Back Foggia, after we resumed our brief stop again on the way to Manfredonia. We wanted to see who still remains the only monument of the heroic king Manfredi. The two towns away from each other just like Rome and Tivoli. The road runs through the valley, close to this long-missing from the back of Gargano, on the right extends to the eye, blending into the skyline.
Codest plain view Foggia is surrounded, is the top of the Puglia Tableland. It points out very dappresso the campaign in Rome, where even thousands strolling from October to spring sheep grazing Menat PEL from the Abruzzi and Sabina. However, unlike. the latter is più ricca di erba ed ha insieme qualcosa della steppa e, non offrendo alla vista che un piano perfetto, è meno pittoresca.
Dal lato del Gargano e giù innanzi, verso Manfredonia, il Tavoliere è quasi privo affatto di alberi. Il finocchio selvatico dalle lunghe aste, coronate dei lor graziosi mazzolini di fiori color giallo d’oro, ha preso il posto degli alberi e degli arbusti. Qui, come nella campagna romana, lussureggiano pure l’asfodèlo, il caglio, la menta e tutte quelle piante aromatiche tanto predilette dal bestiame. In alcuni punti era come un mare flessuoso e ondeggiante di fiori.
La verde steppa, per quanto l’occhio può abbracciarne, è qua e là cosparsa di fattorie. Vi stanno annessi stores for provisions, housing for pastors and factors, which serve as a reed pens, sheds and tools for Carri, and gradually more that relates to the rural economy. From each of them stands a small pyramid, which ends in a fumaruolo: where are the rings is cooked and handled the cheese. Such chimneys can be called the characteristic figures of these pastures without end, as in the countryside of Rome I am the old medieval towers and graves. For the entire stretch from Manfredonia Foggia to see that there occurred one old tower, near the road, placed there at one time to serve as a customs patrol, and later converted into a military guard, when the districts del Gargano erano infestate tutte da briganti.
La calda stagione era quell’anno piuttosto in ritardo anche nelle Puglie; sicchè il maggio si manteneva insolitamente freddo. Forse per questo motivo greggi in gran numero popolavano tuttora il Tavoliere, in luogo di andare a riprendere i loro quartieri estivi su’ monti. E di greggi e di mandrie ne vedemmo assai e d’ogni genere: bovi, pecore, capre, bufali e branchi di cavalli e d’asini indomiti dal pelame ispido e grosso. I pastori a cavallo, la loro lunga asta in mano, e dietro cani vellosi, proprio come in Etruria e nel Lazio.
La vista della steppa pugliese riconduce il viaggiatore col pensiero in contrade assai remote, e quasi lo ripone in un periodo della civiltà already long since passed. And yet Codest period is essentially Italian, and dates back to the time that the countryside of Puglia is called the Daunia. The primitive conditions of a pastoral life here is maintained through the centuries. As a state of nature remained almost unchanged, it is accompanied with all the upheaval, with all the political and social transformations of Italy, and last of today is still the same. The
Tavoliere includes 800 square miles, or Italian, which is the same, 300,000 hectares. It covers all the captains, and the side of the extension until noon in the provinces of Bari, Basilicata and Terra d'Otranto. Its existence and also its destination, if not all of which fly is, in a largely rirnontano to a time before the war and the conquest made by 'Romans in those regions, which, apparently, remained vacant property afterwards and deputies of the State to increase the taxes that are quarried from' public pastures . The say if within the empire, and thereafter under the rule de 'Goti and de' Byzantines, these regions have continued to be part of Ager Publicus, ie had been stolen, it would be difficult indeed. What is certain is that in the meantime as far as the Middle Ages, at the time of 'Normans and the Hohenstaufen, we see the reappearance of new tables as belonging to Royal Property below] designation of Royal Defence.
nevertheless un sistema ordinato di locazione de’ regi pascoli non venne introdotto che in sul cominciare del secolo XV. Mercè una legge di Alfonso I d’Aragona tutti i possessori di greggi in contrade montuose furono obbligati di condurle, pagando un’imposta, a svernare nel Tavoliere. Di qui il bisogno di costituire un’amministrazione speciale, conosciuta sotto il nome di Dogana della mena delle pecore in Puglia; e sembra che il fisco da questo cespite traesse annualmente una somma non minore di 300,000 fiorini d’oro.
Per la immigrazione ed emigrazione degli armenti, ampie strade furono aperte attraverso tutto il Tavoliere e, come strade maestre, provviste di termini e colonne migliari. Ebbero il nome di tratturi.
