Gargano, a land to discover

This informative brochure was carried out by the classes V A and V B in cooperation with the english teachers, Prof.ssa Coco Graziana and Prof.ssa La Porta Filomena. All rights reserved. © Copyright 2015 Istituto Paritario I.T.E. Amministrazione, Finanza e Marketing “Pitagora College”

Comenius Project 2013-2015 Via Antonio Ligabue, 24 71013 (FG) “The Heritage of Cultures and Traditions in Phone/Fax: 0882.602933 Pluralistic Society– Religious Traditions” Mobile Phone: 333 8057328 Web Site: www.pitagoracollege.it 23-28 March

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Welcome to and to Pitagora College. College. Pitagora to and Gargano to Welcome

And if you are fond of wine, wine, of fond are you if And Italian professors and your Italian friends. Italian your and professors Italian

Sicily. and cherish all the moments you have experienced with your host families, families, host your with experienced have you moments the all cherish

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leagues, and institutions also gain global leadership skills and experience experience and skills leadership global gain also institutions and leagues,

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on in another culture: living as their host families live, seeing the the seeing live, families host their as living culture: another in on - hands

vegetables. green wild and It is an intellectual and personal growth and maturity through their their through maturity and growth personal and intellectual an is It

oil, potatoes potatoes oil, - olive with dish tasty very but the future and look at their studies with a new perspective. perspective. new a with studies their at look and future the

thick soups like like soups thick , a poor poor a , pancotto about another culture, improve their language skills, gain experience for for experience gain skills, language their improve culture, another about

also the main ingredient for many many for ingredient main the also ing the most spoken language in the world: English. Students can learn learn can Students English. world: the in language spoken most the ing

of the town bakeries. The bread is is bread The bakeries. town the of international horizons through interaction with their foreign partner speak- partner foreign their with interaction through horizons international

tradition, can be found hanging out out hanging found be can tradition, dents achieve their potential through integration. It helps broaden their their broaden helps It integration. through potential their achieve dents

kilos) which, according to a local local a to according which, kilos) are a lot of advantages in this Comenius Exchange Program, it helps stu- helps it Program, Exchange Comenius this in advantages of lot a are

50 cm and a weight of 5, 6 6 5, of weight a and cm 50 - 30 of The experience that we will do this week is very important. I think there there think I important. very is week this do will we that experience The

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milk. of quantity small also know a lot of popular traditions and a great artistic, historical and and historical artistic, great a and traditions popular of lot a know also

But Podoliche cows produce only a a only produce cows Podoliche But co. such as the beauties of wild nature and a marvellous landscape. You can can You landscape. marvellous a and nature wild of beauties the as such

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With their milk you can produce excellent excellent produce can you milk their With places that you just have to visit at least once in your lifetime. In this land land this In lifetime. your in once least at visit to have just you that places

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Gargano area is a show which cannot be be cannot which show a is area Gargano a land full of charm, faith, tastes and odors. It is a beating heart, a me- a heart, beating a is It odors. and tastes faith, charm, of full land a of

A herd of Podoliche cows grazing in the the in grazing cows Podoliche of herd A To tell the story of Gargano and its traditions means describing the story story the describing means traditions its and Gargano of story the tell To

Local Products Local

WELCOME Foresta Umbra, the green lung Gargano, a sheer mountain protrudes to the sea

