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Greek city of
Luceria
in
Apulia
Bronze Teruncius 21mm (8.66 grams) Struck circa 170-145 B.C.
Reference: HN Italy 680 Pedigree: Ex CNG
Laureate head of Neptune right; ••• (mark of value) to left
LOVCERI, Dolphin right; above, trident right.
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Neptune
(Latin:
Neptūnus) was the
god of water and the sea
in
Roman mythology
and
religion
. He is analogous with, but not
identical to, the Greek god
Poseidon
. In the
Greek-influenced tradition
, Neptune was the
brother of
Jupiter
and
Pluto
, each of them presiding over one of the
three realms of the universe, Heaven, Earth and the Netherworld. Depictions of
Neptune in Roman mosaics
, especially those of
North Africa
, are influenced by
Hellenistic
conventions.
Unlike the Greek
Oceanus
,
titan
of the world-ocean, Neptune was
associated as well with fresh water.
Georges Dumézil
suggested that for
Latins
, who were not a seafaring people, the
primary identification of Neptune was with freshwater springs. Like
Poseidon, Neptune was worshipped by the Romans also as a god of horses, under
the name Neptunus Equester, a
patron
of horse-racing.
Lucera is an Italian city of 34,243 inhabitants in the
province of Foggiaa
in the region of
Apulia
, and the seat of the
Diocese of Lucera-Troia
.
Situated at the confluence of the valleys of Molise and Campania in the
Tavoliere delle Puglie
, Lucera was the
capital
of
Capitanata
and of the County of Molise from
1579 until 1806.
Climate
The city is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers,
with extreme temperature changes during the day, and mild winters, although due
to its proximity to the Daunian mountains the temperature can drop to values
below 0 °C (32 °F). The winds are quite frequent and, although sometimes quite
strong, are usually moderate.
The average annual temperature is around 15 °C (59 °F), and rainfall amounts
to an average value of 497 millimetres (19.6 in). Snowfalls are rare.
History
Ancient era
and early Middle Ages
Lucera is located in the territory of the
Dauni
ancient tribe. 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
Further information:
Muslim settlement of Lucera
Lucera Cathedral
was converted into
a mosque
during the brief
Muslim settlement of Lucera
.
In 1224,
Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II
, responding to religious uprisings
in Sicily
, expelled all Muslims from the island,
transferring many to Lucera (Lugêrah, as it 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
.
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, with many finding asylum in
Albania
across the
Adriatic Sea
. Their abandoned mosques were
demolished, and churches were usually built in their place, including the
cathedral of S. Maria della Vittoria.
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.
Main sights
Sights in Lucera include:
- 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 by 99 metres (430 by
325 ft), of elliptical plan, and could host from 16,000 to 18,000
spectators. The area measures 75.2 x 43.2 m.[clarification
needed] 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
International
relations
See also:
List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy
Twin towns
– Sister cities
Lucera is
twinned
with:
Jesi
, Italy, since 1970
San Cipirello
, Italy, since 1989
Trogir
, Croatia, since 1970
Cacc’e mmitte
di Lucera DOC
The commune of Lucera is home to the
Denominazione di origine controllata
(DOC)
wine of Cacc’e mmitte di Lucera. This red
Italian wine
is said to have gotten its name
from the local dialect referring to the act of pouring a wine from
cask
to
goblet
and going back for seconds. The DOC
includes 80 hectares
(198 acres) of land around the commune
with all grapes destined for DOC wine production needing to be
harvested
to a
yield
no greater than 14
tonnes
/ha. The wine is made primarily (35-60%)
from the
Uva di Troia
grape (known in Lucera under the
synonym Sumarello),
Montepulciano
,
Sangiovese
and
Malvasia nera
(the latter three grapes
collectively making up between 25-35% of the blend). White wine
grape varieties
are also permitted in this red
wine with
Trebbiano Toscano
,
Bombino bianco
and
Malvasia del Chianti
collectively allowed to
account for between 15-30% of the blend. The finished wine must attain a minimum
alcohol level
of 11.5% in order to be
labelled
with the Cacc’e mmitte di Lucera DOC
designation.
See also
-
History of Islam in southern Italy
-
Bishopric of Lucera–Troia
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