Holiday apartment in Ceglie Del Campo: Ancient Routes, Churches and Caelia

Ceglie Del Campo combines the name of ancient Caelia with a local history in which burial grounds, walls, roads, churches and monastery remains stand side by side. The themes range from pre-Christian settlement history to the religious traditions of the present day. Different periods and architectural styles thus shape the town’s historic sites.

Ancient settlement between burial grounds and defensive walls

Burial grounds from the 7th and 6th centuries BC are among the earliest traces of Ceglie Del Campo; the one at Località Sant’Angelo was identified as the most significant. Between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, the ancient settlement had a five-kilometre-long defensive wall with originally four gates. The ring is partially preserved today. This chronological arc in Ceglie Del Campo extends from the early burial grounds to the fortification of the ancient settlement itself.

Ancient routes and the history of Caelia

One road in the ancient city formed part of a transport route connecting Bari and Tarentum. A second ancient road ran from Bitonto towards Egnatia and Brundisium. Together, the two routes complement the walls and burial grounds by revealing the town’s historic connections with other cities.

Caelia: Architectural history and grave goods

The Castello di Ceglie del Campo is part of the historic heritage. Its foundations date back to the imperial period of Municipium Caelia; the opus reticulatum of the second construction phase confirms this dating. Graves 2, 7 and 8 of Ceglie del Campo, ancient Caelia, contained tableware consisting of finely crafted Greek and Magna Graecian pottery as well as locally produced vessels.

Churches and religious traditions

The present-day Chiesa Matrice Santa Maria del Campo was built in 1776. The Madonna di Buterrito is still venerated today in the church of Santa Maria di Buterrito. The church of Santa Maria di Buterrito was built in 1837 on the remains of an older chapel. Santa Maria Assunta on 15 August is part of the parish feast calendar of Santa Maria del Campo.

Plateau, localities and monastery remains

Concentrations of Iron Age pottery have been identified on the Ceglie del Campo plateau along the Torrente Fitta and in the localities of Reddito, Buterrito and Tufaia. The remains of the monasteries of Sant’Angelo and San Nicola are also located in the eponymous localities near Ceglie Del Campo. The localities therefore bear traces of both the Iron Age and monastic remains.

Sant’Angelo: Rite and architectural form

The church of Sant’Angelo follows the Basilian rite and faces west. Its interior was intended to have a floor plan in the form of a double Greek cross with an apse and a monks’ choir. The complex includes Sant’Angelo Abbey, which is in a severely deteriorated state. When planning your trip, you can consider ancient roads, churches, pottery finds and monastery remains in Ceglie Del Campo as different historical highlights.

More places for your travel planning

Adelfia, Noicattaro, San Bartolomeo, Valenzano, Alberobello, Casamassima, Minervino Murge and Bitetto.

To the overarching travel overview: Bari.