Comenius Meeting

17th-24th February 2013

Liceo Ginnasio Statale “Q. Orazio Flacco”

BARI (Italy)

Welcome in Bari COMENIUS PROJECT “A SHORT LATIN MOVIE”

Dear Friends,

we are glad to welcome you in Bari in the occasion of the

Meeting for the Comenius project “A short Latin movie”.

We hope you enjoy your stay in our town. SUMMARY

Bari: a bit of its history ............ 2

Bari: the districts …………………3

Bari: Castle and Cathedral …....4

Bari: St. Nicholas’ Church ……..5

Bari: Saint Nicholas ……………..5

Bari: theaters ……………………….6

Bari: Russian Church ……………6

Egnazia .................................... .7

Polignano …………………………...7

Ostuni ...................................... .7

Castellana’s caves ………………..8

Alberobello .............................. .8

Altamura .................................. .9

Bitonto ................................... .9

Matera ..................................... .9

Trani …………………………………10

Castel del Monte …………………10

Margherita di Savoia …………..10

Apulian folk traditions …………11

Bari, Palazzo Ateneo

DISTRICT “LIBERTÀ”

Origin, development, extension

and population

Our school is located in the dis-

trict Libertà.

A podestà’s resolution, dated on

23rd January 1927, gave formal

notice that since 1890 a new ur-

ban district was formally forming

to the west of the district Murat

and it was bounded by Via Manzo-

ni, the city gates and the coast, on

an area of 1,067,200 square me-

ters and a perimeter of 4.160 km.

It was also decided to divide the

territory of Bari in neighborhoods

and make a decentralization of

municipal services, setting up in

each district a separate registry

office, In order to meet the needs

of the resident population in that

and other outlying areas of the

city. The district Libertà, un-

named and only identified with

the adjectives "urban western",

was included with the Picone and

the industrial area at the time

(corresponding to today's San

Cataldo), in the third quarter. It

had the following boundaries: to

the east, the district of Bari Vec-

chia and Murat, until Via Manzoni

and Via Giuseppe Capruzzi; to the

south, west and north, the limit

was marked by the edge of the

village and the sea coast. To be

more precise, the portion consti-

tuting the district "urban western"

was considered to be bounded on

the north by the coast, on the east

by the streets Brigata Bari and

Brigata Regina, on the south by

the railway line Bari-Bologna, on

the west by siding Bari-station

sea, with an area of 80 hectares.

As for the name, a large district,

formed by the above-mentioned

three quarters, was related to the

political regime of the time, the

"Littorio", a “symbol to remind

the Fascist revolution to the pos-

terity”.

BARI: A BIT OF ITS HISTORY

Areas of Bari

The formation of the urban city of Bari is

rather uneven and largely dates back to

’900.

The ancient boundaries of Bari were lim-

ited to today's old town, located on an

extension of land jutting out into the sea

and surrounded by its walls. Only in 1813,

thanks to enlargement of the port, the city

began to grow and Joachim Murat signed a

decree to build the "new village" (or

"Murat") in a flat area south of the old city

center, while the walls, that encircled the

old town in the inner part, were disman-

tled and replaced by the current course

Vittorio Emanuele II. Even today, it is easy

to notice the double aspect and style of the

urban center, divided between the medie-

val old town, formed by narrow and intri-

cate streets, converging to the two main

churches (Saint Nicholas’ and the Cathe-

dral) and the nineteenth-century Murat

zone, characterized by an orthogonal grid.

In the first third of the ’900 the districts

Libertà and Marconi (north-west of the

center) and Madonella (south-east) were

built. Just with the construction of the

district Madonnella and the monumental

seafront (with impressive public buildings,

rigid and authoritarian style) the fascist

regime proposed to change the appearance

of the capital city according to its dictates.

Nowadays most of the sea promenade and

the district Madonnella constitute a his-

torical, concrete evidence of the fas-

cist architecture and urbanism.

In 1928 the Minister of Public Works Her-

ald Crollalanza ordered by a decree the

inclusion in Bari’s jurisdiction of munici-

palities and hamlets, with stories and tra-

ditions generally not related to the capital,

located within a few kilometers from the

center, in order to shape the “great Bari”.

