Puglia travel facts and trivia
Bari, Galatina, Barletta, Monte Sant’Angelo, Taranto, Lucera, Lecce
Southern Italy: Information and statistics on St Nicholas' bones, Greek-speaking communities, tarantulism dances, massacres, pasta, Europe's first cat & Roman bronzes
The Puglia region in southern Italy is one of the less-visited areas of the country, but there is plenty to see there. Here are some facts, trivia and information that may be useful to tourists planning to travel there.
- If you’re feeling Christmassy, head to the city of Bari. OK, so it doesn’t have the snow or reindeer that you’d expect, but the Basilica di San Nicola does house the bones of the man generally regarded to be Father Christmas. St Nicholas was a bishop in modern day Turkey, but due to some skulduggery and thievery his bones ended up in Bari. On hot days, the bones are reputed to leak a holy liquid.
- If the town of Galatina doesn’t feel quite Italian, there’s a good reason for it. Up until the turn of the 20th century, its inhabitants spoke mainly in Greek. If you’re lucky, you may get to see locals performing the traditional (and very bizarre) tarantulism dance. Folklore has it that performing this dance can rid a body of a spider’s poison.
- The 5 metre tall colossus in Barletta is the biggest Roman bronze that is still in existence.
- The popular pilgrimage site of Monte Sant’Angelo gets thousands of visitors every year. Legend has it that the Archangel Michael appeared before the local bishop in a cave here, way back in AD490.
- An even bigger pilgrimage site is San Giovanni Rotondo. Over 8m visitors each year come to the home of Padre Pio, a monk believed to have performed a series of miracles.
- The town of Taranto was allegedly founded by the son of the ancient god Poseidon, who rode in on the back of a dolphin. And, as if one highly unlikely tale wasn’t enough, Taranto also claims to be the home of the first cat to ever set paw in Europe.
- Lucera has a dark history. In 1269, the inhabitants of the then Muslim town were massacred by Christians.
- Nearby Otranto also was the site of a terrible killing spree. 800 people were killed by the invading Turks for refusing to renounce their Christianity and covert to Islam. The bones of the martyrs can be found in the cathedral.
- If you’re in the town of Lecce and want a taste of the traditional life, head to the Medius Terrae, where you can watch craftsmen, cheesemakers and the like go about their business.
- 80% of Europe’s pasta, and 80% of Italy’s olive oil comes from the Puglia region.
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