Ruvo di Puglia

In the Ruvestine countryside there are large crops of vineyards, olive groves and almond groves in the areas adjacent to the urban center of Ruvo. Moving away from it, the natural areas increase more and more, such as Scoparella, Cavallerizza and Polvino forests. Beyond Scoparella forest begins the territory of the Alta Murgia national park, made up of large hills without vegetation that makes it look like the Siberian tundras, except for the temperatures, which in summer reach 35° C (95° F). Winter in these territories it is raw, and snowfalls can easily occur which can block the passage. In addition to this, however, there are lots of woods and pine forests, farms and the so-called "Jazzi", places dedicated to grazing. Among these we remember the Jazzo del Demonio, inside the Scoparella forest, near a large millenary oak with the background of the aqueduct bridge, making this Jazzo particularly beautiful, calm, peaceful and wild, thus becoming a camping destination.

Calendano – It is 6 km away as the crow flies and is mainly made up of private villas with swimming pools, but there is also the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Calendano, an ancient sanctuary in the center of the hamlet, where there are also bars, tobacconists and restaurants. Furthermore, the wooden statue of the Madonna del Lunedì dell'Angelo is kept in the Sanctuary and carried in a procession on Easter Monday that closes the Holy Week of Ruvo di Puglia.

Some artefacts of worked stone date the first settlements in the Ruvestine countryside to the Middle Palaeolithic while some remains of villages confirm the presence of man since the 6th millennium BC. However, during the Bronze Age the territory was inhabited by the Morgetes, a people Ausonic, then expelled by the Iapygians with the advent of the Iron Age. The Iapygians settled in the Land of Bari giving rise to the Peucetians lineage and Ruvo was founded as a hilltop village now located between the municipal pine forest and the church of St. Michael the Archangel. The countryside around Ruvo in the Peucetian age was very vast and also had a port, called Respa, near Molfetta.

Between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, the Greeks peacefully colonized Ruvo which from that moment took the name of "Ρυψ". Around the 4th century BC the village experienced its moment of greatest splendor by conducting commercial exchanges with most of the Italic populations, including the Etruscans, minting its own currency and boasting a population and a territory never reached again (Ruvo's polis (City-State) of the Greek age included Molfetta, Terlizzi, Corato , Trani and Bisceglie). Ruvo established itself as a thriving polis of Magna Graecia and its wealth consisted in the trade of olive oil and wine and in the flourishing production of pottery. The Greek city of Ruvo ended up becoming protected by Athens, as shown by some coins, but also an ally of Taranto.

The defeat of the Greek Taranto in the war against Rome marked the end of the Hellenistic age in Apulia, thus making Ruvo enter the orbit of Romanization with the name of Rubi. Later Ruvo played a fundamental role for the Roman Republic and for the Empire, first being assigned the Roman citizenship, then the title of municipium and finally becoming the station of the Via Traiana. In 44, according to legend, Ruvo saw the rise of its own diocese at the behest of St. Peter, who appointed St. Cletus as the first bishop, who in the future would become pope. However, in the imperial age the ruvestine territory underwent a decrease as Molfetta, Trani and Bisceglie rise, thus losing contact with the sea.

In the fifth century the flourishing Ruvo disappeared under the blows of the invasions of the Goths which reduced the city to a pile of rubble for the first time. Ruvo, refounded on the slopes of the original hill, was first conquered by the Lombards and then fell prey to the Saracens. It was in this period that the ruvestines decided to equip themselves with a wall with towers and four doors: Porta Noè (now via Veneto), Porta del Buccettolo (via Campanella), Porta del Castello (Matteotti Square) and Porta Nuova (corso Piave). In the 11th century the fortress of Ruvo entered the county of Conversano and suffered further violence due to internal struggles for the management of power, which conflicts led to the second destruction of the city. However, it was under Frederick II of Swabia that Ruvo finally recognized a cultural and economic growth, a period marked by the construction of the Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and in the territory between Ruvo and Canosa of Castel del Monte. However, the foundations of the cities of Corato and Andria also date back to this historical moment, whose territories further diminished the ruvestine territory.

