Canosa di Puglia

The history of Canosa di Puglia is far more than five years. Its ancient name was Canusium in Latin, or in Greek, Canusion. With the barbarian invasions the name became Canuso and then Canosa, which is Latin for old man. There are many legends that speak of the origin of this name. At the time Canosa was an important city like Firenze, an important center of commerce. During the Second Punic War, on 2 August 216 BC, in Canne della Battaglia (then only cane for the presence of bamboo), then known as Cannae, there happened the largest battle of the war. It was here that the great strategic mind of Hannibal wrote itself on history, with the help of animals unknown to the Romans (the elephants), succeeding for the first time in defeating the Romans. However, the defeated army took refuge in Canosa, where its soldiers were cared for in an old hospital (now middle school Bovio). The Romans were very grateful and made a splendid city of Canosa. Today, it's full of archaeological relics, and even today are discovered new tombs, archaeological sites and elements that bring us back to the past. Mainly the Etruscans "provided" the most valuable finds discovered in the graves. They believed that the dead were to continue their lives in another world, and to help address this new life, left in their graves at that time objects of great value (pots, food, etc.). One of the most significant symbols of Canosa is the area of the castle. There's a legend that says the Prince of Canosa and his family fled when he was in trouble. Some older people still hate the royal family, and it is said that, during that time, the citizens of the land covered the castle with waste. However, it was actually the acropolis of ancient Canosa (Castrum canus).

• 🌍 Archaeological Museum of Canosa di Puglia (Museo civico archeologico di Canosa di Puglia), Via S. Benedetto, 16. (updated Dec 2021)
• 🌍 Antiquarium and Archaeological Park San Leucio (Antiquarium del parco archeologico di San Leuci), Via Santa Lucia, 100. (updated Dec 2021)

• 🌍 Cefalicchio Country House, Contrada Cefalicchio SP 143, km 3, ☏ +39 0883 642167. Farmhouse in Puglia with pool, restaurant, winery and wellness center, a few miles from Trani.