Therefore Carbonara, Ceglie del Campo

and Loseto, cities south-east of Bari, be-

came fractions. San Giorgio, Torre a Mare,

Palese and Santo Spirito were taken off

from the municipalities of Triggiano, Noi-

cattaro, Modugno and Bitonto: the urban

plan became an "eagle" with outstretched

wings, a form with an evident fascist refer-

ence.

After World War II the districts of Picone,

Carrassi and San Pasquale, separated from

the center by the Adriatic railway and al-

ready quite urbanized, expanded. In the

’50s the urbanization of the areas Fesca

and San Girolamo started. Located on the

northern coast, between the districts Mar-

coni and Palese, they were in that moment

inhabited by fishermen. West of Bari, near

Palese and Modugno, the industrial zone

and the demotic district San Paolo began

to rise. South of Santo Spirito the demotic

neighborhoods of San Pio (ex Enziteto)

and Catino were built. In the ’60s the con-

struction of the actual very great Japigia

neighborhood began south-east of Madon-

nella. Poggiofranco, the most modern and

sophisticated district of the city, was built

near Picone and Carrassi.

In the ’70s the connection of the city (and

that with the contiguous municipalities) is

considerably improved, thanks to the pas-

sage of the new Highway number 16, which

serves as ring road in the territory of Bari.

Meanwhile, as a result of economic devel-

opment, once that the downtown area has

become saturated, the building continues

in remote areas.

On the 26th January 1970, with Resolution

489/70, the City Council of Bari abolishes

all the administrative villages that become

neighborhoods of the city. The reason of

this provision is the strong expansion of

the suburban area of Bari.

2

Bari, Liceo Ginnasio “Q. O.razio Flacco”

BARI: THE DISTRICTS

Since 1979 Bari is divided into nine local districts with a council (with a number of repre-

sentatives between 14 and 18) and a democratically elected president.

THE FUTURE METRO-

POLITAN CITY AND

THE REFERENDUM

FOR THE SEPARATION

The reorganization of the City in

municipalities is being studied, in

order to encourage the adminis-

trative devolution and give life to

the metropolitan city.

On 19th April 2009, the citizens of

Districts I and IV voted in a refer-

endum the shift of the respective

territories from districts in auton-

omous municipalities. The voting

took place under decree of the

President of the Regional Council

(issued on 21/11/2008), after

years of requests for autonomy of

the committees (who argue that

the management of the capital

doesn’t enough remunerate areas

with historical-cultural and social

well-defined realities). Although

the vote was positive, there wasn’t

a very strong turnout and the

Regional Council voted against the

authorization to proceed. Howev-

er, the committees continue the

political struggle for the recogni-

tion of the referendum, so the

issue is still debated by the various

regional institutions.

Bari: Corso Vittorio Emanuele

3

ISABEL OF ARAGON:

THE GOVENRNMENT OF

THE DUCHY OF BARI

Isabel arrived in Bari in September

1501, with her daughter Bona, and

settled in Norman-Swabian castle of

Bari. She inherited the Duchy of Bari

from the king of Naples Federico and

drove it with care and intelligence. In

the administration of her Duchy

Isabel of Aragon acted many renova-

tions and invested in public works

like the rebuilding of the pier, the

restructuring of the castle and the

project to surround the city with a

channel for the defense. In support of

her people she introduced a number

of initiatives:

- she surveyed public officials so they

could not commit abuse on the peo-

ple;

- she exempted farmers from pay-

ment of duties on agriculture;

- she favored public education;

- she let prosper businesses, indus-

tries and arts (she loved being sur-

rounded by artists and writers).

When she died in 1524, the Duchy of

Bari passed to her daughter Bona,

buried in the Basilica of Saint Nicho-

las.

.

THE CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral of Bari (in italian Cat-tedrale di Bari or di San Sabino) is the seat of the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto. It is located in the centre of the old city (also called “Bari Vecchia”). It is dedicated to Saint Sabinus, a bishop of Canosa whose relics were brought here in the 9th century. The Cathedral dates back to the XI centu-ry and was rebuilt in the XII century after the destruction by the Norman William I “The Bad”; it is a great example of the Apulian Romanesque, though it was modified during the 17th century from a Baroque point of view. The simple façade has three portals of the 11th century below a rose window, over which a lintel with monsters and fantastic beasts is carved. The belfry is new, re-built from a stone similar to the original one, with an elaborate lantern-tower. The dome shows a lot of clear Moorish motifs.

