Trani

Puglia is full of art cities, and Trani is certainly one of them. Trani makes its history its greatest strength: as you stroll through the streets of the old town, you get the feeling that the Middle Ages never left.

Trani is a town of 55,000 people north of Bari and, together with Barletta and Andria, the capital of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani (BAT). Arriving from the sea, you are greeted by two of Trani's most important monuments, both medieval: the Cathedral and the Swabian Castle. Once inside, you are welcomed by the inlet of the harbor, in the past a gateway for trade with the East.

The harbor is ringed by the houses of the old town: low, colorful houses whose doorways are set behind arches. These arches hold one of the most important legacies Trani has kept from its past. Legend has it that it was right among these houses and arches that the Maritime Statutes of Trani, the so-called “Ordinamenta Maris,” were born. They are the oldest maritime code in the Mediterranean, and still in force today, even around the world.

Another medieval legacy is the churches: the Cathedral, the Fortino di Sant'Antonio Abate and also the Church of the Templars. The name of the last one makes its purpose clear: it served as a refuge for the medieval knights par excellence, the Templars.

Every year Trani remembers them with the “Medieval Week.” In the first week of August, a reenactment brings back the struggle between Manfred, son of Frederick II, and the Knights Templar. The town fills up with suits of armor… and with tourists!

The Middle Ages also lie behind the legend of the town's patron saint, celebrated on the first weekend of August. Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim was a young man from Greece passing through Trani who, after performing many miracles, died suddenly in the streets of the town. The people at once raised him to sainthood and loudly called for a building to keep his relics, one that had to outdo the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari in grandeur.

And that is how the Cathedral was born, the cover image of Trani's tourism. A medieval atmosphere fills the whole town, and its monuments are built with the typical local stone, Trani stone.

There is something else typical, too: the food, which faithfully follows the Apulian tradition. “Orecchiette,” “taralli” and much more. The fish caught in the harbor goes straight to the table, and wine is a must: Trani produces Moscato, the perfect match for desserts made with almonds and chocolate.

Trani is very much about the past, but its history is steeped in the present, in a place to live and explore to the full.