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Matera is a city and a province in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Matera and the capital of Basilicata from 1663 to 1806. The town lies in a small canyon carved out by the Gravina.
Known as "la Città Sotterranea" (the Subterranean City), Matera is well known for its historical center called "Sassi", considered World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993, along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches.
On October 17, 2014, Matera was declared Italian host of European Capital of Culture for 2019.
The city of Turenum appears for the first time in the Tabula Peutingeriana, a 13th-century copy of an ancient Roman itinerary. The name, also spelled Tirenum, was that of the Greek hero Diomedes. The city was later occupied by the Lombards and the Byzantines. First certain news of an urban settlement in Trani, however, trace back only to the 9th century.
The most flourishing age of Trani was the 11th century, when it became an episcopal see in place of Canosa, destroyed by the Saracens. Its port, well placed for the Crusades, then developed greatly, becoming the most important on the Adriatic Sea. In the year 1063 Trani issued the Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris, which is "the oldest surviving maritime law code of the Latin West". There was also Jewish community in Trani, which was under the protection of the king until it was given to the Archbishop Samarus during the reign of Henry VI at the end of the 12th century. In that period many great families from the main Italian Maritime Republics (Amalfi, Pisa, Ragusa and Venice) established themselves in Trani. Trani, in turn, maintained a consul in Venice from 12th century. The presence of other consulates in many northern Europe centres, even in England and Netherlands, shows Trani's trading and political importance in the Middle Ages. Emperor Frederick II built a massive castle in Trani. Under his rule, in the early 13th century, the city reached its highest point of wealth and prosperity.
Scopello village is pleasant enough, but visitors probably wouldn't come here if it weren't for what lies down on the sea below. A combination of manmade and natural features have created a gloriously scenic little cove which can be glimpsed from the village, and explored up close by swimmers and sun-bathers. Offshore there are dramatic faraglioni, rock towers in the sea. Two historic defensive towers stand poised on the rocks, combining with a third tower up by the village to unify the wider views. And in the small rocky bay there is a faded old tonnara, a tuna fishery, an important part of the history of this part of Sicily. The Tonnara di Scopello closed down in the 1980s, but for a couple of decades it remained as it was left, and visitors could wander among the old buildings and tuna fishing equipment. The spot is hugely popular with local Sicilians, who don't mind sharing tiny patches of rock and concrete with many other sun-worshippers, and who revel in the clear waters for swimming.
However, with lots of publicity, and the shooting of films here, including Ocean's Twelve and an episode of Inspector Montalbano, the owners of the Tonnara di Scopello evidently felt it was time to capitalise on the abandoned fishery. The crumbling buildings were renovated and closed off to the public, instead offering accommodation. The Tonnara's owners also privatised the whole cove (and views), to lot of local controversy. If you visit the cove and Tonnara now, be prepared to pay an admission charge.
Gallipoli (Greek: Kallipolis (Καλλίπολις), meaning "Beautiful City" is a town and comune of 20,969 inhabitants in the province of Lecce, in Apulia, southern Italy.
It is located by the Ionian Sea, on the west coast of the Salentina Peninsula. The town of Gallipoli is divided into two parts, the modern and the old city. The new town includes all the newest buildings including a skyscraper. The old town is located on a limestone island, linked to the mainland by a bridge built in the 16th century.
Sciacca's biggest industry is fishing and the town's fishing harbour is large and functional rather than picturesque. Around 500 boats are based here. The port can be reached down a road or flights of steps from the main part of town, which is perched up above. Although it isn't picture-postcard pretty, the harbour offers a chance to see a real working fishing industry, get views back towards the town, and to enjoy incredibly fresh seafood at one of the restaurants in this part of Sciacca