Internally the cathedral is divided into three aisles of sixteen columns with ar-cades. The church, which had been over-whelmed by Baroque additions, has now been restored to the uncluttered beauty of the original Apulian Romanesque, that can be admired in the transept, in the false matroneum, and in the magnificent pulpit, recently rebuilt in the same mate-rial as before.

In the crypt the relics of Saint Sabinus are preserved in the major altar. These were brought to Bari in 844 by Saint Angelari-us, bishop of Canosa, that rescued them from the ruins after the destruction of the city by the Saracens.

The silver bust of Saint Sabinus was transferred to the capitular archive,

therefore here the icon of the bishop is now venerated: according to tradition this was brought from the Orient in the 8th century, but it is later, although neverthe-less it represents a cult object of great antiquity.

Restoration works brought to the light the remains of a large brick building un-der the Cathedral. Here visitors can ad-mire a portion of a beautiful mosaic da-ting back to the I century A. D. and an inscription dedicated to a certain Aulus Gellius Augustalis.

The Cathedral is one of the most im-portant touristic places in the city and every year a lot of visitors visit it.

In the palace of the Curia, adjacent to the cathedral, is located the Diocesan Muse-um, another important touristic place, where the Exultet is displayed. This is a precious manuscript of Byzantine origin.

THE SWABIAN CASTLE

The Norman Swabian Castle, now the symbol of the city of Bari, is an imposing fortress that

stands in the old town.

The elements dating back to the Roman-Greek age led experts to associate its existence already

in ancient times. Probably, this medieval fortress dates back to 1132.

The building was built by the Norman King

Roger II in 1156 and was destroyed and rebuilt

in 1233, on behalf of Frederick II.

After Angevin rule it became property of Ferdi-

nand of Aragon and later of the Sforza. After the

death of Bona Sforza, the castle was entrusted to

the King of Naples and was used as a prison.

Today, however, it looks like a castle surround-

ed by the ancient moat and a fortress. The ac-

cess is in the south, through a courtyard.

4

BARI

"In May a lot of pilgrims come to Bari to celebrate St. Nicholas."

The basilica of Saint Nicholas, in the heart of the old town of Bari, is one of the shining examples of Apulian architecture.

St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra and died there in 343. Most of the relics of the saint are preserved in Bari in the basilica dedicated to him. Saint Nicholas’ church was built between 1087 and 1197, only after the arrive of the relics in Bari. They were brought in Bari by sixty-two sailors, on 9th May 1087. When the relics arrived in Bari, they were stored in the monastery of Saint Benedict, which was at the time directed by the abbot Elijah, who immediately began to build a new church to preserve the bones. He chose for it the area, where the palace of the Byzantine Catapan was, before to be destroyed in a riot. Construction works started in July of the same year. On 1st October 1089 the relics were placed in the crypt by the Pope Urban II.

The basilica stands alone at a short distance from the sea. The interior has a Latin cross floor plan development. The body is divided into three aisles by 12 columns.

The altar is surmounted by a 12th century ciborium. There is a bishop's throne, master-piece of Romanesque sculpture.

Two staircases at the end of the aisles lead into the crypt. Under the central altar of the crypt lies the body of Saint Nicholas, protector of Bari. He is one of the most venerated saints all over the world. He is worshipped in ideal union by both the catholic and the orthodox believers.

(Patara ,270 AD - Myra, 343 AD)

Saint Nicholas was from a rich and Chris-

tian family: his parents, Epiphanius and

Joanne helped poor and the sick people

with their wealth. For this reason, despite

Joanne was barren, the two had Nicholas

from God. Since the beginning, Nicholas

revealed to be a great servant of God: he

didn’t suck milk every day to let it for other

malnourished children. Unfortunately, he

lost his parents when the plague broke out.

He helped who needed, as in the famous

case of the three virgins, it is said that a

fallen man wanted to start his daughters

into prostitution and Nicholas threw the

money into his house, during three consec-

utive nights, to give to all three daughters

a dowry.

He then left his hometown and moved to

Myra where he was ordained priest. When

the metropolitan bishop of Myra died,

people acclaimed him as the new bishop. It

is said that during the party for the election

of the new bishop, a young woman had

moved away from her home, where her

only son slept. While playing, the little lost

his balance and fell into the fire, and when

the mother returned home, he was dead.

So she brought the ashes of the baby to

Nicholas, who blessed him and let him

come back to life.

