THE TOWN OF PALO DEL COLLE

click for larger picture

Auricarro

A Panoramic View

The bell tower

The Front of the Cathedral

Interior of the Cathedral

Church of San Vito

Palo's Polish Princess

Corso Garibaldi

Trulli house from area south of Bari

Palo Del Colle by Phillippe Hatchert

A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PALO DEL COLLE

The town of Palo del Colle is located about 15 km inland from the city of Bari. It is situated on a hill [hence the name "Pole on the Hill"] 177meters above sea level and covers 100 km2 in area. The population at present is about 20,000. The Roman author Pliny mentions the Palionenses as being of Greek origin. Coins from Taranto found in the area point to an organized civil structure of the Magna Grecia as far back as the 5th and 6th centuries BC. An ancient inscription reading Herculea Proles, or descendants of Hercules shows that the Greek colonizers of Palo del Colle honored Hercules as their patron. The original coat-of-arms depicts Hercules ready for the defense of the town. Over time this figure was transformed into a knight in armor on horseback. The hill on which Palo del Colle sits , dominates a wide ,flat territory. From here a large expanse of land and ocean makes the site ideally situated for military defense. Palo del Colle became the center of the Greek colony because of this position. According to Pliny, Palo del Colle was classified as a "municipality" by the Romans and was left to administer it's own government because it would be too difficult to conquer. The hill on which Palo del Colle is located was considered sacred because Hercules had won a battle here. In Greek Palaion means "victor in the fight". The inhabitants were thus called the Palionnenses. In Latin it transformed to Palium, and into Italian as Palo. Palo could also have stood for Palisade or walled fort as interpreted by the Romans. Pal del Colle's excellent defensive position and the courage and wisdom of it's inhabitants has made it an undefeated town. The ancient motto of the town serves as an invitation and also a warning:
"Ercole qui regna,dando al pacifico la pace e la guerra a chi la cerca." "Hercules rules here, providing peace to the peaceful and war to those seeking a fight."

The preceding translation is my own. The original , in Italian, can be found at
PUGLIAINFO-online

THE LEGEND OF THE ROSE

This legend, originating in the area of Palo del Colle
,occurred in the year 1349. Someone, fleeing the
pillaging of an outlying area, buried a crucifix made of
fig wood. Years later, on barren ground during a
season of extended drought, a peasant noticed a
single rose growing between the crack in the parched
earth. The peasant couldn't believe his eyes. He
decided to transplant the rose but could not root it
out. He dug a wide pit around it and there before his
eyes were the roots of the rose entwined around the
crucifix of Auricarro.
The adjoining towns of Palo and Toritto had a
dispute over who could claim the cross
because it was found at the border. Two oxen were
yoked to a cart and at a crossroads
took the road to Palo deciding the possession of the
cross. Since then the cross lies in the Church of the
Madonna del Porta and is brought in procession
every spring past Auricarro where it was found over
six centuries ago.
Source: Pugliainfo.it

THE ORIGIN OF THE COAT-OF-ARMS OF PALO DEL COLLE

During the invasion of the Huns, at the time of the Middle Ages, Palo del Colle along with Bari and Corato were the only towns able to successfully defend themselves. In order to commemorate the valor of her defenders, Hercules, as the pre-Christian defender of the town, was replaced by a Christian knight on horseback. The motto became Nescitotiari Virtus.

TRANSLATION BY JOHN A. STAVOLA

Source: Pugliainfo.it

LINK TO A HISTORY OF THE CROCHET CRAFT IN BARI PROVINCE...

below are examples of this art from Palo del Colle.
These bedsheets were a wedding gift to my grandmother Maria Saccente and were used only for
the birth of a new baby.CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW

The following is a list of microfilms available from the Family History Centers
of the LDS Church for Palo del Colle . The microfilms containing the Stato Civile or town records may be ordered and viewed at your nearest LDS Church.
Go to this site to find the location in your area.

Nati [birth]..... 1809-1817.....film #16077332  items 8-9
Nati................ 1818-1827............#1607333
Nati................ 1828-1836............#1607335
Nati................ 1837-1845............#164322  item 3
Nati................ 1846-1853............#1607336
Nati................ 1854-1865............#1607418
Matrimoni...... 1809-1818............#1607418
Matrimoni.......1819-1845........... #1607419
Matrimoni.......1845-1865............#1607420
Morti[death]....1809-1817............#1607420
Morti...............1817-1841............#1607421
Morti...............1838....................#1641322  item 4
Morti...............1842-1862............#1607422
Morti...............1863-1865............#16074223
Atti diversi.......1812-1863............#1607424  item 1
Memorandum..1862-1865                      "
Notificazioni....1862-1865                      "
Processetti.......1862-1865                      "
Nati..................1866-1881............#1642479  items 2-3
Nati..................1882-1897............#164280
Nati..................1898-1900............#1642481  item1
Notificazioni.....1866-1878............#1659975  item  3
Notificazioni.....1879-1900............#1659976  item  1-2
Matrimoni.........1866-1899...........#1660338  items  3-4
Matrimoni.........1900....................#1660339  item  1
Morti.................1866-1871............#1692890  item  4
Morti.................1872-1900............#1692891
Cittadinanze.....1866-1900............#1692977  item  27
Annotazioni di Morte...1866-1900...#1692979  item  5

