Barletta

Barletta
Comune
Comune di Barletta
View of the cathedral.
Barletta Location of Barletta in Italy
Coordinates: 41°19′N 16°17′E / 41.317°N 16.283°E / 41.317; 16.283
Country	Italy
Region	Apulia
Province / Metropolitan city	Barletta-Andria-Trani (BT)
Frazioni	Montaltino, Fiumara, Canne della Battaglia
Government
• Mayor	Pasquale Cascella
Area
• Total	149.35 km2 (57.66 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Population (30 November 2011)
• Total	94,712
• Density	630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Barlettani
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	76121
Dialing code	0883
Patron saint	St. Roger of Cannae, SS. Madonna dello Sterpeto
Saint day	December 30
Website	Official website

Barletta  listen  is a city, comune and capoluogo togheter with Andria and Trani of Apulia, in south eastern Italy. Barletta is also a provincia (Barletta-Andria-Trani) and its population is around 94.700 citizens.

The city's territory belongs to the Valle dell'Ofanto, indeed, the Ofanto river crosses the countryside and it is legislativly the border of the territory of Barletta and the territory of Margherita di Savoia. The mouth of the river belongs to Barletta.

The territory include also the fraction of Canne della Battaglia. This is a very important archeological site, remembered for the historical battle of 216 b.C. between Romans and the Carthaginians, won by Hannibal. The site has been recognisied as Città d'Arte (city of art) of Apulia in the 2005 for the beauty architecture. Canne flourished in the Roman period and then after a series of debilitating Saracen attacks, was finally destroyed by the Normans and then abandoned in the early Middle Ages.

Barletta is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor (perhaps Theodosius II). This statue, called "Eraclio" by the inhabitants of Barletta, about 4 meters tall, is the biggest statue from the late Roman Empire (i.e. the Roman Empire after Constantine). According to a local folk story, Eraclio saved the city from a Saracen attack. Seeing the Saracen ships approaching Barletta's coast, Eraclio waited for them on the sea shore. Here Eraclio acted as if he was crying so the Saracens asked him why he was sad and Eraclio answered that he was sad because he was the smallest among Barletta's inhabitants and so everybody made fun of him. The Saracens thought that Barletta's inhabitants were all giants so left the coast, fearing to face them.