From 1266 Ruvo became a fief and entered, together with the whole of Apulia, among the dominions of the Angevins. Despite this, the period of peace and prosperity Ruvo fiefdom was enjoying faded again. In 1350 the city was razed to the ground and sacked by Ruggiero Sanseverino. The Ruvestines were thus forced to rebuild the inhabited centre, the walls and also decided to build the Torre del Pilota (Pilota Tower) 33 m high (108 ft). The Crown of Aragon dominion succeeded the Angevin dominion.The clashes for domination over the Kingdom of Naples between France and Spain resulted in the famous Battle of Ruvo, in which the Spaniards led by Consalvo of Cordova defeated the French troops of Jacques de La Palice stationed in Ruvo. During this battle the city was razed to the ground for the third time. The same fief also saw the thirteen French who clashed against as many Italians in the Challenge of Barletta starting from its wall.

In 1510 Oliviero Carafa bought the fief of Ruvo and the city experienced a negative historical period. Most of the historic Ruvestine patrician families became extinct, and only in the 17th century new noble families arose that knew a particular and flourishing economic condition. The walls were further strengthened, but despite the long period of peace, the population was suffocated by the oppression of the Carafa and by the tyrannical government of the same who transformed the Pilota Tower from a defensive tool to a prison for the opponents.

Between the end of the 16th and 17th centuries, or in the era of the counter-reformation, various associations and congregations arose that are still operating today, especially in the care of the rites of the Ruvestine Holy Week. However, in this dark period of Ruvo's history some illustrious men stood out, among which the most famous is undoubtedly the doctor Domenico Cotugno. In 1806, under the Napoleonic rule, feudalism was abolished, thus concluding the dominion of the Carafa which had lasted three centuries. Among the Carafa family of the Counts of Ruvo was the hero of the Neapolitan Republic of 1799, Ettore Carafa.

After the dominion of the Carafa, the liberal uprisings also touched Ruvo, but failed miserably as in the rest of the South. However, in the early 19th century, Giovanni Jatta was particularly distinguished. He was elected by the Ruvestines as the city's lawyer, and won the case against the Carafa family, obtaining lavish compensation. He was among the protagonists of those archaeological excavations that brought to light the numerous finds of Peucet, Greek and Roman period preserved in the Jatta museum. In the period prior to the unification of Italy, Ruvo was the seat of a Carbonara sale called "Perfetta Fedeltà" which included the patriot and lawyer Francesco Rubini who was responsible for organizing the Risorgimento uprisings also in Ruvo. In the post-unification period Ruvo, albeit slowly, knew the signs of progress also thanks to the ruvestine deputy and agronomist Antonio Jatta, who pointed out to the government the numerous problems of Apulia and the province of Bari. Fundamental milestones of progress were marked in 1905 from the arrival of electric lighting and in 1914 with the diffusion of public water. During the First World War 367 Ruvestines fell on the battlefronts. During the fascist twenty years, other works of public benefit were carried out, such as the reclamation of the quagmire and the creation of the sewer in 1938. Some Fascist manhole covers with the Fascist coat of arms alongside the coat of arms of the municipality of Ruvo di Puglia can still be seen. After the Second World War Ruvo distinguished itself in the cultural sphere, above all thanks to the works of the painter Domenico Cantatore, but also in the economic sphere with the flourishing vines and olive groves.

• Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI ^IATA), Bari. Ruvo can be reached from the Bari airport. It is connected directly to the airport by the Bari-Barletta train line, managed by Ferrotramviaria SpA. (updated May 2023)

• 🌍 Ruvo station. Ruvo can be reached on the FR1 and FR2 lines of the Bari-Barletta railway line managed by Ferrotramviaria SpA. From the Trenitalia national network, it is possible to reach this railway via a stopover from Bari Centrale FT and Barletta Centrale. Trains run from 04:00 until 00:00 every day, except Sundays and holidays when the train service is replaced by bus services, again managed by Ferrotramviaria. (updated May 2023)

From the north (Pescara and others): coming from the Highway Autostrada Adriatica A14, exit at the Molfetta tool booth, follow signs for Ruvo in the direction of Terlizzi.

