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Visit Mattinata
Mattinata is situated at the foot of the “Monte Sacro”, known in antiquity as 'Dodoneo', on which there is an ancient temple, on a peninsula facing into the Adriatic Sea. The village, made of small narrow streets, old stone steps and historic buildings, is very fascinating while Mattinata is also a very popular seside resort.
Be sure to tear yourself away from the coast for a while because Mattinata has a great deal of historical interest to discover.
Among the first things to visit in Mattinata are the ruins of the Roman Villa of Agnuli. A few meters from the sea, at the entrance to the small harbour, there are the remains of stately houses dating from the fourth century AD, the walls of which were built with the technique of small brick wall posts and herringbone floors. G. Volpe, who studied the house, writes "[...] The Roman Villa of Agnuli is located near the port of Mattinata, a few meters from the current shoreline. The site chosen for the location of the villa is ideal, it is connected with the hinterland production, with the 'fundus' ('farm') belonging to the 'dominus' ('master') of the villa, cultivated by slaves. It is situated near a creek where there was probably a small port for ships on which were placed the products of the villa [...] ". The Archaeological excavations have uncovered several rooms in the house - particularly a series of rectangular tanks that were used for processing oil (even today Mattinata is a large producer of olive oil).
Archaeology has exposed many valuable artefacts in Mattinata, so a visit can continue with the necropolis of Monte Saraceno. A panoramic road leads to the edge of the Mount in the rock of which are 500 tombs in the necropolis of ancient "Matinum”. In these places the dead were huddled along with the objects dearest to them. Shields and other objects covered the graves of stone slabs, according to the importance of the deceased. Some of these Daunians finds are now in the Civic Museum. Opened in 1990, the museum holds tombs (pins, brooches, rings, bronzes, vases) and sculptures from Daunia necropolis (seventh-sixth century BC) from Mount Saraceno. In the courtyard of the museum are two stone boulders engraved with dinosaur footprints found in the marina.
Another place of great prestige in Mattinata is the Benedictine Abbey. The remains of the SS. Trinity complex were built on the summit of the Monte Sacro between the fifth and ninth century, around a former monastery, the necropolis of the “Monte Saraceno”. The construction area of 6,500 sqm, 3with 50 meters of perimeter walls, the porch, the massive pillars, well recall the splendour of this powerful Abbey, which, in the twelfth century, controlled most of the fertile grounds of Mattinata. In a study by S. Fulloni, he writes: "[...] The isolated location of the Monastery, the crashes occurred due to lack of maintenance, spoliations and the degradation for the weather, contributed to the loss of important parts of the building. Very many are in fact the nearby farms built from bare blocks of SS. Trinity. Even Mattinata was partially re-built in the eighteenth century with the same materials [...]". He also tells us that "the era of greater prosperity of the monastery was between 920 and 1240 AD. The basilica with three naves, was attached to a tower, and according to the tradition the nave to the north would host a fresco dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel".
Mattinata: Local culture and cuisine
Tourists interested in local artefacts can also find in Mattinata a thriving craft industry, with local handicrafts focusing on woodworking, pottery and wrought iron. Characteristic of these are the kitchen utensils (spoons, forks, plates), derived from olive wood and typical large dishes of clay (hand painted). Since ancient times Mattinata has been a city of olive oil and almonds, used especially for sweets. In addition we note the oil canned dried tomatoes, artichokes, so-called "lampascioni”, asparagus in olive oil, the olives in brine, excellent as an appetizer or intermezzo between courses. Another local treat is the wild rocket that accompanies many local dishes. Lastly we give a particular mention to the local cheeses (sheep and goat), derived from an ancient pastoral culture, including the “ricotta”, "canestrai", sheep’s milk cheeses and the "cacioricotta”.
See also history of Mattinata
See the the Puglia travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Mattinata.