An Armchair Traveller's History of Apulia

Description

Apulia is the heel stretching down from the spur of the Italian boot. It boasts beautiful landscapes and wonderful old cities with Romanesque cathedrals, Gothic castles, and a wealth of Baroque architecture. Though far from inaccessible, until recently it was seldom visited by Western tourists. Today, however, its beaches fill the travel supplements and supermarkets worldwide stock Apulian wine and oil. Yet almost nothing about the region has been published in English since Norman Douglas and the Sitwells--there is no popular introduction to Apulian history, not even in Italian. This simple, readable study fills the gap. An Armchair Traveller’s History of Apulia Contents Author Biographies Foreword: Old Apulia 1. Introduction Part I: The Gargano 2. The Gargano 3. Monte Sant’ Angelo 4. The Norman Conquest – of Apulia 5. San Giovanni di Rotondo and Padre Pio 6. The Gargano Coast and the Tremiti 7. The Heretic from Ischitella Part II: Hohenstaufen Country 8. “The Wonder of the World” 9. Castel del Monte 10. The Emperor’s Faithful Andria 11. The Land of Manfred Part III: The Tavoliere 12. Foggia and the Tavoliere 13. The Tavoliere: Lucera, Troia and Cerignola 14. Life on the Old Tavoliere 15. Latifondismo Part IV: The Adriatic Shore 16. Cathedral Cities on the Coast 17. King Ferrante’s Coronation at Barletta, 1459 18. Trani Part V: Bari 19. The Catapans 20. Old Bari 21. Bari, 1647 – Revolution 22. New Bari Part VI: The Murge 23. The Murge 24. Cities of the Murge 25. The Battle of Cannae, 216 BC 26. Maundy Thursday at Noicattaro 27. The Masserie 28. The Via Appia 29. Horace, the Apulian 30. Life at Altamura Part VII: The Cave Dwellers 31. The Cave Dwellers 32. Gravina-in-Puglia 33. Matera Part VIII: Trulli and the Difesa di Malta 34. Trulli 35. The Difesa di Malta 36. The Duel at Ostuni 37. Brigands Part IX: Tàranto and Brìndisi 38. Classical Tàranto 39. Two Men from Taras 40. The Princes of Tàranto 41. The Travellers’ Tàranto 42. Brìndisi Part X: Lecce and the Baroque 43. Lecce 44. Don Cirò, the Bandit Priest 45. Baroque in the Salento 46. A Band of Brigands – the Vardarelli 47. Tarantismo Part XI: Greek Apulia 48. The Byzantine Terra d’Òtranto 49. The Castle of Otranto 50. Manduria Part XII: Three Little Courts 51. Conversano 52. Martina Franca 53. Francavilla Fontana Part XIII: Risorgimento? 54. The Death of the Regno 55. The Brigands’ War 56. “A War of Extermination” Part XIV: Epilogue 57. Apulia Today Acknowledgements Further Reading Short Chronology Historical Gazetteer