From the south (Bari and others): coming from the Highway Autostrada Adriatica A14, exit at the Molfetta tool booth, follow signs for Ruvo in the direction of Terlizzi.

From the countryside: coming from the Strada Provinciale 231 (SP231) in direction to Ruvo. There are four exit directly to Ruvo city centre.

The Provincial Transport Company (STP) runs the Molfetta-Terlizzi-Ruvo and Trani-Ruvo sections. In addition, the Ferrotramviaria SpA company runs bus routes that retrace the railway route by road, from Barletta to Bari and vice versa. The Marino and Flixbus companies run bus connections from large Italian cities such as Naples, Rome or Milan directly with the city of Ruvo.

• 🌍 Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (Cattedrale di Santa Maria dell'Assunta). Built in the 12th century, it is an excellent example of Apulian Romanesque. Very similar to the nearby Cathedral of Trani and Bitono, its rose window is particular of that of Ruvo. Furthermore, there are many references to Arab-Byzantine art and Gothic experiments. In its centuries-old and ancient history, the Cathedral has had many modifications and alterations, leading to the exceptional result it is today. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Hypogeum of the Cathedral (Ipogeo della Cattedrale). It is an archaeological area below the Cathedral which houses the remains of Peucetian tombs and beautiful mosaics of Roman origin. There are remains of what must have been an ancient Roman Domus, in addition to the columns of the ancient cathedral which previously stood here. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Belltower of the Cathedral (Campanile della Cattedrale). Bell tower of extreme historical importance. 36.5 m (120.9 ft) tall, it is one of the distinctive symbols of the city's skyline. Much older than the cathedral, its construction dates back to the year 1000, and it was one of the main watchtowers of the medieval city. (updated May 2023)

• 🌍 Church of Purgatory (Chiesa del Purgatorio). 17th-century jewel in the historic centre. It doesn't have an interesting facade, but hides a breathtaking interior. To forget the reason is the beauty of the statue of the Pietà, which is also carried in procession on Holy Saturday. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Cave of Saint Cleto (Grotta di San Cleto) (underneath the Church of Purgatory). It is an archaeological area below the church of Purgatory. These are Greco-Roman ruins, where the so-called Cave of Saint Cleto is of exceptional value, or rather an ancient Roman cistern used by Saint Cleto (Saint Anacletus) the first bishop of Ruvo and third Pope in history, to take refuge from Christian persecutions. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Chiesa dei Santi Medici). (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Ancient civic clock tower (Antica torre dell'Orologio). 17th-century Civic Clock Tower, it is a panoramic point of the city. At its base there is an epigraph dating back to 239 AD dedicated to the Emperor Gordian III, and below it a second epigraph from 1793 with a description of the first above. It has an interesting clock set on top, and is equipped with two bells that ring every quarter hour. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Caputi Palace, Book Museum - House of Culture (Palazzo Caputi, Museo del Libro - Casa della Cultura). It is a 16th-century noble palace, which belonged to the Caputi family and was built during the Carafa era. The palace is of extreme artistic importance, especially its large frescoes and its chandeliers. The palace houses the Book Museum or Casa della Cultura, where important medieval and Renaissance volumes are kept. It is also used as a municipal library. 
• 🌍 Arco Caputi (Arco del Bacio). It is known as the kissing arch for its amorous decorations, which create a more exceptional setting than it already is. 
• 🌍 Spada Palace (Palazzo Spada). It is the ancient municipality of Ruvo, its internal atrium is interesting, where a priceless bas-relief is kept. 
• 🌍 Arco Miraglia. Beautiful medieval arch. It does not present particular marvels on the side of Via Vittorio Veneto, but it presents a hidden marvel after passing it and turning the view back towards the arch. Between medieval decorations, ancient wooden windows and artistic compositions, you cannot miss it. 
• 🌍 Church of Carmine (Chiesa del Carmine). It is a neoclassical jewel set in the historic centre. Breathtaking Baroque interiors, a large number of wooden statue compositions are kept, built by Neapolitan masters in the 1600s and carried in procession on Good Friday, such as the well-known "Procession of the Mysteries". 
• 🌍 Medieval Aragonese tower in Via Fornello (Torrione Aragonese di Via Fornello). Medieval tower which constitutes, together with its twin in Via Rosario, the remains of the ancient walls of Ruvo. Inside there is an infopoint of the Proloco. 
• 🌍 Medieval Aragonese tower in Via Rosario (Torrione Aragonese di Via Rosario). Medieval tower which constitutes, together with its twin in Via Fornello, the remains of the ancient walls of Ruvo. 

