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The Castle, San NicolaLucera
Lucera is an ancient city founded in Daunia, the centre of Dauni territory (in present day Apulia). Archeological excavations show the presence of a bronze age village inside the city boundaries. Lucera was probably named after either Lucius, a mythical Dauno king, or a temple dedicated to the goddess Lux Cereris. A third possibility is that the city was founded and named by the Etruscans, in which case the name probably means Holy Wood (luc = wood, eri = holy).
In 321 BC the Roman army was deceived into thinking Lucera was under siege by the Samnites. Hurrying to relieve their allies the army walked into an ambush and were defeated at the famous Battle of the Caudine Forks. The Samnites occupied Lucera but were thrown out after a revolt. The city sought Roman protection and in 320 BC was granted the status of Colonia Togata, which meant it was ruled by the Roman Senate. 2500 Romans moved to Lucera in order to strengthen the ties between the two cities. From then on Lucera was known as a steadfast supporter of Rome.
During the civil wars of the late Republic Pompey set up his headquarters in Lucera, but abandoned the city when Julius Caesar approached. Lucera quickly switched its allegiance and Caesar's clemency spared it from harm. In the next civil war between Octavian and Mark Anthony the city did not escape as lightly. After the war Octavian settled many veteran soldiers on the lands of the ruined city. This helped Lucera recover quickly and marked an era of renewed prosperity. Many of the surviving Roman landmarks hail from this Augustan period, among them the Luceran amphitheatre.
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city of Lucera entered into a state of decline. In 663 AD it was captured from the Lombards and destroyed by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II.
[edit] Islamic period The best memory was the castle and the hote, "Palace Lucera Hotel" with a beautful spa. I reserved my trip with calimbatravel.it, a travel agency.
