Description of the attraction
Andria is the fourth largest city in the Italian region of Apulia, the administrative center of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, formed in 2009. This is, first of all, an agricultural center - olives, grapes and almonds are grown here. The service sector is also highly developed.
There are different versions about the origin of Andria. The first written mention of it occurs in 915 - then it was the so-called "kazale", a small village subordinated to the more developed Trani. Andria received the status of a city only in the middle of the 11th century, when the Norman Count Peter expanded the territory of the settlement and fortified it. In the 14th century, during the reign of the Anjou dynasty, Andria became a duchy. Then she was besieged, first by the Germans and Lombards, and in 1370 - by the troops of Queen Giovanna I of Naples. In 1431, the ruler of Andria, Francesco II del Balzo, discovered the remains of Saint Richard of Andria, the current patron saint of the city, and instituted a celebration in honor of the saint, which is celebrated today from 23 to 30 April. Then, in 1487, the city became the property of the Aragonese dynasty, and even later, in the middle of the 16th century, it was sold to Fabrizio Carafa, whose family ruled over Andria until 1799, when the city was besieged by French troops.
Andria was one of the favorite cities of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who in the 13th century built the majestic and mysterious castle of Castel del Monte, 16 km from the city, which was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1996.
Other landmarks in the city include the 12th century Cathedral with the 7th century crypt, the 16th century Palazzo Ducale and the Palazzo Comunale, the 14th century San Domenico church, rebuilt several times, the Sant'Agostino church built by the knights The Teutonic Order, and the 12th century church of San Francesco with an elegant cloister. One of the oldest temples in Andria is the Church of Santa Croce, carved in the 9th century in a volcanic tuff rock. And 2 km from the city is the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, which houses a particularly revered Byzantine icon of the 9-10th centuries.
