• City

  Barletta

• Province

  Barletta-Andria-Trani

• Adress

  76125 Trani BT

• Date of construction

  13 February 1503

Description

The history of Southern Italy, and therefore of Puglia, is studded with foreign invasions and clashes for the possession of territories. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the French and the Spanish were competing for the Kingdom of Naples. Sometimes, to resolve disputes over some possessions, rather than resorting to battles in the open field, they preferred to rely on chivalrous challenges. Among these the most famous is the one held in Trani, also known with the name of "Disfida di Barletta". The Challenge of Barletta was a clash held on February 13, 1503 in the morning of Sant'Elia (in the territory of Trani, at the time of the events under Venetian jurisdiction), between thirteen Italian knights (under Spanish aegis) and as many French knights. The confrontation ended with the victory of the Italians.

Even in the 21st century you can see the shrine with the epitaph that Ferrante Caracciolo, 1st Duke of Airola, had erected in 1583. The monument was recovered in 1846 by the Metropolitan Chapter of Trani. In 1903 the verses of Giovanni Bovio were added.

Quisquis es, egregiis animum si tangeris ausis,
Perlege magnorum maxima facta ducum.
Hic tres atque decem forti concurrere campo
Ausonios Gallis altus adegit amor,
Certantes utros bello Mars claret et utros
Viribus atque animis auctet alatque magis.
Par numerus, paria arma, pares ætatibus, et quos
Pro Patria pariter laude perisse iuvet.
Fortuna et virtus litem generosa diremit:
Et quæ pars victrix debuit esse, fuit.
Hic stravere Itali iusto in certamine Gallos,
Hic dedit Italiæ Gallia victa manus.

Gallery