Puglia: Castel del Monte & Trani

The November trip this year took the students to Umbria. I instead went down to the "heel and instep" of Italy, to the regions of Puglia and Basilicata. These regions, along with the "toe", Calabria, make up the southern part of Italy, historically the poorest in the country. Why did I go? Because it's off season (this is the place where Italians like to spend the summer) and well, because there it is. I found a cheap flight from Rome to Bari, rented a car and off I went. First stop, Castel del Monte, near the town of Andria and the city of Trani.

The Castel del Monte, built by the great Fredrick the II between 1240 and 1250, stands high on a hill. It's also a tribute to geometry as it is an octagon with octagonal turrets.

Historians debate why it was built at all, because it doesn't have any traditional defensive characteristics, such as a moat. Perhaps because it sits high on a hill, it is easy to defend, but some think it was a pleasure palace.

Here'a plan of the Castel del Monte! Octagons and trapezoids too.

Not sure if you can make out the trapezoid shape of the room.

A staircase

Next stop was the coastal city of Trani. I arrived in port just as the fisherman were unloading the days catch.

I was offered this entire basket of fresh shrimp for 5 Euro. Alas, I didn't have a kitchen, but later on that evening, I had the first of my many great meals. The best of this evening was a ceci (garbanzo bean) and squid soup.

The great site of Trani is the cathedral.

Like many of the great sites in this region, it was built in the late 1100's to early 1200's, when it was under Norman Rule.

Ta Da!!!! The cathedral is built RIGHT ON THE WATER. It's a fantastic site.

This region was the crossroads of the Mediterranean, and Fredrick II had the goal of uniting Northern Europe with Jerusalem and the Arab world. The arch here has some of the whimsical touches of the Arab world.

Two people mauling each other? Or something else?

These HUGE bronze doors were cast in 1175 and were in place until 1990 when they were moved inside.

Even though the Renaissance passed this region by, the panels show the inklings of what we consider to be Renaissance artistic developments. Yeah, art history!