Discover the most significant medieval monument in southern Italy on a 1-hour guided tour of Castel del Monte. Situated in Andria in the Puglia region, the citadel and castle is a national treasure and beauty to behold. Built on top of a hill with commanding views of the Puglia region, Castel del Monte is the most important building built by the Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen of Swabia. Explore the monument’s myths and legends, including the meaning of the number 8. After years of neglect, when the castle was stripped of its furniture and marble decorations to become a refuge for shepherds, brigands and political refugees, Castel del Monte was bought and restored by the Italian state in 1876. Almost a century later, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the perfection of its shape and harmonious union of cultural elements from northern Europe, the Islamic world, and classical antiquity. Explore the castle’s façades and interior, and learn the historical context in which it was built.

Go on a journey through the history of Puglia on a 1.5-hour guided tour of Castel del Monte in the hills of Andria and discover a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meet your guide at the castle entrance, 36 miles (60 kilometers) from Bari. Explore the castle grounds and walk around the outside of the mountain fortress while your guide describes its history. It was first recorded as the Castellum Del Monte in 1223, and built by the humanist Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. A unique piece of medieval military architecture, Frederick imbued the castle with symbolic significance, defined by the laws of math and astronomy. Soaring 1,770 feet (540 meters) above sea level, in the heart of the Alta Murgia National Park, you will get panoramic views of the surrounding area, from the Gargano promontory up to the ancient province of Lucania. Discover impressive structural elements that follow the repetition of the number 8, from the castle’s basic octagonal shape, to the 8 trapezoid rooms, 8 towers, and 44 steps of the spiral stairs. Admire the harmonious blend of Romanesque and Gothic influences, together with important contributions from Islamic art.

The guided tour will start from the Archaeological Park where you can visit the thermal baths, the domus, S.S. Trinity and the amphitheater. Inside the baths you can visit the changing room, the mosaic paved frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium heated by the ovens. Not far away there are two domes from the second century BC which are composed of five rooms with a central basin useful for collecting rainwater. Later you will visit the amphitheater and the S.S. Trinity, the fifth-century church and the Abbatial Palace with its monastery. Then visit the unfinished church which was designed to contain a larger number of faithful and was started in the mid-1100s but never finished. Visit the 16th-century Aragonese castle Pirro del Balzo, a majestic, square-plan building with four cylindrical towers surrounded by a deep moat. Inside there is the national archaeological museum that contains Roman antiquities. The guided tour ends with the external visit of the so-called house of Horace, dating back to the second century BC.

Castel del Monte is an ancient manor built by Frederic of Swabia on the highest hill of Alta Murga which dominates the splendid landscape like an emperor's crown, a symbol of the power and genius of the great man who was Federico II. Today it is a Unesco World Heritage Site, a castle full of mystery and many questions that seek an answer among the stones, the only witnesses of the past. Your personal guide will await you at the bus and car parking and together we take the shuttle that bring us to the Castle where we walk around the area and admire the monument from outside and all the splendid area of Alta Murgia, then you entry inside of the Castle and explore the different spaces: cort, rooms and towers. Using the story learned from the guide and your own imagination immerse yourself in the midlevel atmosphere and try to understand the mystery of this unique manor so narrow related to its builder.

Enjoy an adventurous e-bike tour sorrounding the Castel del Monte area — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and hidden spots on a 3-hour guided tour. The route takes place mainly on a dirt road with electric mountain bikes: away from traffic and immersed in nature! Ride in class and comfort which is perfect for discovering various parts of the rural region. See the Alta Murgia National Park differently and feel like a local as you cruise through its oak woods and expanses of pseudo steppe, uninterrupted by daily routines. You will look very Instagram worthy on your e-bikes. Admire many famous sights like the Castel del Monte octagonal castle, and discover typical local architecture marvels that are not on the front pages of tourist magazines.

Discover Barletta, famous for the Challenge that occurred between 13 Italian knights and 13 French knights in 1503. Begin with a visit to the medieval castle of the eleventh century, founded by the Normans and expanded by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. Among the sculptures preserved in the castle, you can visit the bust of Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen of Swabia limestone, dating from the thirteenth century. Go on to visit the historic "Winery of the Challenge", historically known as the "House of Poison" for the challenge famous challenge that was launched there. After the winery, discover the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore of the twelfth century, the most important church in Barletta. The cathedral is divided into two parts, the front being a typically Romanesque architectural style of the twelfth century, while the back part is of Gothic architectural style of the fourteenth century. The tour will end outside the baroque palace "Della Marra", with paintings by Giuseppe De Nittis and the visit of the bronze giant named Heraclius next to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.

What can be said to describe the flavor, the color and the taste of these sweet jewels? Just try them. In Puglia, "confetti" is usually eaten during the Carnival period when you can find them in every bar along with its special irresistible smell. Visit the museum, see the tools for its fabrication and a DVD presentation in English. The museum will relate a fascinating story of a confectionary product that also reflects the story of modern Italy. It will be well worth a visit in order to mix a slice of Italian cultural history with a bit of shopping and buying of presents. Purchase various flavors of a favorite treat and have a final tasting of candy dragée confetti. Afterwards, have a guided tour in the town center of Andria.

Canusium has been an important Roman town and still today, you can admire the wonderful testimonies along the tour. The tour will begin by visiting the Cathedral of San Sabino from the 6th century. A.D., where you will be able to visit interesting buildings from the Roman imperial age with monolithic columns in ancient green marble, Corinthian capitals. Certainly, the three most interesting elements will be the Acceptus pulpit, the episcopal chair of the 11th century by Romualdo and the bronze door. Following will be the Mausoleum of Boemondo d'Altavilla, the marble tomb of the knight of the first Crusade Your walk will then continue until you arrive at the archaeological museum of Palazzo Sinesi, inside of which you will find hundreds of a precious funeral kit of IV-III sec. B.C. consisting of red figures, golden ceramics, listed ceramics, alabaster objects, an exceptional bronze anatomical armor, as well as the original and extraordinary Canosa plastic and polychromatic vessels. After your museum tour, continue to the Archaeological Park of San Leucio along with the Antiquarium Museum, where you will have the opportunity to visit the ruins of the Italic temple dedicated to Minerva - Atena Ilias and then the early Christian basilica dedicated to San Cosma, Damiano and then S.Leucio.