Lucera

Lucera
—  Comune  —
Comune di Lucera
Coat of arms
Lucera Location of Lucera in Italy
Coordinates:
Country	Italy
Region	Puglia
Province	Foggia (FG)
Frazioni	Palmori, Reggente, San Giusto
Government
• Mayor	Pasquale Dotoli
Area
• Total	338.64 km2 (130.7 sq mi)
Elevation	250 m (820 ft)
Population (30 June 2008)[1]
• Total	34,605
• Density	102.2/km2 (264.7/sq mi)
Demonym	Lucerini
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	71036
Dialing code	0881
Patron saint	Santa Maria
Saint day	August 15
Website	Official website

Lucera is a town and comune in the Province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southern Italy.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Ancient era and early Middle Ages 1.2 Islamic period 2 Main sights 3 See also 4 Footnotes 5 Sources and references

History

Ancient era and early Middle Ages

Lucera is an ancient city founded in Daunia, the centre of Dauni territory (in present day Apulia). Archeological excavations show the presence of a bronze age village inside the city boundaries. Lucera was probably named after either Lucius, a mythical Dauno king, or a temple dedicated to the goddess Lux Cereris. A third possibility is that the city was founded and named by the Etruscans, in which case the name probably means Holy Wood (luc = wood, eri = holy).

In 321 BC, the Roman army was deceived into thinking Lucera was under siege by the Samnites. Hurrying to relieve their allies the army walked into an ambush and were defeated at the famous Battle of the Caudine Forks. The Samnites occupied Lucera but were thrown out after a revolt. The city sought Roman protection and in 320 BC was granted the status of Colonia Togata, which meant it was ruled by the Roman Senate. In order to strengthen the ties between the two cities, 2,500 Romans moved to Lucera. From then on, Lucera was known as a steadfast supporter of Rome.

During the civil wars of the late Republic, Pompey set up his headquarters in Lucera, but abandoned the city when Julius Caesar approached. Lucera quickly switched its allegiance and Caesar's clemency spared it from harm. In the next civil war between Octavian and Mark Anthony the city did not escape as lightly. After the war, Octavian settled many veteran soldiers on the lands of the ruined city. This helped Lucera recover quickly and marked an era of renewed prosperity. Many of the surviving Roman landmarks hail from this Augustan period, among them the Luceran amphitheatre.

With the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city of Lucera entered into a state of decline. In 663 AD, it was captured from the Lombards and destroyed by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II.

Islamic period

In 1224 AD, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, responding to religious uprisings in Sicily, expelled all Muslims from the island, transferring many to Lucera - "Lugêrah", as she was known in Arabic - over the next two decades. In this controlled environment, they could not challenge royal authority and they benefited the crown in taxes and military service. Their numbers eventually reached between 15,000 and 20,000, leading Lucera to be called Lucaera Saracenorum because it represented the last stronghold of Islamic presence in Italy. During peacetime, Muslims in Lucera were predominately farmers. They grew durum wheat, barley, legumes, grapes and other fruits. Muslims also kept bees for honey.^[2]

The colony thrived for 75 years until it was sacked in 1300 by Christian forces under the command of Charles II of Naples. The city's Muslim inhabitants were exiled or sold into slavery,^[3] with many finding asylum in Albania across the Adriatic Sea.^[4] Their abandoned mosques were demolished, and churches were usually built in their place, including the cathedral S. Maria della Vittoria.^[5]

After the Muslims were removed from Lucera, Charles tried to settle Christians in the city. Those Muslims that converted to Christianity got part of their property back, but none was restored his former position of political or economic influence. As time progressed, grain production fell in the city, and in 1339 the city was hit by a famine. Christians were allowed to farm as the Muslims.^[6]

A low genetic Northwest African contribution among today's inhabitants near the region of Lucera was revealed by a very recent genetic study in 2009.^[7]

Main sights

Lucera hosts several monuments from different ages:

• the Roman Amphitheater, dating to Augustus' times and one of the largest in southern Italy. It was discovered in 1932: during the excavations, a statue of Augustus was found in the site It measures c. 131 x 99 m, of elliptical plan, and could host from 16,000 to 18,000 spectators. The area measured 75.2 x 43.2 m. The amphitheater could be accessed from two large portals, one towards Lucera and one towards Foggia; the two side accesses, as well as the external walls, are no more visible. It was perhaps destroyed in the capture of the city by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II in 663.
• the medieval Castle
• the Church of St. Francis
• the Cathedral, built in 1300 on the grounds of the last standing medieval mosque in Italy, which had been destroyed the same year.
• Church of the Carmen
• Church of St. Dominic
• Church of St. Antony the Abbot, whose dome was once part of the city's mosque.
• Church of St. John the Baptists

See also

• History of Islam in southern Italy
• Bishopric of Lucera–Troia

Footnotes

Sources and references

• Alexander Knaak: Prolegomena zu einem Corpuswerk der Architektur Friedrichs II. von Hohenstaufen im Königsreich Sizilien 1220–1250, Marburg 2001. ISBN 3-89445-278-1 (For the medieval Lucera Castle of the Hohenstaufen see pp. 24–38)

• Aalulbayt Library, An Introduction to the Spread of Islam
• Taylor, Julie. Muslims in Medieval Italy: The Colony at Lucera. Lexington Books, 2005.
• University of Michigan-Dearborn, UM-Dearborn professor publishes history of Muslim community in medieval Italy (press release), 20 November 2003

Puglia · Comuni of the Province of Foggia Accadia Alberona Anzano di Puglia Apricena Ascoli Satriano Biccari Bovino Cagnano Varano Candela Carapelle Carlantino Carpino Casalnuovo Monterotaro Casalvecchio di Puglia Castelluccio Valmaggiore Castelluccio dei Sauri Castelnuovo della Daunia Celenza Valfortore Celle di San Vito Cerignola Chieuti Deliceto Faeto Foggia Ischitella Isole Tremiti Lesina Lucera Manfredonia Mattinata Monte Sant'Angelo Monteleone di Puglia Motta Montecorvino Ordona Orsara di Puglia Orta Nova Panni Peschici Pietramontecorvino Poggio Imperiale Rignano Garganico Rocchetta Sant'Antonio Rodi Garganico Roseto Valfortore San Giovanni Rotondo San Marco in Lamis San Marco la Catola San Nicandro Garganico San Paolo di Civitate San Severo Sant'Agata di Puglia Serracapriola Stornara Stornarella Torremaggiore Troia Vico del Gargano Vieste Volturara Appula Volturino Zapponeta