Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LUCERA
555
If you base yourself in Lucera, you'll experience one of Puglia's premier examples
of a
reincarnated Arab village.
In the early 13th century, the entire Saracen pop-
ulation was removed from Sicily and relocated here within the city walls. But far
from being persecuted as they were in so many other parts of the province, the
Arab community was allowed by Frederick II to worship freely and live according
to their customs, in exchange for providing security for the kingdom.
Much of what the Sicilian Saracens built was destroyed by the French after
Frederick II, but hints of the past are evident in the form of Arabic carvings that
are still found on some cornerstones in Lucera, and in the local museum filled
with exhibits of Arabic-scripted pottery and depictions of the original village. This
small village is now the cultural capital of the area, and has more wine bars and
restaurants per capita than any other town in the area. On August weekends, the
local wine club turns a section of the historical center into a giant candlelit wine-
tasting venue, where for
€
10 you buy a glass with a little canvas pouch and wan-
der from piazza to piazza to taste the best of the local vintages.
Lucera's touted tourist sights are not what make the town worth visiting.
Instead, come here to mix with locals and to get a real sense of how southern
Italians on this side of the country live. Rather than being turned off by a con-
stant barrage of
stranieri
(foreigners), the Pugliese of Lucera are very open and
genuinely interested in sharing their town with visitors, which is a relatively new
phenomenon here. It's not uncommon to strike up a conversation with someone
at the coffee bar or local trattoria, or to be given a local gift like a jar of preserves
or bottle of local wine from those you befriend. There is a sense of pride about
Puglia and considerable community spirit in Lucera, and the people here are
aware that they can benefit from tourism dollars.
The heart of Lucera is its central square, the
Piazza del Duomo
.
Especially in
the summer, locals from this small city and surrounding towns gather here for an
evening stroll or to take part in one of the community's many events (see an events
listing at
www.luceraweb.net
). The square is flanked by the 14th-century
Duomo
5
(7:30am-12:30pm and 4:30-8pm),
one of the few remaining examples of Angevin
architecture in the country. It was built after the death of Frederick II on the site
of a mosque, after the Angevins defeated the Arabs here. It's majestic and nothing
short of the town's community hall, where the local choir practices, town meet-
ings are held, and locals gather to pray.
Nearby, a much more dramatic 4th-century church, the Gothic
Chiesa di San
Francesco
55
, has original frescoes and a display of vestments worn by the local
saint, Francesco Antonio Pasani, known as Padre Maestro. Lucera's other attrac-
tion is the
Castello
(follow signs from Via Bovio and Via Federico II to Piazza
Matteotti; Tues-Sun 8am-2pm and 4-8pm, closed winter afternoons),
built by
Frederick II in 1233 on the highest hill at the edge of town. The pentagon fortress
walls around the castle were once topped with 24 towers, and extensive renova-
tions in recent years uncovered the last of these towers after an earthquake in 1980
had all but destroyed the structure. From this vantage point, you'll get a rare
glimpse of the expanse of the Tavoliere Plain with its low, rolling farmland that
spreads out around Lucera.