It is impossibile not to visit the Gargano heart, that characterizes, together Situated in Puglia, or the region, the Gargano Promontory juts with the sea, the most magical promontory in the mediterranean area. The out into the , and is sometimes called the spur on the heel Foresta Umbra is the green lung of Pu- of Italy’s boot. Much of Gargano is actually part of a 30,000-acre na- glia, the place where biological differen- tional park. From a biological point of view, the Gargano promontory is ces are protected since 1800. It is not actually an island, divided from the italian peninsula by the plain Tavo- to be forgotten that the Gargano, even liere delle Puglie. It is rich in karst structures like caves and dolines. thought it represents the 0,7 per cent of While in the past the promontory the national territory, keeps the 40 per was entirely covered with forests, cent of the entire italian flora and the 70 now they represent only the 15% per cent of birds in the Peninsula. of its original surface area: the Someone says that the name come most important woodland in the f r o m park is Foresta Umbra that con- o l d tains some of the country’s oldest U m - trees. The area is filled with a mix brian people who lived there, someone of pine forest, green scrub and sea else says: “Umbra” because most of it is cliffs, and the 300 varieties of in the “ombra” shadow for very thick ve- orchids make for lightly perfumed getation. air. Moreover, Gargano has nearly 110 miles of shoreline with hun- From a naturalistic point of view, the dreds of sandy beaches, many of Foresta Umbra is characterized by them all but unused. many typical animals species: roe- The coast surrounding the promontory seems permanently bathed in a bucks, deer, hedgeogs, wild boars, dormice etc. pink-hued, pearly light, providing a painterly contrast to the sea, which softens from intense to powder blue as the evening draws in. Trees are however the kings of the forest. The oldest beech is 700 years It's one of Italy's most beautiful areas, encompassing white old, 18 metres tall. Among the cliffs, fairy-tale grottoes, sparkling sea, ancient forests, rare orchids and flowers, pay attention to the tangled, fragrant maquis. precious and unique Gargano It is possible to see hills, shores, caves, characteristic little town, which wild orchids and to the holly are located on mountain or overlook the wonderful sea. The Gargano and to the jasmine. About birds with its sacred routes is a cradle of culture, history and faith. From the V we have several : century, when the Archangel appeared in the Monte Gargano Holy major and minor red woodpe- Cave, the promontory is still at the centre if the world. The place is an cker, mid red and obliged passage for Catholics. The Via Sacra Langobardorum and the very rare woodpecker with whi- Via Francigena are the sacred route that pilgrims would take to reach te back, who is only between the most important sanctuary in the Middle Ages, Saint Michael’s cave oldest and most mature beech in Monte Sant’Angelo. These roads still are a melting pot of people, a trees where it can pecks bet- bridge between different cultures. ter. So the Provence of is a land rich in colours, such as the golden wheat, the blue sea, the green olives, the red tomatoes, the white sa- line. You can discover its history through landscape: fields, hills, sanc- tuaries, castles, sea and forests. San Giovanni Rotondo, place of prayer , a pristine pearl

Around Monte Calvo, the highest mount of the Gargano, in a wide valley About 10 sea miles from the cosat there are Tremiti islands, a group of at 600 metres on the sea level, lays the city San Giovanni Rotondo. Once three small islands: San Domino, San Nicola and Caprara. They can be it was a simple agricultural suburb, todat is a destination of numberless reached from , religious pilgrimages. The name , , “Rotondo” derives from the round and Vasto. The shape of the smail temple which goes beauty of these Islands back to the III century B.C. and it was has always benn known, consacrated to the pagan god Giano. as shown legends and Afterwards it was transformed into a poems dedicated to these Church and consacrated to Giovanni places. The name may Battista by the Byzantines. cames from the “shaking” According to the tradition, San Gio- of the very frequent ear- vanni Rotondo was founded around thquakes. the year 1000. Subsequently, the San Nicola and San Domi- Emperor Frederick II of Swabia forti- no are the isles living cen- fied the suburb surrounding it with walls and towers. Then, San Giovanni tres. Human present is Rotondo was dominated by the Aragonese and in the 16th century it was testified since the neolithic age. In the classical age they were called the the center of the struggle between Spain and France for dominance in “Diomedee isles” celebrated by Italy. greek and roman poets. Accor- There are different churchs, such as San Giuseppe Artigiano or San Nico- ding to the legend, here the la, but the most important is the church of Sant’Onofrio dated back to greek hero Diomed arrived af- 1200 with its gothic facade and two lions at the base of the portal. ter been offended by his wife, when he returned from the tro- Today, the city is well known all over the world for , the Friar yan war. The hero tomb is said from Pietrelcina proclamated a saint on 16th of June 2002. He arrived to to be here, protected by his the little convent of the Capuchin 1916 where he stayed until his death on friends who became birds (Avis 23rd of September 1968. Diomedee) and whose note The impressive Via Crucis sounds like crying. The origins dedicated to him was ma- o f de by the scupltor Messina Church of Santa Maria delle Tremiti is in a along the side of the crape of the IV century, which was rebuilt in mountain near the hospi- 1054. tal “Casa Sollievo della The island of San Domino was called the Sofferenza”, a work wan- “the paradise orchard” because is characteri- ted by Padre Pio. The re- zed by luxurious pine trees and mediterrane- mains of San Pio lay in the an vegetation; on its coast are extraordinary Church of Santa Maria del- beaches and little coves like Punta di Pigno le Grazie whose first infor- and Punta dell’Elefante. From 1989 the Tremiti isles are marine natural mation go back to 1540. reserve. On 3rd october 1998 a Padre Pio’s statue, built by Domenico Norcia, was located to a depth of four metres near scoglietti area in Ca- prara. , the capital of Gargano Instead the new monumental Church was projected by the famous ar- chitect Renzo Piano.