There is another famous miracle made by

Nicholas. While two young men were rest-

ing in a tavern with a load of jewels, they

were killed by the innkeeper, because he

wanted to seize the wealth. To hide the

crime, he cut off the bodies of the poor

boys and tried to pass them off as pork, but

Nicholas discovered everything and re-

vived the two boys, after to have redeemed

the innkeeper.

Nicholas was imprisoned and exiled in

305, during the persecution issued by

Diocletian, he was later released by Con-

stantine in 313 and continued his apostolic

activity. He died in Myra on 6th December,

presumably the year 343, probably in the

monastery of Sion.

The remains were preserved in the cathe-

dral of Myra, but sixty-two sailors from

Bari arrived in the city on 8th May 1087.

When he was alive, during a stop in Bari in

a journey to Rome, the saint predicted:

"There my bones will rest."

From 7th to 9th May, the patron saint is

celebrated in Bari. His statue is brought in

a procession by a caravel along the sea-

front and then you can see beautiful fire-

works.

THE BASILICA OF SAINT NICHOLAS

SAINT NICHOLAS

5

BARI

RUSSIAN CHURCH

For centuries the Orthodox pil-

grims have visited Bari to venerate

St. Nicholas. A lot of famous and

ordinary people came to Bari from

the Russian empire. The real pil-

grimage developed only in the late

nineteenth and early twentieth

century. The influx of Orthodox

pilgrims became bigger and big-

ger. Upon their arrival in Bari,

they remained disappointed by the

total lack of accommodation for

them. Twice a year, during the

festivities for St. Nicholas, the

Russian empire gathered tenders

to build a Russian Church in Bari,

and in 1913 the first stone was

laid. The design of the church was

assigned to the famous Russian

architect Sciusev. During the First

World War the construction works

were not suspended and, before

the Russian Revolution, the

church received more than 200

pilgrims. Construction was com-

pleted in the 20s of the twentieth

century.

During the revolution of 1917, also

the Russian Church in Bari experi-

enced difficult times. The pilgrim-

age was discontinued, and in 1937

the Prince N. Zhevahov sold the

architectural complex to the local

authority. So the Russian church

ceased to be owned by Russia.

Only in 1998 it was possible to

open the church to a representa-

tive of the Moscow Patriarchate.

This episode marked the first step

towards the resumption of reli-

gious and cultural links with the

city and finally the celebration of

Orthodox masses began. In 2007,

Bari began negotiations for the

return of the architectural com-

plex to Russia. On 1st March 2009,

Bari gave back the Russian Church

and the President of the Italian

Republic gave the key of the

church to Russian President Dmit-

ry Medvedev.

PETRUZZELLI THEATER

PICCINNI THEATER The Niccolò Piccinni theater is the oldest

one in the city of Bari. It was completed in

1854 and inaugurated on 30th May of the

same year with the Poliuto of Donizetti.

In 1855 the theater was named Niccolò

Piccinni taking its name from the homo-

nym Barian composer.

Because of the fire that destroyed the

Petruzzelli theater in 1991, it was for nearly

twenty years the most important in Bari for

both capacity and tradition.

6

Bari: Russian Church

MARGHERITA THEATER

The Petruzzelli theater was designed by the

brothers Antonio and Onofrio Petruzzelli

in 1896 on commission of their brother in

law Angelo Ciccomessere. It was one of the

most important structures of Italy and

hosted the most prestigious companies. In

the night between the 26th and 27th Octo-

ber 1991 it was completely destroyed by a

fire. So it remained unused for 19 years and

with the help of the town it was finally re-

built in 2009. The most famous and pres-

tigious artists here perform in plays, operas

and ballets.

The Margherita Theater was built between

1912 and 1914, in the bend of the old port,

on pillars in the sea to escape the pact

signed between the Municipality of Bari and

the family Petruzzelli according to which

the government could build other theaters

only on the sea. It was built to substitute

the wooden Margherita theater, opened in

1910 and destroyed by a fire in 1911.

The structure of the Theater was designed

in Art Nouveau by Francesco De Giglio with

the cooperation of Luigi Santarella, who

favored the use of renforced concrete. Being

entirely surrounded by the sea, the theater

was connected to the mainland by a pier.

