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Barletta is a city and commune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population, according to the 2011 census, it 94.140 residents. It is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor. The city has one gold medal for military valour and another one for civil valour, for its relatively feeble resistance to an incursion of German Fallschirmjaeger who destroyed the port in order to prevent its falling intact into the hands of the advancing British Army during World War II. Barletta is a wonderful holiday destination, due to its wide range of historical attractions and beautiful landscapes.

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The Barletta Castle is a structure initially erected in the 10th century by the Normans as a typical motte and bailey structure. During the Crusade period, it was used as a hostel for soldiers leaving for the Holy Land. The fortress was used as barracks and military store.

The Colossus of Barletta is a large bronze statue of a Roman Emperor. The statue reportedly washed up on a shore, after a Venetian ship sank returning from the sack of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, in 1204. The statue depicts a bearded emperor, identifiable from his imperial diadem and his commanding gesture that invokes the act of delivering a speech, with his right arm raised, holding a cross.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Barletta was built on the former site of the temple of Neptune. The cathedral is a perfect example of Romanesque and Gothic styles. In its interior, at a lower level, are the grotticella tombs from 3rd century BC. In the 12th century a new building was erected in Romanesque style, being consecrated in 1267.

Church of San Giacomo, named after St.John the Great Matamoros, was erected on the site of what had been the temple of Isis in Roman times. It was restored and re-consecrated in 1751 shortly after the last disastrous earthquake which destroyed the town of Barletta almost completely.