and it has been built following an unusual octagonal layout that, along with other features of the castle, have fueled countless theories about its real function.
The tour continues with Andria (always faithfull to Frederick II as it’s written on St. Andrew’s gate) with the cathedral, St. Augustine church built by the Knights Templar.
At the end of the itinerary we will visit Trani and its stunning cathedral (dedicated to S. Nicola Pellegrino) overlooking the sea and one of the finest examples of Apulian Romanesque architecture, the swabian castle, its interesting city center with the Jewish heritage, the picturesque port with several fish restaurants.
Some idea for changes to the itinerary
It’s also possible to reduce / modify the tour with a visit of Bari (with the old town and the Murat district); Bisceglie with its dolmens (pre-classical era megalithic funeral monuments), the castle and the cathedral; Molfetta (with the fishing port and the Duomo Vecchio overlooking the sea); Barletta and its cathedral, the Swabian castle, the church of Santo Sepolcro and the bronze statue of the Colossus (4, 5 meters tall); Bitonto and its renaissance and baroque palaces, the Romanesque cathedral (one of the most magnificient buildings of Apulia's medieval architecture); Ruvo with its Romanesque cathedral and National Archeological "Jatta" Museum; Canosa and the Cathedral dedicated to S. Sabino and the Mausoleum of Boemund. During the tour we can stop and visit a masseria (a typical farmhouse), a winery and/or an olive oil mill or a cheese producer or shopping at Molfetta Fashion District Outlet.
I can also organize a cooking class, a boat trip and/or a fishing excursion.