In San Giovanni Roton- Located on the east coast, Vieste is well known as seaside resort. Its orin- do t here are a lot of gins maybe attibuted to the ancient town of Apeneste. It was subject to craftsmen, who make a periodic incursions by Turks in 1477. Now, it is one of the most modern great variety of statues, town of Gargano and its main crucifixes, pictures, bio- activities are based on tourism, graphical books related fishing, trading and farming and to Padre Pio’s life. it is also an important seaport. Today, San Giovanni Here you can admire the re- Rotondo is the second mains of the medieval village, most visited shrine in the which lies on a rocky promon- world with approximately tory, with narrow streets and 7 million annual visitors. white houses.

On the highest part of the town there is the castle built by Fredrick II and the Cathedral, dated back to the XI century. A short distance there is the Piazzetta Ripe, little square in which you can see a Trabucco which is a wooden building used by fishers. You can admire a lot of caves, bays (Vignanotica, Baia dei Campi, Baia Gattarella).

Vieste is characterized by an attractive variation of sceneries: a long coast with a large beaches, the seaside with caves and cliffs, its surronded woods and white stack Pizzomunno which is the symbol of the town. According to a legend, Pizzomunno, a local young man was in love with Cristalda, the daughter of marine gods, and was turned into a rock by her parents. Every hundred years, during a moonlit night, Pizzomunno looks himself again to embrace a- gain his lover.

Between Peschici and Vieste, among the caves, we see the Grotta of San Nicola, Grotta del Turco and Grotta dell’Acqua; after passing Vieste, we find the Grotta dei Marmi and Grotta del Serpente. , the land of the sacred fire Manfredonia, the fishing town

Located along the Holy Way, San Situated along the biggest gulf of the centre southern adriatic, Manfredo- Marco in Lamis lies on a great nia is the arbour town par excel- valley rich in woods. Its name de- lence of the . It rives from the latin word lamae offers a striking view: on a side which means fenlands. Its first many kilometers of wide sandy name was San Giovanni in Lamis beach of , a populated and its history is closely connec- seaside resort. Its toponym co- ted with the Sanctuary of San mes from the Swabian King Man- Matteo. The convent occupies a fredi (1222-1266), who founded it splendid position, plunged in the in 1256 on the ruins of the ancient greenery of the surrounding town of Sipontum. In 1620, after woods and at the foot of Monte being sacked by Turks, it became Celano rises the first urban the poorest town of Capitanata. center. The original hamlet most probably dates back to the 10th-11th cen- Then became a fishing town and turies, and it was built by shepherds who found refuge from the Saracen an important commercial port of the Adriatic. incursions in the marshland. In the past, at the time of Saint Michael the Archangel’s apparitions, the Manfredonia is an attractive tourist center, where industial activities are in convent was one of the stops of the "Via Sacra Langobardorum"; thus, it rapid growth. There is a beautiful Swebian-Angevin Castle surrounded by was a place where pilgrims towers. It was begun by Manfredi and consacrated to the Bishop Lorenzo would rest and find temporary Maiorano. A few kilometers there are the remains of the ancient walls of shelter before reaching Mon- the town and the Romanesque Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore di Siponto te Sant'Angelo: it was a pro- and it arises from a Paleochristian motif. On per hospice. The Benedicti- the route to Foggia, there is the San Leo- nes changed the hospice into nardo in Lama Voltara complex, another abbey and it remained one of fine example of Puglian Romanesque, foun- the main stops for pilgrims. ded in the XII century by the religious order Then, in the 14th century, the of Sant’Agostino. convent became Cistercian and it was not until the year In the archeological museum there are the 1578 that it was run by the Stele Dau- Franciscans. Towards the nie, they are sepulchral symbols made of end of the 15th century and calcareous stones dated back to the VII the beginning of the 16th, a relic of Saint Matthew the Apostle was brought century B.C. to the convent from the city of Salerno where the Apostle's body had been buried. From that moment onwards, the location was marked as the con- There are many culters activities such as vent of San Matteo and no longer as that of San Giovanni in Lamis. It also Premio Manfredi Festival and on Fe- became a center of philosophical and theological studies because it has a bruary you can admire the amusing car- library with more than 60.000 volumes and a little museum. In terms of its nival masks. external appearance and structure, the convent still preserves the typical simplicity of all Benedictine buildings and on the high altar there is a woo- den statue of Saint Matthew.

