The queen of Apulian cathedrals on the harbour
Trani, on the Adriatic coast north of Bari, is one of the most elegant towns in Apulia, with a picturesque harbour lined with palaces, fishing boats and restaurants, and a historic centre of white stone. In the Middle Ages it was a rich port, with an important Jewish community that left four synagogues, two of which can still be visited, and its maritime code, the Ordinamenta Maris of 1063, is one of the oldest in the Mediterranean.
Its symbol is the Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino, called the "queen of Apulian cathedrals", which rises isolated on a promontory at the edge of the sea, its pale pink limestone shining against the blue of the water and the sky. Built from 1099 in honour of a young Greek pilgrim who died in Trani, it is a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque, with a bell tower almost 60 metres high on a high arch, a façade with a rose window and carved animals, and a famous bronze door by Barisano da Trani, from the twelfth century. Inside, under the soaring nave, are two crypts, one dedicated to San Nicola Pellegrino and one, older, to Santa Maria. Next to it, the Swabian Castle of Frederick II stands on the sea.
Tip: the cathedral is most beautiful at sunset and at night, when it is lit; try the Moscato di Trani, a sweet dessert wine.
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