The historic centre is enclosed by large Corsos, in addition to the presence of squares such as Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, the largest and most fascinating, but also Piazza Dante Alighieri, with its centuries-old pine trees and fountains, Piazza Felice Cavallotti and Piazza Giovanni Bovio.

• 🌍NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Giacomo Matteotti Square (Piazza Giacomo Matteotti). 
• 🌍 Remains of the Castle of Ruvo (Castello di Ruvo) (Overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). Remains of the Norman medieval castle of Ruvo. Once considered a large and powerful castle, today only its quadrangular tower remains. 
• 🌍 Melodia Palace (Palazzo Melodia) (Overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). Noble palace of the Melodia family, dated to 17th century. Its entrance arch is accessible which leads into an atrium that leaves sensations right from the Middle Ages, with a beautiful interweaving of steps and stairways that lead up to the top. 
• 🌍 Church of Holy Redeemer (Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore) (overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). It stands mightily on Giacomo Matteotti Square. Of relevance is its bell tower, tall and neoclassical, built only in the 1950s. It rises mightily from the church, and overlooks the entire square and is tall enough to now constitute a distinctive sign of the skyline of the City of Talos. 
• 🌍 Confraternity of Saint Roch (Chiesa di San Rocco) (Overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). Built in the 16th century as a thank you to Saint Roch by the Ruvese population for having freed the city from the plague. Inside there is a huge statuary composition on a single base, the so-called "Otto Santi" from ruvestines, which is carried in procession on Holy Thursday at 02:30 in the night. It is the most evocative procession of Holy Week in Ruvo. 
• 🌍 Camerino Palace (Palazzo Camerino) (Overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). Noble palace built among the remains of the southern atrium of the Ruvo Castle. It does not have particular artistic details on the outside, but the interior is decorated with frescoes and paintings that make Palazzo Camerino look more like a royal palace than a noble one. Reservations are required for a visit inside, but generally visits are made upon reservation by the Ruvo's Proloco during events such as Holy Week, April 25th, May 1st, the Christmas period or mid-August, but also during the Cardoncello Festival or the Talos Festival. 
• 🌍 Avitaja Palace, Ruvo di Puglia Town Hall (Palazzo Avitaja, Comune di Ruvo di Puglia) (overlooking Giacomo Matteotti Square). Noble palace of the Avitaja family, one of the best preserved together with Spada, Caputi and Camerino Palaces in Ruvo. Its exterior is austere, and on the Via Alcide de Gasperi side it has an interesting family crest on the first floor. As of 2023, it is undergoing restoration, the Palace has been used as the Town Hall. At its base, moreover, there is an epigraph in memory of three great ruvestines partisan, who died in the Italian resistance. 
• 🌍 Felice Cavallotti Square (Piazza Felice Cavallotti) (near Giacomo Matteotti Square). It is a pretty little square built in the early 1900s and restored in 2016, together withGiacomo Matteotti Square. Inside stands the statue of Domenico Cotugno, a ruvestine scholar and doctor. Furthermore, there is a graceful classic 1930s clock, once present in Giacomo Matteotti Square and now moved to Felice Cavallotti Square. Around it there are several bars and shops, as well as the presence of Testini Palace, one of the noble palaces of Ruvo. 

