HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC ITINERARY The heart of the city is "VIttorio Emanuele" square, (Catuma square); coming from "Porta Castello" street you will find on your left the "Ceci" Palace dating back to the beginning of the 19th century and based on Oberty's plan. At the end of the square you can see one side of the Duke's Palace and the Bishop's Palace; on your right Saint Francis's and the cathedral's bell towers stand out from the roofs. From the square going down C. Troya street you arrive at Humbert I square and you will find the town hall on your left.
Turning on your left into Saint Francis street there is Saint Francis's church built in 1230 but greatly altered in the 18th century.The portals and the soaring baroque bell tower are outstanding. Inside the church there are the wonderful paintings of the 17th century- Neapolitan School, a wooden choir dating back to 1699 and a golden carved organ.
The cathedral's bell tower Saint Francis's church Not far from there, in the square having the same name, the cathedral stands out (consecrated to Our Lady of the Assumption); it was rebuilt between 1438-65 and revised afterwards; it preserves remains of the original Romanesque building erected in the 17th century on a former church, today a crypt.
The facade with the porch-entrance hall dates back to 1844. On its left there is the fine bell tower dating back to 1188 as regards the lower floor, to 13th-15th century as regards the upper floors, with single and double lancet windows and a pyramid-octagonal cusp. Indoors one can admire a huge and bold ogive arch, (1465), restored in 1960-65).It leads to the Renaissance presbytery with a 15th century-fine carved choir already belonging to Saint Dominic's church. At the end of the left aisle there is Saint Richard's baroque chapel, (he was the first bishop and patron saint of Andria).
There, the thirteen Italian champions of Barletta's challenge were thought to pray. Besides, a few paintings by Tuccio from Andria, the Treasure, the Museum (the Bishop's Palace) and the crypt (9th-10th century) are interesting. Two graves in the crypt are traditionally regarded as Jolanda's from Brienne and Isabella's from England, Frederick II's wives. In the contiguous "La Corte" square there is the Duke's Palace, a fortified residence of medieval origins. It was transformed by the Carafas at the end of the 16th century and revised in the 19th century.
In front of the palace, through "Corradino IV di Svevia" street you arrive at Manfredi's square, where there is Saint Dominic's church begun in 1398 but completely revised.It consists of a high baroque bell tower dating back to the second half of the 18th century. Indoors there is an Our Lady with the Infant Jesus, a 16th century-fine wood-carving still preserving its original polychromy. Francis II del Balzo's bust, a work dating back to 1472 by Francesco Laurana, which was situated in the sacristy, now can be found in the museum of the Bishop's Palace; the duke Francis II del Balzo's mummified corpse is kept in a wood-case. Going down along Frederick II's street you reach Saint Andrew's Gate, which is the only remaining ancient gate of the city revised in a baroque style in 1593. On its outer side it bears an inscription, whose words are ascribed to Frederick II: "Imperator Federicus ad Andrianos - Andria fidelis nostris affixa medullis". From Saint Andrew's Gate, after a short way, you arrive at "Porta la Barra" square, where there is a pretty fountain with a basin. From here, through "Porta la Barra" street, you reach Saint Augustin square .At the end of the square there is Saint Augustin's church built in the 13th century by the Templars and passed to the Augustinian friars in the 14th century. It keeps the majestic ogival portal within a triangular tympanum with sumptuous decoratios; in the bas-relief lunette Jesus is represented between the Saints Remigio and Leonard; at the two jambs there are two lions. The interior is embellished with baroque stucco works.
