The country of beautiful women
In 1929 a journalist, Riccardo Bacchelli, he visited the Gargano coming to Peschici that inspired him this words “A very poor country, without water, perched on a rock. People live in the caves. Really to Peschici there is the poverty, and it is known the lack of many essential things. Well, Peschici is famous for being the country that has the prettiest girls of Gargano. And they must be very beautiful, judging from what I’ve seen. Adorned of necklaces and ancient earrings, covered with a handkerchief, hard-working and rest; happy of their men, symbol of order and civilization.”
What to see in Peschici
Peschici stands on a cliff overlooking the sea and dominates one of the most beautiful bays in Italy. What should you not miss if you come on holiday to Peschici?
The Historic Center: the origins of Peschici date back to Otto I (970 AD) who, to free the Gargano from the Saracens, called upon troops of Slavic mercenary soldiers. Their leader, Sueripolo, drove out the Saracens with his army and was rewarded by the Emperor with the two colonies of Vico and Peschici. The medieval castle that stands on the edge of the cliff (the dungeons are open to visitors) belonged to the Abbey of Calena (see below), which played a very important economic and social role throughout the 11th century. The historic center is full of suggestive views, with its houses built overlooking the sea and typical dome-shaped roofs, painted in bright white lime.
Church of Sant’Elia Profeta: the church of the Patron Saint, built around 1200, probably by the Angevin rulers. Originally the church of St. Peter, it was dedicated to the Prophet Saint Elias following a legendary miraculous event: the liberation of the town and surrounding lands from a locust invasion. Legend has it that after praying to the Saint and carrying the ancient statue in a procession through the streets of the village, a strong wind rose; the following morning, the fishermen who went down to the bay found it covered with a thick carpet of locusts, each of which bore two initials under its right wing: I.D., meaning Ira Dei (Wrath of God).
Church of the Purgatory: a small church in Piazza del Popolo, in the heart of the historic center. Its origins are uncertain, but this little church has always been used to celebrate rites related to the worship of the deceased. This explains the constant references to symbols of death (skulls and crossbones, and the altar facing west) and the afterlife, depicted in the fresco adorning the vault which shows the three realms (Hell, Purgatory, Heaven). The church houses a handcrafted wooden organ dating back to the 1500s.
Abbey of Calena (exterior only): historically, the town of Peschici is linked to the fate of the Abbey of Santa Maria di Calena, donated to the Benedictines of the Tremiti Islands by Bishop Leo of the Diocese of Siponto in 1023.
Church of the Madonna di Loreto: two kilometers from Peschici stands the small Sanctuary of the Madonna di Loreto, about the size of a large boat. It is the sanctuary that a group of fishermen from Peschici decided to build as an act of devotion to the Madonna, whose miraculous intervention saved them during a stormy night. The fishermen fulfilled their vow by building the chapel the same size as their boat. It houses several maritime ex-votos in the shape of boats, oars, and sailing ships. The Madonna di Loreto is commemorated every second Monday after Easter, when the townspeople visit the sanctuary, and it is customary to eat the typical Easter sweets shaped like baskets with hard-boiled eggs called “i canestredd”.
Watchtowers: along the coast, it is possible to admire the ancient watchtowers built in the 17th century to protect against Turkish invasions.
Texts by Gargano National Park.