So, I took a little weekend trip down to my friends house in Puglia. We ate, we laughed, we drank. It was a beautiful weekend!
Between the sea and the land, a treasure trove of history and culture by the Gulf of Manfredonia, offering a breathtaking and unspoiled landscape.
Manfredonia, 48 km away from Foggia, is located on Gargano slopes, on the shore of the gulf. Manfred, king of Sicily, abandoned the port of the old Siponto to found this town.
The beautiful Cathedral and the Swabian- Angevine fortress, dropping sheer into the sea, the seat of the National Archaeological Museum, were also designed by Manfred. Here it is possible to admire the ruins of the ancient Sipontum, together with the archaeological finds of Coppa Nevigata and Saraceno Mountain, and the fascinating Basilica Santa Maria di Siponto. Not far away from here, there is the Abbey of San Leonardo, built by Knights Templar and an important stop-off along the pilgrims’ route Via Francigena of the South .
The historic centre is characterised by noble palaces and small houses made of stone or tufa. In piazza del Popolo stand out the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) and the Church of San Domenico, while the Church of San Francesco is a small gothic gem.
A few kilometres away from the town, by the Gulf of Manfredonia, there are the Salso Lake WWF Oasis and the reserve Palude di Frattarolo (Frattarolo Marsh), real natural paradises, while the ancient Siponto is nowadays a lively seaside resort.