• 🌍 Giovanni Bovio Square (Piazza Giovanni Bovio). Square born as the first municipal park of Ruvo (before the construction of Dante Alighieri Square), Bovio Square has an interesting shape, a trapezoid, made up of paths surrounded by greenery. In the centre there is an open space where the Memorial to Great War Fallen stands. The Jatta National Archaeological Museum overlooks it, where thousands of archaeological finds from the Magna Graecia era of Ruvo are preserved, the Baroque church of St. Dominic, of which the Domenico Cantatore Municipal Art Gallery stands behind it. Furthermore, a centuries-old cedar also overlooks the square, one of the largest in the whole of the Apulia region. At Christmas it is decorated to create one of the largest Christmas trees in the region. 
• 🌍 Church of St. Dominic (Chiesa di San Domenico). Built in the Renaissance as a small church outside the walls, it was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque style. Inside are preserved important works, as well as breathtaking Baroque decorations. The wooden sculpture of the Risen Christ is also kept, which is carried in procession at Easter. 
• 🌍 Jatta National Archeological Museum (Museo Jatta o Palazzo Jatta). Inside it houses one of the largest collections in the world of Greek, classical and Hellenistic art. The museum is organized in just 5 rooms which contain more than 2000 archaeological finds, including Greek vases, furnishings, Greek armor, toys and Roman epigraphs. Inside is kept the most valuable piece of the collection, the Vase of Talos, famous for its artistic revolution which still imposes an unknown factor on Greek pottery art. The vase is often transferred to temporary views in New York museums or the British Museum. 
• 🌍 Memorial to Great War Fallen (Monumento ai Caduti della Grande Guerra). Built in 1921 in honor of the ruvestines fallen in World War I, the bronze statue of victory was later removed to be melted down for war production during World War II. In 2009, with donations from Ruvestines and others, the statue was re-built and placed where the original once stood. 
• 🌍 Domenico Cantatore municipal Art Gallery (Pinacoteca di Arte Contemporanea Domenico Cantatore) (inside the 18th-century Dominican convent). Dedicated to the expressionist and cubist ruvestine painter Domenico Cantatore, the Art Gallery contains works by the ruvestines artist, as well as others by local artists such as Michele Chieco, Raffaele van Westerhout, Silvio Dodaro, Cesare Marino and Filippo Alto. The convent, on the other hand, was built in the 18th century and used as a primary school, then as an agricultural start-up and finally as a middle school dedicated to Domenico Cotugno, until 1987. 

• 🌍 Dante Alighieri Square (Piazza Dante Alighieri). Also considered as one of the Municipal Park of the city, the square was built during the 1920s and 1930s on 3 lots. The square was built following the destruction of the old Episcope of the Cathedral, once larger and which enclosed the entire back of the Cathedral and its bell tower. Furthermore, the Baroque side chapels of the Cathedral also once stood, demolished during the 1920s. This therefore changed the urban aspect of the area, allowing for the construction of the municipal park. In ancient times however, a dirt clearing stood in its place, used for the angel fair and the animal market, the latter no longer active for 40 years. 
• 🌍 Fountain of the Four Horses (Fontana dei Quattro Cavalli) (Inside Dante Alighieri Square). It is a marble fountain built in the 1960s decorated with beautiful horses. At night it is illuminated with colored lights, and is immersed in the greenery of the villa with its centuries-old pine trees. 
• 🌍 Statue of the Great Talos (Statua del Gigante Talos) (inside Dante Alighieri Square). Under construction in 2023, the Statue of the Giant Talos will soon rise in Piazza Dante. It is a 3.5-m Carrara marble colossus on a 2-m pedestal. The work was built by local artist Max di Gioia. 
• 🌍 Episcope of the Cathedral (Episcopio della Cattedrale) (facing Piazza Dante). Building built in the 1930s following the demolition of the previous one, the Episcopio is extremely elegant, with its portico overlooking the square. 

The Corsi of the city of Ruvo surround the historical centre. They are large commercial streets, similar to large boulevard avenues, of a total number of seven, overlooked by important commercial and restaurant activities, allowing leisure and entertainment in the ruvestine nightlife. In particular, in the summer, the various the different bars and nightclubs organize themed evenings which enliven the lives of young ruvestines and elsewhere. The Corsi were built in the mid-1800s, following the demolition of the medieval walls in 1820. Important palaces of the nobility or families of the ruvestine upper class overlook them, such as Chieco Palace or Testini Palace. Unfortunately, none of the many noble palaces that overlook Corsi can be visited inside. On the other hand, they create a certain atmosphere which makes Ruvo's corsi more similar to Parisian Boulevards than to simple commercial streets of an Apulian city as it is. Furthermore, they are made up of large sidewalks, often even 7-8 m wide (22-26 ft), which overlook both sides of the Corsi, and are shaded in summer by the presence of large trees such as the limes of Corso Cavour, which create a unique and refreshing.