SURNAMES

Albergo
Avitto
Amendolina
Andriola
Adorno
Bitetto
Balanzano
Birardi
Barbara
Coliozzo
Caputo
Cutrone
Colaiunno
Calia
Coletta
Coppolona
Chiappriano
Campione
Cuzzi
Centrona
Carlucci
Capano
Daniella
Dimola
Dibeneduti
Dagostino
DiBari
Eliantonio
Elei
Fiorello
Florio
Focanazza
Fumai
Fazio
Guida
Gasta
Gargona
Giove
Grumo
Gatto
Giovannilla
Lazota
Lovino
Liantonio
Linzallotto
Lopardo
Lozito
Mercurio
Massio
Molfetta
Masillo
Mastrandrea
Misiagna
Neglia
Napolitano
Nardo
Passarella
Panzanni
Panabinco
Perillo
Pellegrino
Pagano
Quatodipalo
Quarto
Rossiello
Rugiaro
Rizzo
Savino
Saccente
Stancarone
Santoro
Spadafina
Sivilli
Stallone
Spano
Scarola
Salvaggio
Vipazzio

The Bari area 1881

THE RIONE PORTA REALE CONTRADA AURICARRO SAN SEBASTIANO LAGO SAN GIUSEPPE TORRE SAN ROCCO	The PALIO DEL VICCIO A "Palio" is an event involving horses in a race or a competition. The Palio of Siena is the most well known and publicized. However,these events take place throughout Italy. Palo del Colle has its own which developed into its present form between the 1400 to 1500's, called the Palio del Viccio. In Italian palio means banner or racing silk.The various neighborhoods of a town each have their own colorful and symbolic banner.In Palo del Colle there are ten rione, or districts, represented. Each rione would select a horseman to participate. The paticipants carry long poles and attempt to pierce a blister of water suspended high in the air over the street. A plump turkey called viccio in the local dialect is the prize. The Palio del Viccio presently takes place twice a year .The winter event takes place on the last day of Carnival, or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday in February. The summer event is held on the last Sunday in July. The original object of the race was a suspended live rooster which the horsemen had to decapitate in order to win. This may seem a bit gory to our modern sensibilities; the reason why a water bag has been substituted. This tradition is very ancient however, and has its roots in our agrarian past. Our forefathers saw everything in the natural world as imbued with a spirit, a living entity which had to be dealt with in order to survive. The rooster represented the spirit of the grain. It was sacrificed in order to insure a plentiful harvest after the planting which took place soon after the season of the present Palio. Over time the sacrifice of the rooster was allied with the importance of horse raising for military defense, and the turkey was substituted for the rooster after it was introduced from the New World. SOURCE: http://www.comune.palo-del-colle.ba.it/vicciostor.htm	THE RIONE MADONNA DELLA STELLA SAN VITO CASTELLO RUGA PIENA CASALE DEI GRECI
	A RECIPE FROM PALO DEL COLLE La Focaccia from the Sisters Guiseppina and Beatrice Serves 8 to 10. Each time the sisters, (my mom, Josie and my Aunt Beatrice) would come up from Long Island to visit, they would perform the same ritual in my kitchen. The exact ingredients and maneuvers regarding "La Focazzy," as it was called in their dialect, would be argued before any available audience. By the time this thick, crusty, simple "pizza" came out of the oven for lunch, each would be announcing the other's superiority in making it "just right". This recipe comes from the village of Palo del Colle, Bari. 2 medium potatoes, mashed 7 cups flour 1 packet yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons salt One 16 ounce can whole tomatoes oregano black pepper garlic 4 ounces mozzarella, sliced thin Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Measure flour onto large wooden board, making a well in the center of the flour. Pour in yeast mixture. Add mashed potatoes, olive oil and salt. Knead until a large ball forms. If too sticky, add more flour. Rise in warm place in a lightly greased covered bowl for 5 hours. Knead again, stretch dough to fit an 11 x 15 inch oiled baking pan. Cover tightly with foil, rise one more hour. Make indentations in dough with fingers. Crush tomatoes into indentions. Pour liquid over top. Sprinkle with oregano, black pepper and garlic. Bake in 350 degree oven until golden brown (about 50 minutes). Slice mozzarella thin over focaccia. Bake 10 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Serve warm or hot. Rosemarie D. Amendolia THIS RECIPE WAS FOUND SOMEWHERE ON THE WEB; THE EXACT LOCATION BEING LOST. SOMEHOW, I THINK THESE TWO SISTERS WOULDN'T MIND IT BEING REPRINTED HERE. [email protected]