Bisceglie and the beautiful historic Town

A purely tourist city with an excellent sea that attracts thousands of tourists every year, Bisceglie enjoys an important historic center, with noble churches and palaces dating back to the 10th century AD Along the Santa Margherita road, we meet one of the historic churches of the city, dating back to the 12th century, built in the Apulian Romanesque style with the classic white stone of the area. The Church is visible only from the outside, it is small and devoid of particular aesthetic ornaments.

Entering the historic center, we meet the Fish square, a historic and fundamental part of the city, where fishermen sell their catch every day, maintaining a centuries-old tradition. The Bisceglie fish market has reached a certain popularity even in the neighboring cities and there are many buyers who cyclically visit the market for personal purchases. It is certainly one of the peculiar characteristics of the city. Every day the banks are full of fresh fish and seafood in quantity and it is also fun to listen to sellers' announcements in the local dialect.

The Medieval Castle dating back to the 11th century AD it was built under the Norman empire by Carlo I D'Angiò and represents an imposing fortress to which is added the Norman lookout tower, also named *Torre Maestra*. The Castle is actually made up of different buildings belonging to different eras and it is difficult for this to provide a certain style. Its structure, however, proved to be ineffective against the most modern weapons and in the 16th century it was transformed from a military fortress to civil use.

The streets of the historic center are full of commercial premises, pubs and restaurants and the nightlife is always active especially on weekends or holidays. Here an interesting food and wine initiative called Calici nel Borgo Antico takes place annually, where a tasting trail is created throughout the historic center with stops in the halls of the historic buildings or in the city's museums.

Proceeding along Via dell'Olio we reach the Cathedral of the city, the Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo, belonging to the 11th-12th century and built according to the style of the epoch is the Apulian Romanesque, with the typical dominant white stone outside of the structure but also inside. Consisting of 3 large naves, the church was especially the object of a profound revisitation in the Baroque style in the 18th century, and after a recent renovation was restored to its ancient style and splendor.

The crypt is a more cramped and cozy place. The roof is much lower and one has the feeling that the heaviness of the cathedral can crush you at any moment. At the center are the relics of the 3 patron saints of the city, while below are the bishops' tomb. A side door leads to a room in which the ancient work tools of the citizens are kept, some easily recognizable, others a little less. There is another room, closed by iron bars that forbids access to a deep cave, in which they say that if you have a powerful torch, you can see human bones.

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