Giovinazzo

Giovinazzo is a small town in Apulia located on the south eastern coast of the Italian peninsula. It is located 18 km from Bari and 3.5 km from Molfetta. Giovinazzo has a warm, mild climate with dry summers and rainy winters. Snow falls very rarely (once every five or six years) and when it does snow, no more than 3" ever accumulate..

Molfetta is a city of the province of Bari, in Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea; its origin is unknown, but many objects of the neolithic, bronze, and the Mycenæan epoch have been found at a place called Pulo, which shows that the site of Molfetta was inhabited in prehistoric times. The town has a beautiful cathedral, and beyond its limits is the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Martyrs containing an image brought to it by some Crusaders in 1188. The first bishop of this city of whom there is any record was John, whose incumbency is referred to the year 1136. The see was at first suffragan of Bari, but in 1484 it became immediately dependent upon Rome. In 1818, it was enlarged with the territory of the suppressed sees of Giovinazzo and Terlizzi, which were re-established in 1835, remaining united, œque principaliter. In the opinion of some people, Giovinazzo is the ancient Egnatia; it has been an episcopal see since 1071. Terlizzi was a city in the Diocese of Giovinazzo, and in 1731, to put an end to certain questions of its independence, it was declared an episcopal see, but united with Giovinazzo. The city was a fortress of the Hohenstaufens and of the Aragonese.

The Diocese of Molfetta contains 4 parishes; 80 secular and 6 regular priests; 42,000 Catholics. Terlizzi contains 3 parishes; 40 secular and 6 regular priests; 24,100 Catholics. Giovinazzo contains 2 parishes; 37 secular and 3 regular priests; 12,150 Catholics. In the united dioceses there are 6 convents for women, 4 for men, 2 schools for boys, and 4 for girls.

Understand

By virtue of its location, the inhabitants of Giovinazzo enjoy a long tradition of fishing, a line of work done by small, local businesses with the intent of local consumption. Fresh fish (caught within a few hours) is a staple of Giovinazzo cuisine; each morning one can go to the fish market and see the freshest catch.

In addition to the fishing industry, agriculture has always been a primary activity for the residents of Giovinazzo. Farming in the region consists of an assortment of vegetables and fruit trees, but the one crop for which Giovinazzo is best known is olives. Olives from this region produce one of the best oils in Italy.

Another regional crop that is nearly as famous as Giovinazzo's olives is almonds. The sweet almonds of the area are used to make some of the most delicious sweets for holidays such as Christmas or Easter.

Besides fishing and agriculture, industry once existed in Giovinazzo. A very active steel mill, which is now closed as a result of world-wide steel price decline, was once a large employer for the area. White stone (a resource found throughout the Apulia Region) is very prevalent around this city.

Get in

If you are in Bari trying to get to Giovannazzo, the trip is relatively quick and very cheap by public transport (as opposed to a taxi, which may cost as much as €30). I'm not sure of the most efficient way to get there, but here's one way:

From Bari Centrale (Bari Central Station), take the train one stop east (I forget the name of the station) and walk north for a few blocks until you enter a piazza with blue buses lined up along one of the streets. This should be the main hub (and Eastern end of the line) for the STP bus company. Find a shop somewhere in the piazza that sells tickets (noted by "biglietti," "biglietto," "biglietteria" or something of the sort). Purchase a ticket to Giovannazzo, which should cost roughly €2 per person per way. Pick a bus that's lined up on the street, and confirm with the bus driver that the bus is going to Giovinazzo. The ride should take 20-30 minutes and although there may be stops on the outskirts of the city, if you're patient there is a stop right in the center of town (you'll recognize it because it will be in a large open piazza with a fountain, etc.