Putignano - Tourism, history, food and wine, art and culture.
in the middle age
Between 1086 and 1088 Goffredo d'Altavilla coonte of Conversano, nephew of Robert the Guiscard, cured of a dangerous illness, wanted to dissolve the vow made in Santo Stefano and had a church erected in his place in a place called Torre Paolo a 2 miles away from the sea of Monopoli. He invited the Cistercian Benedictine fathers and to continue and spread the cult of the Saint, he gave them many lands, including the Castle of Putignano. The deed of donation has never reached our times, but the monks had this agreement carved on a plaque still present behind the church altar, as a memorial to posterity. In this way a real struggle for supremacy was established for the territory between the Papacy, the Bishopric and the Abbots, all of whom were sided by as many distinct political powers.
The privileges of the Noble Castle were also approved by Frederick II who promised the construction of the University and another castle near Porta Maggiore or Porta Grande. In 1219, however, it was the Emperor himself who had the walls and the existing castle demolished due to the disobedience of the Putignanesi who, on the advice of the Benedictines, sided by the Pope, closed the doors, while he was about to enter the city, after a hunting party. .
While the city was being destroyed, Frederick II liked and wrote
"Marsupium non sanum dic tu Putineanumfalsa tibi praedicit, cum credibilia dicit
gioia, castrum carum, praedetur Putineanum"
Sacco rotto, chiama tu Putignano, ti dice il falso quando annuncia cose credibli, Gioia, Castello a me fedele, saccheggi Putignano
L'Imperatore era adirato con i putignanesi che credevano alle dicerie di scomunica e non riconoscevano la sua autorità.
Ma il suo segretario Pier delle Vigne, invece cerca di discolpare i Putignanesi, intravedendo un segnale alternativo, egli così scrive:
"Mancipium Romanum est castrum Putineanum
diva tibi praedicit, quando anathemata dicit,
Gioia, silva canum, absit vincat Putineanum"
Tenacemente ossequiente a Roma, è il castello di Putignano,
ti annunzia cose divine quando ti da l'anatema,
Gioia, selva dei cani, lungi sia che vinca Putignano.