Canosa di Puglia, agricultural center situated on a hill position, had its moment of maximum splendor and wealth between VI and III century B.C., when it was one of the most important place of terracotta pots production. The importance of Canosa di Puglia is also testified by the numerous underground tombs, dug into the tuff: they were real bedrooms with rich architectural decorations of oriental influences (famous is the tomb of Gold jewelry, whose relics are kept at the Archaeological Museum of Taranto). This period of prosperity faced a first break with the submission of the city to Rome and the tragic events of the battle of Cannae (216 BC): we will hear again about Canusium during the Augustan age, when it rised to the municipium rank. After the fall of the Roman Empire a new town took shape thanks to the bishop Sabino, who built many churches in the northeast slope of the hill. However, the destiny of the city was already outlined: the Byzantines preferred Bari and despite the short-lived revival desired by the Normans with the construction of the Cathedral, the city fell into anonymity.
In addition to the cathedral, among other interesting monuments there is the Iliceto Palace where there is the Civic Museum, the underground tombs of Lagrasta – one of the several Hellenistic era monuments -, the Sinesi Palace, headquarter of the archeological Foundation Canosa which offers interesting archeological exhibits, the Baptistery of St. John – built by Bishop Sabino over a Roman temple.
Learn more about Trullis in Puglia.