• 🌍 Corso Cavour (Il Corso o Stradone). Corso Cavour was built by the engineer Egidio Boccuzzi, and is one of the main city corso. It is the main entertainment artery of the Ruvestine nightlife, where most of the youth clubs are located. It is shaded by the presence of its large centuries-old Lime trees. Ruvestines usually call it "corso" or "stradone". (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Corso Giovanni Jatta (Il Corso). If Corso Cavour is the course of nightlife and entertainment, Corso Giovanni Jatta is the corso of shopping and commercial. It has the smallest sidewalks and trees, but on the other hand it has a very large number of shops and commercial activities, as well as obviously the presence of a well-known club and a well-known pastry shop. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Corso Antonio Gramsci. It is characterized by being the only Corso in Ruvo to have maintained its original state of road pavement, with its volcanic stones. Dedicated to the great Antonio Gramsci, it was once dedicated to King Vittorio Emanuele III. A well-known restaurant and a well-known pastry shop-bar overlook it. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Corso Ettore Carafa. It is the old main Boulevard of the city. It has the largest sidewalks, and is overlooked by important noble and bourgeois palaces, such as Chieco Palace. In addition to the presence of a couple of bars, unlike Corso Cavour, this corso is characterized by the presence of trade unions and municipal offices, making it not very active in the evening. It is nonetheless a fascinating and important place for a walk. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Church of St James al Corso (Chiesa di San Giacomo al Corso) (overlooking Corso Ettore Carafa). Very particular neoclassical church that overlooks Corso Ettore Carafa. It features a breathtaking Baroque interior, similar to that of St Dominic. It stands where the old church of St James once stood, a small medieval church that no longer exists. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Corso Domenico Cotugno. It is characterized as the entry point from Via Corato. Various other noble and bourgeois palaces overlook the Corso, and various pastry shops and commercial establishments overlook it. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Giovanni Bovio Elementary School (Scuola Bovio) (overlooking Corso Domenico Cotugno). Elementary school built by the engineer Egidio Boccuzzi in the 1910s, the school is one of the largest in the area. It has a huge mammoth staircase at the entrance, with large arches covering the large portico. Finally, on the top of the facade there is an interesting sundial. (updated May 2023)

The city also has two other Corsi such as Corso Piave and Corso Antonio Jatta. The first is the smallest, and looks more like a normal road than a Corso. It is characterized by the large number of commercial activities, and at the end of it overlooks the Ruvo Hospital, the Rest Home, the Baroque church of St. Archangel Michael and the Municipal Pinewood. The second however, is the continuation of Corso Cavour which continues for another half kilometre, and is called "il rettilineo (the straight line)" by the inhabitants of Ruvo. It is characterized by its large linden trees, which give continuity to Corso Cavour. On the other hand, it is not overlooked by large commercial and restaurateur activities such as those of Corso Cavour, making it more of an access road to the city. At the end, there is the long Viale Ugo Foscolo of the cemetery, 1 km (0.6 miles) long, characterized by large cypresses, in addition to the branches for Via Vecchia di Bisceglie and Via Molfetta.

• 🌍 Church of St. Michael Archangel (Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo) (at the bottom of Corso Piave). It is a beautiful example of a Baroque church. Inside there are paintings by Gaspar Hovic, a Dutch painter of the 16th century. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Former convent of the Friars Minor Observant (Ex Convento dei Frati Minori Osservanti) (at the bottom of Corso Piave). It is a convent built by the Franciscans in 1200 AD, following the passage of San Francesco d'Assisi from Ruvo. Inside there are important fresco cycles of the life of St. Francis. It has been used as a nursing home "M.M. Spada". (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Ospedale di Ruvo "Di Pietà" (at the bottom of Corso Piave). Hospital constructed in 1881, and expanded in the 20th century.