Nulla di più Of this singular sheep tracks. As a long thoroughfare from one end run through much of southern Italy, Abruzzo L'Aquila, Gran Sasso and the Majella near Sulmona, down to the mountains of Calabria, where they go to terminate. For centuries, remained the same as always, and until today millions of sheep and cattle will have moved up and down with great uniformity, as once did the armies of Rome on the Via Flaminia and Via Appia.
So the sheep track stretches almost clear of the green belt 'forty to eighty and four hundred feet up. The flocks come and go: fall down on the floor, returning home in May to the mountains. In Etruria and Lazio I often come across such columns of cattle on the march, when, high up to 5000 head, cluttering up all the way and prevent anyone is going to meet them. The seeing was something odd, but sometimes, when dealing with herds of cattle, may be the cause a bit of fear. I will never forget a pastoral scene occorsami in Cerveteri, where I saw pass in front of a precipice couple thousand horned cattle, followed by their general, the shepherds, who were armed and riding majestically de 'their spikes. How
must be new and bizarre spectacle of the herds on the cattle track Puglia! When the time is something, immigration succeed every day almost without interruption. A flock comes all together called the tip, and often consists of a number of livestock, ranging up to 10,000 head. Each tip is that migrates as a republic, a well-ordered republic, as it is divided into many sections 300 to 400 head, each of which shall be attached to five or six large shepherd dogs. To the side is a shepherd on horseback, and finally close the column a number of mules and horses laden with tools, household utensils and a thousand minute. So ordered and settled, they move large masses on PEL sheep track, where the cattle is also found here and there along the way, a twig or some po'd'erba by spelluzzicare. A short distance from
Manfredonia road runs almost parallel to a side branch of the sheep-track, and we have to shorten the road, beating them once. Later we had a chance to see the great cattle-track which is from the Abruzzi, where there passes before the walls of Andria, and then turns es'interna, towards noon, in the province of Bari Colà place is just a term the inscription: PT , ie, Public Tratturo, 1810. It then goes back to the time that Murat was king of Naples. I looked respectfully that stone as a historical monument, and took note of the numbers in my notebook and date.
This system of grazing on the plains was forced, moreover, already in the past century beckoned to repeated criticism as an institution harmful to the interests of agriculture. And even then it was put forward the proposal to make to culture these vast pastures, leaving the right tenant to buy them and reduce them in private. In fact, under French rule, the suppression system was abolished by Act of May 21, 1806. But the restored Bourbon government, the table system even though it was reconstituted, which had been before, in the year 1817. Finally, the successful annexation of the Neapolitan province of the Kingdom of Italy was by Act of February 26, 1865 abolished the Edict of 1817 all over again, and instead established the system of deliverance and freedom of purchase of 'pastures.
Thus grazing is required to be wound, the sheep tracks will disappear, the tenant will become the owners and pastoralists have become farmers. But Codest new system, though already partly put into practice, he bumped into a lot of opposition and difficulty. A whole series of papers was published on the subject, de 'which I will mention only two: su11a law studies and proposals of the liberation of the deputy di Puglia Tableland GUSEPPE Andrea Angeloni (Naples, 1872), and 11 tables of Puglia, which is the future economic indust1riale of Italy and Germany CONSOLINI engineer (Naples, 1872), which is a program and status of a bank credit internationally, to Prince Bismarck. Both writings advocate the abolition of forced sheep, but there are other voices which were raised and still rise up against the project of the Government. So the National Unity of Naples on 1 July 1874 there appeared a remarkable article on the Suppression de 'tracks, in which the author shows how far MISUSE will mark the destruction of sheep in southern Italy, from which agriculture itself can not fail be affected, and as a result will generate a true chaos of the violation of vested rights, disputes and quarrels.
Therefore, it can be said that the big question of life or death of the Tableland, albeit that for ten years for the government study on Italian and discussions in Parliament, is still hanging irresolute. And since we are not competent to pronounce on it, we do not torture us more than the brain.
We will continue our path, continuing to throw in here and there an observer look su'campi. These really hold out a semblance of perfect solitude.
How long is the way, good three hours of train, up to Manfredonia not touch any country, if they take away certain isolated and lonely farm, simple shelter for shepherds. In comparison, the Via Appia in Terracina from tank and all the country of the Pontine Marshes are ten times more animated this Apulian countryside. Moreover, on the road itself, which is well maintained, we met only three or four coaches, including that of mail, and only a couple of people who rushed to cavailo steps to reach one of the farms lost down there in the middle of desert.
Yet, from time to time, we saw groups them people on foot and horseback, tired-looking and demolished PEL long way. Men and women wore the usual drone of 'pilgrims, decorated at the tip of a branch with its small green pine cone pendant and an image of the saint painted bright red. They were unusual and strange impression Whence came from, it already showed the symbols: the clinical pine branch was undoubtedly grown lì, sul Gargano, e l’immagine rappresentava l’alato Arcangelo Michele nell’atto di trafiggere l’orrido drago. I pellegrini scendevano dal Promontorio, dopo avervi visitato il santuario miracoloso dell’Arcangelo. L’8 di maggio, giorno della festa, comincia il grande concorso, il quale poi si continua tutto il mese. Ancora parecchi giorni più tardi, ritornando da Taranto, c’imbattemmo sulle ridenti sponde dell’antico Auidus (Ofanto) in codeste schiere di pellegrini reduci dal Gargano.
Infrattanto noi andavamo accostandoci di più in più alla montagna, che avevamo sempre sulla sinistra parte. In una linea lunga parecchie miglia, slanciato in alto, quale insormontabile muraglia China, the Cape juts into the Adriatic. Now yes, we can see the parts and limbs great: rugged steep cliff, gorges and valleys, thick forests of pine and oak and dark, rich and verdant slopes of olive trees, but it costs only costs a few sparse villages. The overcast sky made it difficult to see, and we also took away the sight of Sant'Angelo, the pilgrimage destination, located near the top of the mountain. The air had become noticeably pungent, even cold, cover us so that we tried the best that was possible, almost journeyed in the harsher winter.
Halfway we did a bit high to the shop of a blacksmith, who held together the cellar. There were parecchi pastori con uno stuolo di asini irsuti, menati per farli ferrare o medicare. Uomini ed animali grossolani ed incolti, ampie pozze di sangue sul suolo, la negra e filigginosa stamberga, e lì presso una palude, attraverso la quale un fiumicello a stento poteva continuare il suo lento corso verso il mare, formavano la più bizzarra scena che di un nido di masnadieri possa immaginarsi. Per riscaldarci chiedemmo del vino, e l’oste ci presentò un boccale enorme con entro un vero vino da banditi, nero come inchiostro e impossibile al gusto.
A partire da questo punto il suolo si solleva, e forma qui e là colline brulle, le quali nascondono ancora il golfo di Manfredonia. Passammo innanzi ad una cava di pietre, donde Foggia ritrae il material for its construction, which, albeit that in smaller scale, resembled the Syracusan quarries. The limestone, which if n'estrae, is the most delicate white: the cut in the form of cubes and elongated to air it hardens and becomes solid as travertine. Four miles from Manfredonia
we offered to the gaze of the abandoned ruins of an abbey, with a door and a beautiful gallery of well-preserved Roman style. It was once one of the rich commerce of the Teutonic Order, and was called San Leonardo Ordinis Theutonicoum, and, according to data dell'Ughelli not cast less than 20.000 gold florins annuity. There were, for another in the diocese of Siponto still two other abbeys, that of 'The Cistercians of San Giovanni in Lamis, and the famous de' Benedictine, Santa Maria de Pulsano, both on the territory of Gargano, where their beautiful churches still exist. Today, San Leonardo has become the center of a farm and is not inhabited by shepherds.
Meanwhile, impatient to see the sea and also the desired sign of our journey to the extent that we grew in the cold became sharper, and the wind rushing us more and more exhausted. On the side of the noon sky was stormy, and we were sorry not be able to enjoy this wonderful view of the sea so ordinary, so radiant in the warm southern light. When, finally, beyond San Leonardo, making up the hill, the beach offered us all before, like a huge picture full of deep melancholy and murky and gloomy magnificence. The clearest, most beautiful summer sun could not have produced so powerful and beautiful colors, as now, at dusk, the sky was produced in fighting with the shadows of 'stormy clouds camped on the gulf. There before us was the sea, the hues and tones of which, the black thicker, darker green and azure, were ardent and yet so obscure that you can not describe them, and he needed to stretch a long stretch of low coasts which made a color violet, while large swamps and marshes, the Marsh sauce, and further, at noon, to Barlow, Lake Salpi, shining hour of the most delicate vermilion, now a green and yellow. To the north of the Gargano, which was outlined at the end in full for its dark majesty: a giant mammoth postatosi into the sea. At his feet, the bay, a small town, equipped with a castle that the years have made it gray, and a beacon that points to the port, where a pair of old sailing boats are at anchor. And above all, the storm swirling gusts of wind and storms. Then with joy and shouted the names of Manfred Manfredonia!
Half an hour from Manfredonia, almost on the road and not far from the sea, you see a small church with an ancient Roman style arched porch. The door rests on columns supported by lions. The facade is a simple square of yellow travertine without composition. Only a small bell tower and a tower rising above. The lone open space and covered with grass before the door, he stands a single column without ancient capital, and on the ground lie some ruins of an ancient temple. This is what still remains of Siponto, the city's maritime past. We are in fact arrived at his office that was, and the church Santa Maria Maggiore, once the archdiocese's cathedral Siponto, and now only remnant of the medieval city disappeared. Less shed some vestige of the old walls, Siponto there remains another, while also around 1525 Leandro Alberti found many still exist and so heavy that it may lead to ruin that must have been noble and distinguished cities. The foundation of
Siponto, originally Greek - Sipus, according to Strabo - is lost in the darkness of myth, its builder avvegnachè was Diomedes. It lay on a winding formed by the great gulf, and as a Roman colony was a commercial center not lifeless. What commercial city, ancorachè fallen, continued to exist until the time of Manfred. According to Christian legend was one of 'the earliest bishops of Italy, and indeed St. Peter himself is said to have ordained the first bishop. If not that Felix, who was appointed to a council of the year 465, is the first bishop of Siponto known. The primitive cathedral of the city was the seat of an archbishop, but the archbishops, perhaps fearing the incursions de 'Saraceni, transported for a time their residence on Monte Gargano, and Pope Leo IX came up to aggregate Siponto in Benevento. The ancient sanctuary of Santa Maria, fell into ruin, was in sugl'inizii the twelfth century, under Paschal II, was rebuilt. At this time the magnificent comeback vault, whose ceiling is supported by twenty small antique columns of granite. All the more support there were then added modern pillars factory. And even the walls and door of the church, which is a magnificent edifice of 'the early sixteenth century, are still the same as the time of Paschal II. The Pope visited
Siponto and keep the cathedral, in the year 117 alllorchè gathered a council at Benevento. Very often to be found mentioned in the twelfth century the city and its port. There in 1177 he went to Venice to board the famous Congress and conclude peace with the Emperor Barbarossa. It seems that the port of
Siponto as landing place for the entire province, was then called the Port of captains, and as such could keep up, though the city was already in decline, especially after the violent earthquake of the year 1223. The fact is that even the 8 January 1252 he landed in this port that the Hohenstaufen, Conrad IV, to take possession of Southern, and there he was received by his brother, Manfred, who generously gave the domain of Puglia and other provinces, even though he had managed to Lucera with prudence and with the strength to conquer and take quiet.
Three years later a second earthquake threw to the ground throughout Siponto, Manfredi, and then became the death of Conrad heir and ruler of the land, the resolution was to build a new city in a healthier and even better secured against the pirates, one two miles away from the rubble of Siponto, nearer to Monte Gargano and immediately on the big bay. He himself made the drawing, and its joint Malecta he directed the execution. The new city, whose buildings were used in the ancient ruins, he took the name of Manfredonia.
Begun in the year 1256, two years after it was already so that the first archbishop of Siponto Ruggiero Anglona with his clergy, he could take possession of the new cathedral. This was dedicated to the Bishop of San Lorenzo Siponto, and were transferred all rights and title of the ancient archbishopric. Of course, the stone construction of the castle walls and other parts of the city demanded longer time, so that Manfredonia was not yet complete, when King Manfredi, fighting like a hero, he fell at Benevento. The Angevin they brought out the city and even flood defenses.
ordinarily the image that we limit us of things and actually present them to men before, never responds to reality. And this happened to me, that I had a lot of mitigating the representation of Manfredonia in the imagination that I had formed. In exchange for an ancient city with high towers and darkened opera de 'ages, I found myself in front of a small seaside town, a charming, whitewashed profusely, with a few towers and a wall crumbled into pieces. Manfredonia skirts the sea, lying flat on the beach at all, which only goes to the Gargano slightly puffed and the bottom of which is limestone. Here, the prickly pear is full everywhere, around the gardens around it are full, and on the bare and barren rocky soil, the plant produces a single South. The extensive and almost uncultivated land along the beach, enlivened only by some rare plant or some fruit-bearing olive, recall campaigns in Sicily. The bulk of the Gargano, a few miles away when, with its colossal forms of promontory, terminating the vague semicircle of the bay, beaches and deserts of these imprint a character of great solemnity.
entered the city, now more open, di là dove una volta era la Porta di Foggia, e percorremmo la strada principale. Quest’antica porta è stata smantellata nell’anno 1860, e sino ad oggi le mura della città a’ due lati sono state lasciate come restarono allora, guaste e caduche; il che già in sul primo entrare rende l’impressione di un non so che di misero e di cencioso.
La prima cosa che mi colpisse, e non senza grande compiacimento, fu il nome della strada: Corso Manfredi. Sicchè i bravi abitanti hanno serbata viva e grata la ricordanza del fondatore della città loro; e in essi il sentimento storico ha avuto forza tanta da resistere all’andazzo generale. Evidentemente fra i rappresentanti del comune ve ne ha da essere alcuni non sprovvisti Such sentiment, without which it is certain that the road would be re-christened with the name of Corso Vittorio Emamuele.
After the last revolution has unfortunately become a mania in Italy the trade at any cost the old names of streets in the cities, those with de 'or the main characters of' the most remarkable events of history most of us next. Patriotism, of course, is a beautiful and holy thing, but it too has its reasonable limits. The ancient names of the streets are as many titles of 'chapters in the history of the city, and must therefore be respected and preserved as historical monuments of the past. Now while the cities of Italy from the Alps to Lilibeo si sono provviste tutte de’ medesimi nomi moderni di strade, i quali non stanno in alcuna relazione col luogo, non hanno con questo proprio nulla a che vedere. Fossi io il re d’Italia, ovvero Garibaldi o il Principe ereditario, vorrei pregare che si smetta dall’abusare siffattamente del nome mio. Questa uniformità di nomenclatura comincia a diventare ristucchevole e disgustosa. In quale che siasi la città italiana ove si vada, bisogna aspettarsi di trovarvi un Corso Vittorio Emanuele, o Garibaldi, o Umberto, e su’ canti delle strade le leggende eternamente e monotonamente ripetute delle battaglie di Magenta, Solferino, Castelfidardo, Montebello, Marsala, ovvero, ciò che ispira maggior nausea ancora, d’imbattersi in abstract concepts and completely empty, including Piazza del Plebiscite, Independence, Unity. In Trani
we found the new district, just in the process of being built, complete with all of similar claims. It also steps: this is the end of a neighborhood that has no history. It can be said to be similar to names that are the same adopted in Rome for the new district, which is now springing up where once was the Praetorian Castro. But what it has to do with Garibaldi Taranto, for example, where the old road along the Sea Little was named after him? Likewise, there was an ancient square in Andria Catuma, and has now been renamed Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. And what in what has gone to the point of change in Naples till the historical name of the old road and three times that of Toledo in Roma Street, and you want to force the people who oppose it recognize and resist the tasteless violence. Not just yet I was glad when in Bari, in opposition to this stupid trend, I saw several frigates streets of names that recall local history: Via Melo, Via Argiro, Calefati, Roberto di Bari These names me back at once to the thought traits more essential in the history of that famous city. In general, the first thing I do in a city not yet known to me is to read the names of the streets and write it down. Arriving in Manfredonia
we were not quite sure yet about whether to and where we would find to be housed. And here, in less than no time a swarm of people rough, dirty, half-naked flown down, and with a rush of great deeds and cried every man is a portal offering our things and lead us to an inn. The sight of Cotesta scoundrels, that without fear of getting them wrong could have been taken for so many convicts escaped from the bathroom, he made us feel disaggradevolissima up, and I riandai of a sudden everything I desire I had been told of the ferocity and wildness of the region Gargano, and it being full of bandits, and follow it as it was not so safely. But later, when we could free ourselves from the assault of those beggars, we realized that, in both bottom to the port, as the population lived in high quiet and peaceful.