The inauguration of the theater took place

on 22nd August 1914, with a variety pro-

gram. In the second half of the twenties

with the coverage of the waterfront, the

Margherita abandoned the aspect of a

building suspended over the water.

It was used for the Historical Museum, then

for exhibitions, for variety shows and films.

In 1943 the Teatro Margherita was occupied

by the Anglo-American troops. It was dam-

aged by the bombing of 1943 and by the

explosion of the ship Henderson in 1945.

From 1946 to 1979 it was used exclusively as

a cinema until it was returned to the State.

The theater was reopened in 2009 after a

long restoration. The building is now used

as a temporary exhibition hall for contem-

porary art.

EGNAZIA

Egnazia, also called Gnazia or Gnathía, was an ancient town founded during the

Bronze Age and conquered by the Greeks and later by the Romans. The town ruins are in

Southern Eastern Apulia, on the Low Adriatic Coast, and they can be visited by

tourists.

The ancient Gnathia had got some interesting monuments we can visit nowadays.

On the Acropolis there are a Venus’ temple, built by the Greeks and enlarged

during the Roman Empire, and the “castrum” built during the Middle Age.

In the low Egnatia there are two main squares: a pillared one, the forum, and

a round square called “amphitheater” but we know it wasn’t a theatre but

probably a market or a grazing land. Nearby we can find the small Eastern

Gods’ Temple. There are three ancient basilicas, thermal baths and a productive

zone.

OSTUNI

Ostuni is situated on three hills at

a height of 218 meters above the

sea level. It is located 8 km from

t h e A d r i a t i c c o a s t .

The most important economic

activities are tourism and agricul-

ture (especially olive trees and

vines). There are many important

structures called "masserie", an-

cient fortified farms, where land-

owners in the past practiced the

agricultural activity.

Today, in addition to the develop-

ment of agriculture and processing

industry of agricultural products

(oil, almonds, wine), the town has

become a popular touristic desti-

nation, able to enhance its cultur-

al, historical and architectural

landmarks. Numerous tourist

villages, such as Rosa Marina,

arose on the coast, one of the

c l e a n e s t i n A p u l i a .

The most distinctive feature of the

old town, which so fascinates the

tourists, is the lime painting of the

houses. The use, attested since the

Middle Age, ensures greater

brightness to the narrow streets

a n d t h e s p a c e s .

Because of this practice, now in

decline, Ostuni is called the White

Town and that’s why it is recog-

nizable and memorable to visitors.

Egnazia: Temple of the Eastern Deities

7

POLIGNANO A MARE The oldest part of the town stands on a rocky

outcrop overlooking the Adriatic Sea at 33

k i l o m e t e r s s o u t h o f B a r i .

Its economy is mainly based on tourism,

a g r i c u l t u r e a n d f i s h i n g .

Its sea caves are of great natural interest.

The historical center and the remains of

Roman domination are historically im-

portant. Among the latter ones, we have to remember the bridge of the Via Traiana,

s t i l l v i a b l e , t h r o u g h L a m a M o n a c h i l e .

Since 2008, Polignano a Mare has always received the Blue Flag, reaching European

quality parameters.

ALBEROBELLO

In 1996 Alberobello has been

listed as UNESCO World Heritage

Site, for the beauty of its “trulli”.

Alberobello, with its, is one of the

most picuresque towns in Apulia

thanks to the characteristic form

of its trulli.

Alberobello has a Mother Church

flanked by two towers and counts

a thousand trulli swarming up the

hill together in groups or aligned

along steep streets. The neighbor-

hoods Monti and Aia Piccola are

entirely composed by trulli.

Its architecture revolves around

the junction of a conical shape on

an underlying cubic structure,

which proposes the unique geome-

try of the so-called "false dome",

obtained by overlapping rows of

concentric “chiancarelle”, that are

gradually approaching the center

of the keystone, marked by the

presence of a typical cusped ele-

ment that ends at the top with a

sphere or a pinnacle of various

forms.

The trulli testify by their presence

a story fascinating and mysterious,

halfway between history and leg-

end.

A story, moreover, common to the

whole Mediterranean, if you con-

sider the similarities and influ-

ences that bind the trulli to the

Sardinian nuraghi, the bories and

similar buildings, that exist in

Turkey, Spain and Africa.

Here the life, that takes place

inside and outside the home, is

simple and patriarchal.

