On February 13, 1503, thirteen Italian knights challenged and defeated
thirteen French knights in a battle that went down in history as
the Challenge of Barletta.
The insult made by La Motte, the French captain who had accused
the Italians of cowardliness and unreliability, was cancelled.
In the 19th century, during the Risorgimento, the great writer and
politician from Turin, Massimo DAzeglio, based his novel "Ettore
Fieramosca or the Challenge of Barletta" on the episode. His
intent was to rouse the soul of the Italians in a decisive moment
for the acquisition of national independence.
Today, Barletta fittingly celebrates the 500th anniversary
of the historic event with a long series of events (in the
fields of entertainment, culture, promotions and sports, etc.)
which will be held throughout the whole year of 2003 and the
early months of 2004.
The moment most awaited for is the re-enactment of the battle,
planned for September 13 and 14, 2003,
which will draw people from all over the world to Barletta.
Follow the signs for reaching Barletta. The City of the Challenge
is easy to reach by both highway and train. >>>
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