We found till more discretely in the inn in the town on the Corso Manfredi, if the inn is worth as a house of very modest appearance, equipped with several rooms with beds. The innkeeper, once a tailor, he seemed proud of his little house that was originally a monastery. He wanted to take us to visit the rooms, which were at least a score, which suggests that the city does not miss going. Commanded dinner, we went wandering around slightly at Manfredonia. The number of 'inhabitants rises to 8000, but, there, he would not account to more than a 5000. Its Exposure and not flat, it is built in a square, and the side facing the country is still partially surrounded by ancient walls. He has four or five major parallel roads, intersected by other cross-cutting. Over the course Manfredi, the names of the most notable are: Via delle Grazie, Crystalline, cystitis, St. Matthew, the Tribune, the Castle. The limestone pavement is regularly cut, and more or less fairly good, even in the Corso Manfredi is even excellent. Manfredonia had appearances so modern, I was the cause of mild surprise, but the history of the city it gives the explanation.
assaulted by 'Turks, was set on fire the year 1620, and then built from scratch. Therefore, there is nothing left of old, anything Gothic, anything that comes from the time of Manfred and of Anjou, it takes away some of the churches, and what still remains of the walls of the castle. And with the exception of a few buildings, especially the cloisters, which have a certain air of palaces, the rest is smeared hands dell'imbianchino hovels, with roofs and outdoor terrace, in the Moorish style that has, so common on the Gulf of Salerno and of Naples. Even here in the exterior walls facing the street does not open shaving windows, which sometimes have the odd shape of a leaf. Input of many houses there is a niche, with a small figure of the later Michael Gargano made stone that has some similarity with the alabaster. So already in Manfredonia is sensitive to the radiate artistic and moral of the legend of St. Michael. Probably the Gargano region, as a country of the Archangel, is under the patronage and the dominance of that figure. And already on many doors in Foggia, and later on all the farms along the road to Manfredonia we have seen the same doll with outstretched wings, with his shield and his sword drawn.
almost in the center of town stands the cathedral, mediocre edifice with a small dome, in a modern way and without aisles. Keep at hand a charming little bell tower, also finished dome-shaped and constructed of yellow limestone. After the destruction of the city at the hands of 'Turks, the cathedral was rebuilt by Cardinal Orsini; Epper there are monuments of the ancient cathedral together with all the archives were destroyed in 1620. There is also the largest at the Archbishop's Palace, constructed after the year 1565 by the archbishops and Domenico Galli Ginnasi Ptolemy: a grandiose edifice shapes, but without any character, and the only things that seemed worthy of attention, were in some ruins of the ancient marble Siponto court, and two beautiful capitals of Corinthian columns placed at the front door.
Monasteries in Manfredonia have been abolished, or, as in all the rest of Italy, there are those whose only inhabitants are dedicated to education. Of friars we saw that three or four. The monastery once de 'Dominicans, large building painted in yellow, is attached to the church of the Order, and this is one of the oldest in the city, as is the port in Roman style. The first is reduced to a square yard. The monastery is now the town hall. Manfredonia has, moreover, never had an independent municipal life, being always right royal city and sometimes feudal barons. So there came a time given in fief from the famous leader Queen Giovanna II Sforza. At
Manfredi Course is situated on the sea Angevin castle, equipped with four-sided walls, with stubby towers, like all other castles of the ports on the Adriatic and, as such, being also of decay. Though the concept was first
of King Manfred, the fortress was not done well to raise that by Charles I. He committed it to his or her architect, a teacher from Jordan Monte Sant'Angelo, Gargano, who also directed the construction of the magnificent walled city.
The winner would remove the name of Manfred Manfredonia, because the recollection of the dynasty of Hohenstaufen became extinct; Epper the city was officially named Siponto novel. Except that the people retained the name of Manfredonia, probably, at first a feeling of true piety towards the founder of the city, but afterwards mainly for this reason that the name sounded more harmonious, and it was easier to pronounce. This happy event of Manfredonia shows do not always violent and illegal barter of 'historical names they may win. Today it seems that the memory or representation of what was the King Manfred any people in the largely vanished, if I have to argue with the explanation that a man of the inn, with safety pedantic, gave me the name of the city. Manfredonia, he said, is by Manfredi, who was regent of the city, and Onia, who was his wife.
The castle resisted the assaults of Marshal Lautrec, at the time that they took his famous campaign against Naples to those not so de 'Turchi. Today is no longer needed for anything, which is sufficient to dismantle a few shots.
