A long history of foreign rule, wars, revolts, repressions, but also the cradle of civilization, of art, literature, sometimes at the peak of its splendour, sometimes bowed under the tyranny and violence of men.
Already populated in the third millennium B.C by populations which were very probably of Illyrian origin, and which were later called Lapyges by the Greeks, the very first colonization originated from the Aegeans between the 19th and 16th centuries B.C and, in particular, from the Mycenaean between the 15th and 12th centuries.
Despite the Lapyges’ dogged resistance against the superior Hellenic civilization
Taranto became, between the 5th and 4th centuries, the most powerful and wealthy city of Puglia and the whole
Magna Graecia.
But the
Romans, in 304 B.C at the end of the second Samnite war, had by then entered Puglia: Taranto was forced to surrender and became Roman in the 272 B.C.
Once the entire region was conquered Rome undertook that feat of the cultural and civilian unification of different progenies which the Greeks had failed to do.
It was
Brindisi’s luck which, connected to Rome through the Via Appia, became the region’s municipality and main harbour.
It was the start of Latin literature with the annalist from Salento, Quintus Ennius, and the author of tragedies from Brindisi, Marco Pacuvio; the region became a bridge towards the East with its trade with Epirus, Macedonia, Greece, Syria and Egypt. The Romans built roads through almost its entire length, with roads like the Via Appia (From Venosa and Taranto up to Brindisi) or Via Traiana (From Benevento by Troia, Canosa, Ruvo, Bitonto, Bari).
Christianity began to spread from the 3rd century; the appearance of the Archangel Michael on mount Gargano is collocated during the 5th century, there where a sanctuary was built (today Monte Sant’Angelo) and which swiftly became a pilgrims’ destination.
The fall of the Western Roman Empire (476) marked the end of the civil order, of institutions and of trading and the Gothic war against the Byzantines (535-553) marked the end of the dark era of the
Pugliese Middle Ages.
The region remained both the common and battle ground of two worlds, the Western Romano-Germanic and the Eastern Byzantine and was melting pot of different cultural, artistic and religious experiences, between the Latin clergy protected by the Roman popes and the Greek clergy protected by Byzantium.
In the first half of the 11th century the revolts against the Byzantine rule intensified in Puglia: first the Saracen attempt, then the revolts lead by Melo, wealthy citizen from Bari and exponent of the Lombard aristocracy and of the mercantile class; he also recruited the
Norman pilgrims who, victory after victory, from mercenaries became conquerors.
Bari, which revolted in 1068, was definitely conquered by Robert in 1071; a short time later Brindisi also fell and the whole region came under the Norman rule.
Puglia was able to enjoy a favourable trade, cultural and artistic period: with Frederick II, in the first half of the 13th century, the region knew one of the most flourishing periods of its history.
With his death (1250) Puglia passed to the
Angevins: it was the start of a long period of decadence and a Feudal nobility started to distress their own subjects.
Afterwards: the raids by the Turks, the war between the French and the Spanish (famous is the “Challenge of Barletta” of 1503), the Spanish rule of the Kingdom of Naples, up to arrive to the unification of Italy made official in February 1861.
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A long history of foreign rule, wars, revolts, repressions, but also the cradle of civilization, of art, literature, sometimes at the peak of its splendour, sometimes bowed under the tyranny and violence of men.
