PRODUCTIONS: TAVOLIERE

DIRECTOR

PRODUCER

DURATION

VERSIONS

FORMAT

Fabio Toncelli

SD Cinematografica

30'

SD

Between Foggia and Barletta, in the heart of "Il Tavoliere" a 4,300 square-meter plain, there is an archeological, artistic and natural heritage which could compete with that of an entire European country all by itself.
On horseback, we discover the ruins of the mysterious "Dauno" Civilization, which inhabited these parts more than 3,000 years ago.
We pass through the sites where, in 216 B.C. Hannibal inflicted on Rome the bloodiest military defeat of its history: at Canne the armies of Carthage encircled and massacred more than 47,000 foot-soldiers and 2,700 horse-men.
We visit the ruins of ancient Roman towns, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore and the eleventh-century Abbey of San Leonardo, unfortunately abandoned to the ravages of time.
Everything is in a charming and uncontaminated setting. On our way we encounter buffaloes, herons, egrets, night-herons, hawks, great crested grebes, as well as gulls, terns and stilt birds.
From the helicopter, we discover the Cathedral of Trani and Castel del Monte, which, with its octagonal lay-out, is an example of one of the most perfect and original buildings that the Middle ages have handed down to us.
We get to the salt-flats of Margherita di Savoia by helicopter.
Mountains of salt rise up in the midst of a gentle country-side characterized by marshes, canale and various species of birds.
At the end of the day, as the sun goes down and everything glows in a pinkish light, we recall the words of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, who chose to live here, "If the Lord had known this plain of Puglia, the light of my eyes, he would have stayed to live here".