CASTELLANA’S CAVES

F o r m i l l i o n a n d m i l l i o n years colonies of little organisms (marine molluscs and vegetables) succeeded ones to the others and when they died, t h e i r e m p t i e d s h e l l s and their carcasses accumulated on the bottom of the sea, forming a gigantic deposit of mud and sand, then they com-p r e s s e d , u n t i l t o form limestone layers for a to-tal thickness of various kilometres.

B e g i n n i n g f r o m s i x t y -five million years ago, the progres-sive increase of lands carried the region to its current aspect and in the emerged limestone mass Castellana’s caves were formed, as a result of tectonic solicita-tions, which extended fractures in which the rainwater, infiltrated in the basement, created a real underground water course.

The cavities, abandoned from the waters, became fossils. Afterwards extended col-

l a p s e s h a p p e n e d and wide skylights illuminated the dark. this is the case of the Grave 1 of the Caves, overed-measure natural pantheon, supported from a pillar. The c a v e s r e p r e s e n t a h u g e show, always various according t o t h e p e r i o d o f t h e year and the hour of the day. When this destructive phase finished, t h e c a v i t i e s passed to a constructive phase. The caves be g a n t o d r e s s t h e m -selves of calcite concretions and stalac-tites were formed, hanging from the ceiling, while stalagmites were formed on the ground, similar to columns, cur-tains, drapes, outlandish corncobs and vario u s o t h e r forms. The formation of the concretions is a long and delicate process, whose in-c r e a s e v a r i e s i n c r e a s e f r o m ten millimeters to a pair of centimeters per y e a r , a c c o r d i n g to the physical conditions of the atmos-phere.

The peasants believed that graves were the mouth of the hell and they used some of them in order to depos-it their job tools. The animals that fell died c a u s -ing the spillage of bad odors and of gas, and the peasants had fear it was a matter of the spirits of the damned ones that tried to go out from the hell fighting against dark forces.

THE WHITE CAVE

The wonderful White Cave, note for the candor of its concretions, is the more shining o f t h e w o r l d . T h o u s a n d s of concretions of various form and meas-ure, of the purest white color, produce a b l i n d -ing flare and induce to a respectful hush in this magical place. The color of the concre t i o n s d e p e n d s on the purity of the melted cliff and in the “White Cave” the perfection is insured.

8

Alberobello, town of the trulli

CASTEL DEL MONTE

Castel del Monte is a 13th century castle situated in Apulia region near Bari. It was built

during 1240s by the Emperor Frederick II. It has been included in the list of Italian na-

tional monuments since 1936 and in the UNESCO’s since 1996.

The castle was built on January 1240 and it was a defensive one. It was rarely used,

sometimes for celebrations. the emperor Frederick didn’t live there.

So the castle during centuries felt in degradation and ruin, in fact it was naked from mar-

bles, decorations and all the furniture. It was used like refuge for prisoners and pastors.

In 1876 Italian state bought this castle for 25.000 Italian liras and it started works for

repair.

The castle has got an octagonal plant and in each edge there is a little octagonal tower.

Inside the castle there are a lot of half-empty rooms in which there are seldom columns

and windows, usually very tight called slits. There are also lots of slots for rainwater har-

vesting. A spiral staircase leads to the upper floors. Decorations, completely disappeared,

were composted by keystones with mythological or vegetable pictures and rich porphyry

frames. There are materials such as limestone (typical of the area), white or with veins of

marble (now very rare in the decorations of the rooms) and coral breaches.

Outside you can appreciate the portal of the main entrance and a mullioned window.

The octagonal form of the Castle has got a symbolic meaning: the square represents the

earth, the circle represents the sky. The octagon is an intermediate picture, that means

the passage from earth to sky.