Once it was to defend the port and this is now partially invaded by sand. Presently working to restore and aggrandire the pier, construct even at the time of Manfred and at its end s'eleva a lighthouse. The Bay offers superb no sign of life nor motion: never a large scale is a wooden anchor. The traffic with the coast of Dalmatia, who are there, opposite seems to be quite low. Rarely happens that some of the steamship Ancona and Naples that port, Italian or any wood of the gun is to make his appointment. So great was the abandonment in which the port was lying, that making the rounds, it seemed to us to find some deserted harbor of a Mediterranean island.
The Italian government has in mind to build a railroad from Manfredonia Foggia to give the city a bit of life. A mere glance at its port LOCATION enough to show what great benefits it offers to the chest of the other ports of the Adriatic coast; imperocchè the Gulf of Manfredonia is the broadest and most of all offers at once the airport safer. The Gulf fact s'insena deep inside the earth, and from the north side is protected by Gargano. Moreover, its beaches are the natural outlet for the entire northern region of Puglia, whence the place was really destined to become a storehouse pe 'products in the country to export. In spite of this neither in antiquity nor in the Middle Ages Manfredonia was never able to rise so high and to acquire such importance, because the Greek Siponto never touched the level of consideration that had Taranto, Metaponto, Heraclea, Sybaris and other cities. Nor can he say that Siponto, or later Manfredonia, was never able to compete with the life of Barletta, Bari, Brindisi and Otranto.
The reasons for this rather strano devonlo forse trovarsi negli svantaggi derivanti dalla postura stessa della città, i quali scemano di molto quei vantaggi che il golfo sembra assicurarle. Il suolo, ond’è ricinta, non è ferace. Intorno intorno, oltre le terre a pascolo, oltre quel deserto rimasto così attraverso i secoli, non ci è altro. Dalla parte bassa del golfo non incontri per tutto che paludi e lagune, nelle quali, se per avventura qui e là viene a versarsi qualche misero rigagnolo, nessun fiume si scarica. E a settentrione poi quell’immane muraglia rocciosa del Gargano che sbarra la città e quasi la soffoca. Una strada ferrata da Foggia andrebbe sempre a terminarsi a Manfredonia come in una via senza uscita, e non potrebbe mai competere con those that rely on two or three hours for the products of Apulia and neighboring provinces to the places of deposit, as Barletta, Bari Bari, Trani, or especially, with its fertile land, with its production of wine and oil, which a decade this part seems to have taken a very considerable momentum and with its two ports, it will always be a barrier to come up and the flourishing of Manfredonia.
Who runs the lonely roads of the small town, he sees the signs at every step of deprivation: some shop appearances more modest prosperity was not a trace of either of needs in the process of development. The people around us seemed to live as usual and peasant ways. He stands there, in the midst of a 'grander views that are able to offer the Adriatic coast, enjoying the view of the sea and the majestic headland, not segregated from the world, in primitive conditions and romance, which in essence is still the same as at the time of the Angevin and Aragonese. Why
short here it all comes down to the monotonous repetition of the same perennial and events, which are based on three ways to wait, that is, what is causing the Gulf, the table is the holy pilgrimage to the mountain. Herding, fishing, and a po'anche agriculture are the only occupations of the inhabitants. In the plains there are vineyards. The wine comes from Barletta or some slopes of Gargano that produce it. In general, the wine, as it were, the place is called the wine of mountain and is more than good, excellent.
Our landlord gave us a note Of this wine from Gargano, and properly Carbonara, which we found delicious. He had something of Muscat with an aroma of his own land. I must say that the evening as the day after our meal to the course Manfredi were jovial and satisfactory. Fishes of the Gulf of them were of course the main ingredient, and prepared marinara, they were so delicious that Taranto itself does not taste better. On our request for a bit of fresh butter, thanks to the sheep in the next table there seemed dovess'essere commonplace, there was brought in a large clay container. Had la forma di una palla ed un colore azzurrognolo. Era semplicemente burro di pecora, che ci fu impossibile gustare; il che destò grande sorpresa nel nostro bravo anfitrione, assicurando egli essere il burro freschissimo e della più scelta qualità.
Dopo un placido riposo, al primo albeggiare eravamo già in carrozza avviati al Gargano per visitarvi il luogo del pellegrinaggio. E il dover essere iniziati agli strani misteri che nel santuario dell’Arcangelo, vecchio oramai di tredici secoli, si son consumati, non acuiva poco la nostra curiosità e la nostra aspettazione.
Ferdinand Gregorovius - Nelle Puglie
Traduzione in italiano di Raffaele Mariano
G. Barbera Editore - Firenze - 1882
