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Interesting sights to see in Apulia

Castel del Monte, the octagonal castle situated in the territory of Andria built on the orders of Frederick II of Swabia, is one of the eight images featured on Italy's Euro coins, shown on the back of the one and two-cent pieces.

Canne is the heart of an extremely interesting archaeological area with the remains of the city famous for the battle in 216 BC when the Carthaginians led by Hannibal defeated the Romans to become the rulers of southern Italy. More than 25,000 fell in the battle and 10,000 Romans were taken prisoner. In this exceptional archaeological site there are also remains of the Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Ages, the Apulian civilisation, the Roman era and the Middle Ages. The coast: the 800km coastline is a sort of aquatic anthology: beaches and low cliffs from Manfredonia to Otranto; high vertical cliff faces from Otranto to Leuca, as in the entire Gargano area, and then another long Ionian beach from Leuca to Metaponto. On this tour, in Otranto, where the Adriatic Sea ends and the Ionian begins, the cathedral's mosaic recounts how the city was a meeting point between East and West.

This immense stone carpet portrays the Tree of Life, dense with symbols, myths and legends: from the Tower of Babel to Arthur, proving that Nordic sagas and Arab fables were already circulating by the 13 century in the southern Apulia, an obligatory stopover on the way to the Holy Land, and that they were freely accompanied by stories from the Bible and the Gospels. In terms of cuisine, holding first place are the products from Daunia, the mountains whose valleys open out towards the Tavoliere plain, part of an internal, Apennine Italy with villages scattered on hilltops. The entire Province of Foggia - in particular Gargano - is considered a paradise for hunters. There are numerous reserves for hare, boar, quail and pheasant hunting. Like in the Daunia area, the cuisine of Gargano is based on its game, fish and agriculture.

There are the famous Tremiti island lobsters, excellent ham and dairy products from Faeto, and grilled lamb and kid. Rabbit with capers is served all along the Gargano coast whose agricultural products make for tasty traditional dishes: such as the "lampasciuni" onions with their unmistakeable, although somewhat bitter, taste. Gargano is also the home to "cardoncelli" - small, extremely tasty mushrooms, and "paparuli" with their peppery aroma. Typical sweets are "zeppole" fritters, "paridrion", "scaldatelle" doughnuts, "taralli" Christmas biscuits and all the other almond-based Apulian specialities. The most famous wines are those from San Severo, but all the hills produce highly prized grapes.

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