Located about 80 Km. Far form the Puglia’s seat of the local government, Bari, Canosa boasts an ancient history. Its territory has certainly been inhabited since II millenium b.C. The word “Canusium”’s etimology is uncertain; it is also ascribed to the mithical Greek hero Diomed’s stay in that country, where he might have brought his dogs.

The official entry of the town in the “history” is dated 316 b.C., when Rome, having subdued the Daunia, territory which Canosa was part of, declared Canosa a confederate town. Canosa was among the few towns in the South of Italy which remained an enemy to Hannibal, even after Rome’s dreadful defeat at Canne, in 216 b.C., so much that Canosa was a shelter, thongh Hannibal’s army was outside the walls, to the great Roman army’s remains.

In 88 b.C. it rebelled against Rome, testifying its unacceptance of any mean deference, causing Rome to turn it to a municipium, just granting to it the faculties of electing magistrates to enter the Roman Senate and of being the seat of Apulia’s governor.

Canosa has always been a big town and a very important road knot, as it is testified by ancient geographers such as Strabon and very fine men of letters, such as Caesar, Cicero and Horace. Since the II century a.C. the town was crossed by the Traian way, which today we have important vestiges of.

It was furthermore connected to the Adriatic Sea by means of the Ofantus river, which at that time was navigable. Being of the greatest importance during the Imperial epoch, Canosa was also one of the first Christian Dioceses. Among its first Bishops there was the Historian Stercorius, who took part to the Sarnica Council in 343.

Among its Bishops Saint Sabino was very distinguished, who among other things was able to preserve a good political relationship with Totila, King of the Goths, during the Greek-Gothic war (535-553), which Canosa was involved in as well.

 

Back

Next