TRANI

Trani, according to mythology, was founded by Tyrrenus and later rebuilt by Traiano. Its name maybe derives from Tyrrenus. The port has been very important for Trani's history, in fact the nice climate was a good reason to live there, beside to the possibility of fishing and for the plenty of tuff, a good building material. Trani was governed by Rome until the end of the Occidental Roman empire. In IX century the episcopal Ca-thedral was also built. Trani had a period under the control of Greeks and Normans during which the city had a prosperous economic situation so that it became an important place for the commerce between the Mid-dle East and the other states of Italy. Also a jewish colony from the Judea was very important. Trani finally passed under the control of Spain, that gave it a great importance as a political, judicial and administrative cen-ter. Trani had a negative period be-cause of the French revolution that brought confusion in all Europe, so Bari became the most important city of the zone. How-ever Trani regained its im-portance being chosen as the residence of the court of appeal of Apulia. Trani is known for its beautiful cathedral in a very particular Rom-anesque style. It's also really fascinating be-cause of the amazing landscape around it. The Cathedral's con-struction began in XI century, but ended almost a hundred years later. A very tall bell tower was added. The church is all built in beautiful white stone, and inside it's also very fascinating because of its particular history: it was in fact built on a pre-esistent church dedicated to the holy Mary, to who is still dedicated the under-ground of the Cathedral. Next to the Cathedral there's the Diocesan Museum, important for all the findings coming from all the other churches of Trani. The most important things are the ivory altar and the famous golden cross. The Swabian Castle is also very famous. It was probably built during the '200 years. It is an impressive building with big towers around it. It was used by the Aragonese and the Venetians for military functions in the '400. Later it became a prison at high level of security.

Castel del Monte

9

MARGHERITA DI SAVOIA

The nature reserve of the salt marshes of Margherita

di Savoia is a protected natural area of Apulia since

1977. It occupies an area of 3,871 km2 in the Province

of Barletta-Andria-Trani.

Its salt marshes on the Adriatic are the largest in

Europe and second ones in the world and they are

recognized as a wetland of international importance

under the Ramsar Convention. There is the Historical Museum of Saline, located in an

old salt warehouse near the sixteenth-century Marshes Tower.

The name Botuntum probably de-

rives from "bonum totum", it per-

haps alludes to the prosperity in the

agricultural sector. Other studies

suggest that the meaning of Butun-

tum or Botuntum would mean city

under water which flows (from the

Greek "Bot" or "But"). According to

another tradition the name could

also derive from Botone, the Illyri-

an king, who founded the town.

Bitonto was an important Peucetian

village, since the sixth century it came under the influence of the cities of Magna Grae-

cia and in Roman times it was a municipium, maintaining the cult of Minerva, who gave

to the city the gift of the olive. The town was crossed by the Via Traiana.

Bitonto was under the Byzantine domination and then it was conquered by the Nor-

mans, who enabled a renaissance in terms of civilization and culture. Thanks to the

Benedictines the construction of the new Cathedral began.

It was built between the XI and XII century in Romanesque style. The façade has three

portals. The rich sculptural decoration of the central portal resumes scenes from the

New Testament and animal motifs. Along the right side, characterized by deep arches,

there is the Door of Excommunication, so called because there in 1227 Pope Gregory IX

excommunicated Frederick I. The interior, with a Latin cross plan, is divided into three

naves with apses. The wooden ceiling presents a polychrome decoration and the Frede-

rician ambo is decorated with glass pastes according to Islamic models and introducing

bas-reliefs of the Swabian emperors. The crypt preserves the remains of an earlier

church dating back to the fifth century.

MATERA

BITONTO

The Sassi (it means "stones") are the oldest part of the city of Matera, in Basilicata. Grown around the Civita, the site constitutes an entire city carved into the calcarenitic rock, locally called "tuff", an articulated housing system, perched on the slopes of a deep valley with unique and surprising natural character-istics. Elegant and articulate structures alternate with un-derground labyrinths and with the cavernous depths, creating a unique landscape of great effect.

The overlapping of different phases of urban transformations on the Murgia's morphology creates a scenery of incompa-rable beauty. Once the heart of civiliza-tion, now restored, the Sassi of

Matera come to life especially at night when the little lights of houses, craft shops and restaurants make them as a manger of paper mache. They are made up of two large districts: Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, divided by the central hill of Civita, the oldest settlement of the town of Matera, the heart of the medieval urbanization.

The Sasso Caveoso consists mainly of

houses carved into the rock and mostly intact. In the great square, with the church of San Pietro Caveoso, recently restored, you can admire the panorama of the Gravina and the row of houses and caves, across the main road. The square comes to life especially in the summer season, animated by tourists and musical groups and bar with outdoor seating. Along the Gravina of Matera you reach the Sasso Barisano, where numerous restaurants and hotels are as well as sev-eral tourist attractions such as the recon-struction of the Sassi in miniature and the Museum of civilization. The Sassi of Ma-tera were declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.

