By Chiara M.

1. CANUSIUMCANUSIUM
CANOSACANOSA
by Chiara Martina 4^Cby Chiara Martina 4^C

2. WHERE
CANOSA (in Latin Canusium; in
Greek Canusion) is a town in
Apulia in the south of Italy,
situated between Bari and Foggia.
It is placed on a slope along
Ofanto (in Latin Aufidum) river and
in the North it is bounded by the
plain of Tavoliere delle Puglie
while in the East is far only 20
Kilometers from the Adriatic Sea.
In Canosa there are also many
artificial caverns and hypogeals.

3. WHEN
In current Canosa there are few traces
of its long and glorious history that
starts, as the legend relates, with the
foundation by the Greek hero
Diomedes. Between IV and III century
a. C.establishes commercial relations
with Hellenic colonies of the gulf of
Tarentum.These relations are
confirmed by Horace in his book of
“Saturae”,in effect he says that
Canosa is the city of two languages:
Greek and local ones. Besides this
during his journey in Canosa he
observed that in that town there was
little water and solid bread.
During Roman period it became Town
hall (municipium) of Rome and many
architectural works beautified Canosa.
During the Middle Ages it was
episcopal seat and was named “city of
bishops”.

4. THE CERAMIC
Canosa was famous for the creation of
the ceramics.
A lot of vases have form of krater with
geometrical decoration, other ones
are of Greek imitation, with black
paint and red figures.

5. HISTORIC
STATEMENTSToday Canosa is one of the
most important archeological centers
in Apulia, thanks to the numerous
statements which even now tell us his
long historical record.
San Leucio’s basilica is an
example of early Christian
architecture, with her
polychrome mosaics.
There are also the necropolis of the
bridge of the “Lama”, the Roman
bridge crossed by Horace to go from
Canosa to Venosa.
San Sabino’s cathedral is an
example of Romanesque-Byzantine
architecture with Latin crosswise map
covered by five domes.

6. HISTORIC
STATEMENTSToday Canosa is one of the
most important archeological centers
in Apulia, thanks to the numerous
statements which even now tell us his
long historical record.
San Leucio’s basilica is an
example of early Christian
architecture, with her
polychrome mosaics.
There are also the necropolis of the
bridge of the “Lama”, the Roman
bridge crossed by Horace to go from
Canosa to Venosa.
San Sabino’s cathedral is an
example of Romanesque-Byzantine
architecture with Latin crosswise map
covered by five domes.