Corato is a town in the province of Bari about 47,500 inhabitants located on the eastern mountainside of the Murge.
The origins of the town date back to the third century BC, when Scipio Africanus, obtained by the destruction of Carthage, and rewarded the dauni pauceti soldiers giving them the territories of Apulia.
Caius Oratus just touch the area of sea bream, which was named after him. The city's economy is mainly based on agriculture, with a particular propensity for the cultivation of olive groves, vineyards, almond orchards and cropland.
The special agricultural vocation of the city, has allowed the development of a real food-pole, specializing mainly in the processing of dairy products, the production of oil from the local Coratina cultivation, the transformation of grain into flour and pasta.
Among the most important industrial is, Pastificio Attilio Mastromauro Granoro, well known for the production and distribution of quality pasta, sauces, olive oil and organic products.
What to see
Among the most important examples of religious architecture in the city, there is the Cappuccini Church, built in 1756 and dedicated to the Resurrection of Jesus, very important for the city because there is veneration of S. Rita da Cascia and the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Madonna del Pozzo.
Of great importance is also the Church of Our Lady of Grace, also known as the Church of Bracco, named after the street where it was built in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. We can find here an excellent example of civil architecture such as City Hall, since 1866 the town hall of the city.
The façade with a nineteenth century style, meanwhile inside there is a sixteenth-century cloister which treasures the precious statue of the Madonna del Latte by Paolo Cassano. And then Santarella Palace, Palazzo Gioia, Palazzo Catalano, popular small factory from 1598, and Palazzo La Monica Vecchio, with its various portals in the Renaissance style.
Corato has also several archaeological sites, such as Chianca of the Paladins, a dolmen, according to legend the born thanks to the struggle between giants, which dates back to the Bronze Age; the Tomb of Stratificato Tuttulli, dating from the XVI century, the Tomb of St. Magno, dating back to the seventh century before Christ.
Events
- February - Carnival Corato
- Holy Week - Rites of the Passion of Christ
- May - Feast di S. Cataldo
- August - Patron Saint's Day in honor of St. Cataldo