ALTAMURA

Altamura is known in Italy and

abroad for the production of a

typical bread, for its relevant

paleontological discoveries, such

as the Man of Altamura and the

dinosaurs’ quarry, and for its

Cathedral.

The Cathedral was built in 1232

by Frederick II, who ordered the

construction of the church and

dedicated it to the Assumption.

The original model is an example

of the Apulian Romanesque style

and reminds that of Saint Nicho-

las’ church in Bari, but with the

clear influence of Gothic lan-

guage, which provides crystalline

forms and tasteful décor of Ori-

ental origin such as those that

characterize the mullioned win-

dow in the facade. The actual

orientation of the cathedral is the

reverse of the original, but we

cannot say if this drastic change

was made at the time of Robert

of Anjou (first half of XIV) or

during the extension works be-

tween 1521 and 1547. At the time

of the Angevin domination the

north door was opened, while the

construction of a second bell

tower, the area of the altar and

sacristy were added in the first

half of the sixteenth century.

Eighteenth-century works are the

loggia between the two towers,

the end of the bell towers and the

inner lining of marble.

10

The carnival of Putignano is one of the most popular in Apulia and one of the oldest in

Italy. The characteristic mask of this event is Farinella, that takes his name from a par-

ticular dish of Putigano. The Carnival was born in 1394, when the relics of the martyr

Saint Steven arrived. In occasion of this important event, the peasantry started to cele-

brate it in a lot of ways, such as drinking, dancing, singing and telling stories. According

to the historians this first celebrations were called “propaggini”. Carnival is celebrated

even today, but just during the fascist period it became a very popular and refined

event, thanks to the use of beau-

tiful allegorical floats. They are

built thanks to the very hard

work of the cardboard masters

and carpenters. Certainly the

Carnival of Putignano is one of

the longest in Italy: it starts on

26th December with the

“propaggini” in which people

tell stories and make jokes or

satirize politicians lots of actual

facts. During the Carnival’s

period, there are beautiful pa-

rades of allegorical floats. At the

end the most beautiful float is

awarded and the festival finish-

es during “Fat Tuesday”, in

which the “dead of Carnival”

happens.

APULIAN FOLK TRADITIONS

THE CARNIVAL OF PUTIGNANO

The “pizzica”, said Pizzica Pizzica, is a

popular dance which is particularly at-

tributed to Salento.

It is part of the great family of the

“tarantella”, a kind of dance diffused in

southern Italy.

The first known written source dates back

to 1797 and refers to the dance the nobility

of Tarentum offered to King Ferdinand IV

during his diplomatic visit in the city. The

pizzica pizzica was essentially a dance for

the moments of celebration and social

conviviality, but it was also practiced dur-

ing the therapeutic rituals for people bit-

ten by the tarantula.

The pizzica has been performed by many

musical instruments: bagpipes, violin,

mandolin, tambourine, triangle, damsel-

fish.

The Pizzica Pizzica is danced in couples,

not necessarily made up of individuals of

the same sex. The pizzica pizzica between

men and women was not necessarily a

courtship dance. In fact, it was danced

mainly in private and family occasions,

and on such occasions it was very likely

that they were dancing very close relatives,

or individuals with a big age difference.

The "handkerchief" is characteristic of the

Pizzica Pizzica. It was used at the time of

the dance to invite the chosen partner.

Today it is much abused the belief that a

handkerchief is used as a "symbol of love".

Although we cannot deny in toto that this

simple accessory sometimes could become

a real symbol or token of love, it is more

likely that it was used to animate the

dance.

11

THE “PIZZICA”

"We are waiting forward to meeting all you."

LICEO GINNASIO

STATALE

“Q. ORAZIO FLACCO” -

BARI

This work was possible thanks to the

cooperation of pupils of the classes V

A and V C of our Liceo.

It is dedicated to the fellows from the

participating schools to the Comenius

Project “A short Latin movie”

COMENIUS PROJECT

“A SHORT LATIN

MOVIE”

ALBRECHT-ERNST-

GYMNASIUM, Oettingen,

Germany

ÇİFTLİKKÖY ATATÜRK

ANADOLU LİSESİ, Yalova,

Turkey

IES VEGAS BAJAS, Montijo,

Spain

LICEO GINNASIO STATALE

"Q. ORAZIO FLACCO", Bari,

Italy

LICEO LINGUISTICO

STATALE G.LOMBARDO

RADICE, Catania,

Italy