Andria

Andria lies inland from the Adriatic, on the edge of the Murge plateau. Its cathedral and old streets recall a town favoured by Emperor Frederick II, whose two wives were buried in the cathedral crypt. On a nearby hill stands Castel del Monte, the emperor's striking octagonal castle overlooking the broad Apulian countryside from its commanding hilltop.

Andria later passed through the hands of the Orsini and the Carafa families. During the upheavals of 1799, when the Parthenopean Republic was proclaimed at Naples, the town remained loyal to the Bourbon king. French forces besieged and took Andria; the assault brought fire, destruction and the deaths of inhabitants. The castle and cathedral survived as reminders of the town's older connection to imperial power.