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Visit San Nicandro
Located between the lakes of Lesina and Varano, San Nicandro Garganico is an ancient town to the north of the Gargano region of Puglia in south-east Italy, also called Sannicandro.
Regarding the name of the town, San Nicandro, it is not entirely clear who the name refers to, because there are at least three different saints with this name (see also history and etymology of San Nicandro Garganico).
The Old Town of San Nicandro Garganico, in its oldest part, is called Terravecchia. Here it preserves the structure of a typical medieval center with houses built on different levels with steep stairs. The Terravecchia village, surrounded by walls, survives today in a well preserved site to the southwest where it is dominated by the castle.
San Nicandro castle
The current San Nicandro castle structure was rebuilt on the ancient fortress of Swabian times and dates from the 15th century. It is of trapezoidal shape, with four corner towers, and was renovated during the 17th century. On the north side there are two square-based towers, one of which is the original one, while on the south side there are two towers built by the Aragonese, with a round base, which are behind the church. The castle, which was actually a mansion, was the habitual residence of the Della Marra and all the vassals of St. Nicandro until the time of the Cattaneo Princes. In the 16th century it was integrated with the gateway to the East and the construction of a lodge that connected the castle with a large palace built between the door and the walls of the castle. Built in the same period was the Fioritto Palace, near the west wall and now the seat of the Municipal Library and Museum.
San Nicandro Museum
The museum is divided into several sections, and contains numerous artefacts of local history. It includes a collection of lithic material (arrowheads, scrapers, and flint blades) found in the caves of the territory; pottery, and stone slabs engraved with Latin inscriptions dating back to the first century BC. A very rich section of the museum is devoted to the so-called "Peasant Civilization", with exhibits dating back to the 19th century (with tools for working in the fields and farmhouses of the time). Other sections of the museum hold artefacts related to the popular religion, while a final section is devoted to local Judaism (in San Nicandro there was a large group of converts to Judaism).
Churches and a cathedral
Among the religious buildings of considerable merit, we note in particular the Cathedral Church, dating back to the second half of the 16th century. It has a basilica plan with three naves, divided by twelve pillars and a vault (built in the second half of the 19th century). The façade, of rectangular shape and with three aisles, is entirely made up of square blocks of stone. The central portal is of late Renaissance style, and dominated by an open arched pediment above with there are the insignia of Bishop Morelli and a plaque which commemorates the rebuilding of the church in 1693.
The square bell tower a few meters to the northeast of the church is of the same style of the façade and divided into three sections by two ledges. In the last section is the bell. The tower ends with an octagonal spire and a sundial. On the west side, parallel to the church and joined to it by three arches that open into the aisle, there are three chapels. The church also possesses a fine series of wooden statues in Baroque style, by the Neapolitan school and presumably dating back to the late 18th century.
Another remarkable religious building in San Nicandro is the Church of Our Lady of the Carmine. A pre-existing Church of the Carmine, built in 1651 west of the castle, was destroyed by the aerial bombardment that hit San Nicandro during World War II. Also remarkable is the Church of the Crucifix, which was originally called the Church of Purgatory because it was built on the place where, in the 14th century, a niche was found with its interior surfaces covered by a Byzantine-style painting, depicting “Christ on the Cross between four saints and the souls in Purgatory". It took the name "Church of the Crucifix" when a Capuchin friar brought in a relic of the SS. Cross of Christ, which was set in a silver cross. We conclude with a brief mention of the Church of the Holy Spirit, located in the Old Town on the place where once stood the first church in the region, dedicated to St. Nicandro, the patron saint of the town, to which he gives his name.
Traditions and cuisine
Well known for the production of dried flowers, San Nicandro is also recommended for the hilly landscape that stretches around the town, rich in almond orchards, vineyards and olive groves. On a crest of one of these hills, the mountain of Elio, is the ancient Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Monte d'Elio. The town is also famous for its numerous sinkholes due to karst features; in its territory are the caves of “Pian della Macina” and the “Dolina Pozzatina”. Some of these caves are also important archaeological sites in which various finds were made dating from the Lombard times.
Finally, a quick look also to the local cuisine; among the dishes, we mention the so-called “cicerchie” [“chicklings”], the "chickling" has the taste of chickpeas, broad beans and lentils. It is eaten boiled, seasoned with plenty of olive oil. Very tasty is also the "Cod with potato”.
Note: photo is copyright
See the the Puglia travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as San Nicandro.