HK Independent Traveller Blog

The giant Romanesque cathedral located next to the sea, in Trani , is the key magnet drawing visitors to this Adriatic coastal town. But its list of attractions in Trani is far much bigger.  The harbour brought flourishing city development since the Middle Ages . The town is dotted with nice houses, beautiful churches and palaces. Apart from trade, the seafront is like a paradise for holiday-makers, swimmers and dinners.  Trani prospered during the Norman and Swabian rule around the 12th century. On top of goods trading, it was also a transit point for pilgrims going to Jerusalem . A group of Jews resided in the city and subsequently a Jewish quarter formed. Impressive synagogues remain till today.  The glory of Trani dramatically ended in the 1500s when the Ottoman Empire dominated. It then became a small fishing city. Chiesa Sant'Andrea Our coach stopped far outside the city, perhaps one kilometer away from the back of the railway station. Standing in the front...

  Matera, a Mystery Exposed to the Light After Centuries After two beautiful days in Monopoli and Polignano a Mare , we switched to a totally different world – Matera , the third oldest city in the world, after Aleppo and Jericho, with over 10,000 years of history. There isn’t any sea view with crystal clear water in Matera but rock caves and dwellings. Matera is simply magical and mystical.   Sub-standard Living in Caves (Sassi) The symbol of Matera is the “Sassi”, caves dug into the mountain where the local people lived. One cave dwelling accommodated families and their animals. Life was harsh with scarce resources. When the population grew bigger, the living condition further deteriorated. The extreme poverty together with the poor hygiene and infectious diseases led to isolation. Matera was segregated from the rest of Italy and named ‘Shame of Italy’.     Revival of Matera Until 1950s, due to the deteriorating conditions and escalating health crisis in...