«Between streets and stories, pills of tranesità» and «One day, one year: Trani almanac», are the weekly columns edited by Alfredo Cavalieri and Francesco Squatriti, an exclusive format on Radio Bombo and on the pages of the Giornale di Trani. You can listen to them on our PODCAST through the website www.ilgiornaleditrani.net
“ONE DAY, A YEAR: TRANI ALMANAC”
“…on 5 June 1998 the Swabian Castle of Trani reopened to the public following conservative restoration works…”
The Swabian Castle of Trani
The Swabian Castle of Trani was born at the behest of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia. The beginning (1233) and end (1249) of the construction of the imposing structure can be seen through two epigraphs. It is Filippo Cinardo, Count of Acquaviva and Conversano, who directs the construction works. Following the death of Manfredi, son of Frederick II, the fortress came under the dominion of the Angevins. They remodeled the building with the help of Pietro D’Angicourt, a French architect. The plan is quadrangular, with four towers along the four corners. The façade facing the sea features eight arches. From 1586 to 1677 it was the seat of the Sacred Royal Audience. Some restoration work began in 1991 and ended in 1996. The reopening took place in June 1998.
Memorable events: A good number of weddings have been celebrated in the Castle. First of all in 1259 the rite that sees Elena Comneno and Manfredi join together; in 1268 Charles I of Anjou married Margaret of Burgundy; in 1271 Philip of Anjou became involved with Princess Isabella (daughter of William of Ville Harduin). A painful event, however, is dated 1237: under the gaze of the Venetians, Pietro Tiepolo (son of the Doge of Venice), was hanged by the Swabians. Death was inflicted to intimidate and discourage the fleet of the “Serenissima”.
Prison: on 6 June 1831 the Fortress was handed over to the State. Thus, it becomes a men’s prison. For this reason, until 1900, countless renovations were carried out to better adapt the structure to a prison. We remember the construction of the clock tower and the stone entrance bridge, which took place in 1860. In 1975 the new Super Prison was built in Trani, along Via Andria. The following year the use of the old penitentiary was discontinued, later becoming a historic fortress.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Giuseppe Viesti – “History of the city of Trani, Athens of Puglia”, Landriscina Editrice, 2015, pp. 390-400;
Giuseppe Giusto – “Trani, so many streets, so much history”, 2003, p. 147;
Ministry for Cultural and Environmental Heritage – “The Swabian Castle of Trani”, Electa Napoli, 1997.
“BETWEEN STREETS AND STORIES…PILLS OF TRANESITA”
“…on 2 June 1946 Italians are called to the polls: Italy is a Democratic Republic…”
REPUBLIC SQUARE
LOCATION: municipal area delimited by Corso Vittorio Emanuele; Corso Cavour; Via Giovanni Bovio; Via Mario Pagano; Road of the Crusades; Via San Gervasio; Via Aldo Moro.
HISTORY:
Already called “Largo del Borgo”, the original square was born after the demolition of the Porta di Bisceglie. With the unification of Italy (1861) the area was dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II. Under the administration of the lawyer. Nicola Baldassare, on 25 April 1975, thirty years after the anniversary of the Resistance, a new name: “Piazza della Repubblica”. It has two different areas, where two rows of holm oaks are planted.
- Excelsior Cinema: at the beginning of 1900, the first permanent cinema was born in Trani. It is a simple wooden shack, located in front of the plaque commemorating the fifty-four hostages from Trani, who escaped the massacre of 18 September 1943.
- Architectural beauties: important structures stand in the two squares. First of all the ancient kiosk, born in the early 1900s and initially used for the sale of Serino water. Followed by the two artistic fountains bearing some words: “Thought, Philosophy, Action, Law” on the first and “Work, Art, Industry, Agriculture” on the following. Along the square, near the kiosk, there is a horizontal plaque that states: “Memory of Nicola Trabucco to his hometown, Trani 1910”. He is a great benefactor of our country who emigrated to Argentina, more precisely to the same hometown of the musician Astor Piazzolla, in Mar del Plata. Finally, in the center of the square stands a monument to the Tranese poet Giovanni Bovio, placed there in 1915.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Giuseppe Giusto – “Many roads, so much history”, Puglia Region, 2003, pp. 147-148;
Raffaello Piracci – “Il Tranesiere”, year XXIV, N.5, July 1982, p. 11, 103-104.
