Rodi Garganico, Gargano's garden
Rodi Garganico, located on a promontory, surrounded by
the sea, plunged into a thick garden of pines, olives and oranges, is
the first seatown you encounter in the Gargano if you come from the North.
Narrow passages and tangled streets make up the old village, called "Vuccolo",
with his houses put on a little promontory and developped vertically,
while all around you can smell a citrus fragrance. Rodi has greek origins;
certainly it was a roman town, probably named "Uria"; in fact we still
find traces of many towers of the old boundary wall. The town was renowned
for its shipping and it had flourishing sea traffics with Dalmazia and
with the rest of Mediterranean and even the East. It exported wines, oranges,
lemons and the famous oil. At the beginning of the Ninth Century, it was
characterized by the flourishing trade of citrus fruits, very popular
also in America. The inhabitants are very devoted to the "Virgin Mary
of Libera" (of freedom) whose Romanesque sanctuary has a very evocative
history: it is said that one of the boats coming from the East with holy
images taken from the Turcks, in 1453, stopped for no reason close to
Rodi; the wind blew but the boat didn’t move; only when the holy icon
of the Virgin Mary carried on the boat was presented to Rodi inhabitants,
the boat could travel again. From this history comes the name "Virgin
Mary of Libera", "Libera" because she wanted to be free to reside where
she liked. In the place where the picture was based, close the preexistent
Holy Lucia church, the new church was built.
Places to see:
The Sanctuary of Virgin Mary of Libera.
The old bell towers of San Pietro.
San Nicola church.
Crocifisso.
Rodi and its historical centre.
San Menaio.
Torre Mileto and Lido del Sole
beach.
Feasts and events:
- The Rodi Carnival.
- The Virgin Mary of Libera party in July.
- The Holy Rocco Party in August.
- The sea feast in september.
- The oranges feast in may.
Rodi Garganico, located on a promontory, surrounded by
the sea, plunged into a thick garden of pines, olives and oranges, is
the first seatown you encounter in the Gargano if you come from the North.
Narrow passages and tangled streets make up the old village, called "Vuccolo",
with his houses put on a little promontory and developped vertically,
while all around you can smell a citrus fragrance. Rodi has greek origins;
certainly it was a roman town, probably named "Uria"; in fact we still
find traces of many towers of the old boundary wall. The town was renowned
for its shipping and it had flourishing sea traffics with Dalmazia and
with the rest of Mediterranean and even the East. It exported wines, oranges,
lemons and the famous oil. At the beginning of the Ninth Century, it was
characterized by the flourishing trade of citrus fruits, very popular
also in America. The inhabitants are very devoted to the "Virgin Mary
of Libera" (of freedom) whose Romanesque sanctuary has a very evocative
history: it is said that one of the boats coming from the East with holy
images taken from the Turcks, in 1453, stopped for no reason close to
Rodi; the wind blew but the boat didn’t move; only when the holy icon
of the Virgin Mary carried on the boat was presented to Rodi inhabitants,
the boat could travel again. From this history comes the name "Virgin
Mary of Libera", "Libera" because she wanted to be free to reside where
she liked. In the place where the picture was based, close the preexistent
Holy Lucia church, the new church was built.
Places to see:
Feasts and events:
