Volturara Appula

Volturara Appula is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Once a flourishing city, the comune now has a population of less than 500. History Founded in about 50 BC, Vulturaria, as it was previously called, was ruled at various times by its bishops, and by the Caracciolo family, who built the Palazzo Ducale. Churches The Puglian Romanesque cathedral was built in the 13th century. It has a massive bell-tower with three bells of bronze with a noteworthy percentage of silver. Another church, the 16th-century Santuario di Maria SS. della Sanità (Shrine of Our Lady of Health) was reputedly built by Prince Bartolomeo Caracciolo in thanksgiving for recovery from illness. Bishopric Its bishopric, which already existed in the 10th century, was united with that of Montecorvino in 1433. Giuseppe Cappelletti gives detailed information about most of its bishops. In 1818, as part of a reorganization of the dioceses within the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the diocese ceased to exist as a residential see and its territory became part of the diocese of Lucera. It is now included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees. References External links Pictures of Volturara Appula