Monte Sant’Angelo and Eremo di Pulsano Then the ancient village was surrene to Monte Sant’Angelo is the highest Franciscan friars and it was recognized town of Gargano and it dominates a town in 1793. San Marco in Lamis is the plain below of the southern characterized by its historical city cen- spur of the promontory. It is at an tre called La Padula, with its terraced altitude of 843 metres above sea houses and typical mugnali. Its eco- level. Its name derives from the nomy is based on farming, breeding Archangel who appeared in the and religious tourism. On the road to cave between 490 and 493 B. C. , there is the Sanctuary of and then the town developed a- Santa Maria di Stignano, a Church in round it. After Byzantine dominion romanesque style with two cloisters of the XVI century. it was under the rule of Longobard. Then the Emperor of Holy Roman On Good Friday you can Empire rebuilt the town devastated by wars. It is an important place, infact admire one of the most Popes, kings and Saint people like San Francesco d’Assisi came on pilgri- interesting customs of Gar- mage. gano, that is Le Fracchie. The Sanctuary is one of the most ancient Christian places of worship and They are huge conical tor- it is the most important monument of the town. It is composed of complex ches mostly made of wood constructions around the grotto from various eras. The atrium facade and chestnut and , up long the left portal date back to the second half of the 19th century, while the 10 meters with a circumfe- valuable relief on the right portal dates back to the year 1395. A long stair- rence of about 1.7 meters, case carved in the stone starts from the atrium and leads down to the ro- which are mounted hori- manesque portal, its bronze door dating back to the year 1076. In the holy zontally on steel wheels grotto, behind the altar, the statues of Saint Michael (work of Andrea San- and after they are carried sovino) dominates. Outside the sanctuary is a grand hexagonal bell tower by many volunteers around built in 1274 and the eleventh-century Rotari’s tomb. The first houses we- the town. were shelter for the pilgrims and they made up a suggestive medieval di- More than 2000 people of all ages partecipate in this procession and carry strict called Rione Junno. the Fracchie wearing peasant cloche, while members of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Sorrows accompain the Virgin who is looking for Her Son. Santa Maria di Pulsano Abbey is Every year, the procession is looked 9km from Monte Sant’Angelo. It on by 50.000 spectators. The frac- was built on the ruins of an ancient chia it is a popular devotion and it temple dedicated to Calcante, a serves to light the path of the Virgin clairvoyant of greek mythology. Mary. The transport of the fire, of Saracens destroyed it in 952, but course, han an important link with the abbey was rebuilt under the ancient rites of agricultural, forestry direction of San Giovanni Salcione and pastoral traditions. This proces- da Matera and named "Santa Ma- sion is a collective ritual that shows ria di Pulsano," a Benedictine Her- how the population of a town can mitage for Pulsanesi Eremites. It identify itself in its own traditions. quickly became one of the most powerful monasteries in Italy.