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Troia (Italy)
Encyclopedia
Troia is a town and comune
in the province of Foggia
, Puglia (southern Italy
).
, who had destroyed the ancient Troy
.
Aecae was mentioned both by Polybius
and Livy
, during the military operations of Hannibal and Fabius Maximus
in Apulia
. In common with many other Apulian cities it had joined the Carthaginians
after the battle of Cannae
, but was recovered by Fabius Maximus in 214 BCE, though not without a regular siege. Pliny
also enumerates the Aecani among the inland towns of Apulia (iii. 11); but its position is more clearly determined by the Itineraries, which place it on the Appian Way
between Equus Tuticus and Herdonia, at a distance of 18 or 19 miles from the latter city. This interval exactly accords with the position of the modern city of Troia, and confirms the statements of several chroniclers of the Middle Ages, that the latter was founded about the beginning of the eleventh century, on the ruins of the ancient Aecae.
Cluverius erroneously identified Aecae with Accadia
, a village in the mountains south of Bovino
; but his error was rectified by Holstenius. Troia is an episcopal see
, and a place of some consideration; it stands on a hill of moderate elevation, rising above the fertile plain of Puglia, and is 15 km south of Lucera, and 22 southwest of Foggia
.
The current Troia was founded as a fortified town in Apulia in 1018 by Basil Boiannes. It defended the entrance into the Apulian plain from the Normans
. Until overshadowed by Foggia, it was an important strategic town in southern Italy, and was several times besieged, notably, by the emperors Henry II
and Frederick II
. After the latter's fall, it sided for the Angevines
, and later, against the former, for the Aragonese
.
After the Piedmontese conquest of Southern Italy (1861), Troia rebelled and the Savoy troops intervened with the use of cannons.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Foggia
Province of Foggia
The Province of Foggia is a province in the Apulia region of Italy.This province is also known as Capitanata, originally Catapanata, because during the Middle Ages it was governed by a catapan, as part of the Catapanate of Italy...
, Puglia (southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
).
History
According to the legend, Troia (Aecae) was founded by the Greek hero DiomedesDiomedes
Diomedes or Diomed is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War.He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. In Homer's Iliad Diomedes is regarded alongside Ajax as one of the best warriors of all...
, who had destroyed the ancient Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
.
Aecae was mentioned both by Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
and Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, during the military operations of Hannibal and Fabius Maximus
Fabius Maximus
Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator was a Roman politician and general, born in Rome around 280 BC and died in Rome in 203 BC. He was Roman Consul five times and was twice Dictator in 221 and again in 217 BC. He reached the office of Roman Censor in 230 BC...
in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. In common with many other Apulian cities it had joined the Carthaginians
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
after the battle of Cannae
Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, which took place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage under Hannibal decisively defeated a numerically superior army of the Roman Republic under command of the consuls Lucius...
, but was recovered by Fabius Maximus in 214 BCE, though not without a regular siege. Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
also enumerates the Aecani among the inland towns of Apulia (iii. 11); but its position is more clearly determined by the Itineraries, which place it on the Appian Way
Appian Way
The Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...
between Equus Tuticus and Herdonia, at a distance of 18 or 19 miles from the latter city. This interval exactly accords with the position of the modern city of Troia, and confirms the statements of several chroniclers of the Middle Ages, that the latter was founded about the beginning of the eleventh century, on the ruins of the ancient Aecae.
Cluverius erroneously identified Aecae with Accadia
Accadia
Accadia is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Until the mid-20th century it was just within the eastern frontier of the region of Campania in the province of Avellino....
, a village in the mountains south of Bovino
Bovino
Bovino is a comune and hilltop town at the foot of the Irpinia mountains in the province of Foggia, in the region of Apulia/Puglia.Bovino is currently a member of the Italy's Most Beautiful Villages Club.- History :...
; but his error was rectified by Holstenius. Troia is an episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
, and a place of some consideration; it stands on a hill of moderate elevation, rising above the fertile plain of Puglia, and is 15 km south of Lucera, and 22 southwest of Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
.
The current Troia was founded as a fortified town in Apulia in 1018 by Basil Boiannes. It defended the entrance into the Apulian plain from the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
. Until overshadowed by Foggia, it was an important strategic town in southern Italy, and was several times besieged, notably, by the emperors Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
and Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. After the latter's fall, it sided for the Angevines
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
, and later, against the former, for the Aragonese
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
.
After the Piedmontese conquest of Southern Italy (1861), Troia rebelled and the Savoy troops intervened with the use of cannons.
Main sights
- Troia CathedralTroia CathedralTroia Cathedral is the cathedral of Troia in Apulia, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Built in the first quarter of the 12th century, it is reckoned a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque architecture and is particularly noted for the rose window and the bronze doors of...
, an example of Apulian Romanesque architectureRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,... - Basilica of St. Basil (11th century)
- Baroque church of St. Francis
- Church of San Vincenzo (10th century)
- Palazzo Principi d'Avalos
- Jesuits' Palace (16th century)
- Municipal Museum, with archaeological findings from the area and an art gallery
- Diocesan Museum, housed in the 18th century Benedictine Nunnery, and the New Museum of the Cathedral's Treasure. The latter is home to medieval rolls of the Exultet.