Hotels Corato

The city of Corato is located at approximately 10 km from the Adriatic Sea along the Apulian coastline, on the slopes of the Murge region, a rich territory of vineyards and olive groves.

In Corato they one can visit the Palazzo di Città, hosting today the town hall which previously it was a convent of the Smaller friars of San Cataldo, with its beautiful closter and a civic clock. In the inside of the city palace there is a beatiful statue of the Madonna del Latte and a fresco of the XVI century. The XIV palace of the Pietre Pizzute, adorned by thirteen pyramidal clews, with the Patroni Griffi counts coat of arms and other ancient palaces like the one of Lamonica Vecchio, Catalano and Gioia. In town, beyond to the characteristic historical center, it is advised to visit the Chiesa Madre of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Church and the Convent of San Benedetto.

The origin of Corato dates back to 201 b.C. the second Punic war when Scipio split the confiscated Apulian territory with its soldiers so to delineate the first Roman colonies in Puglia, with Caius Oratus headind them, from which derived the name of Coratum and later on, with the domination of Frederic II, it assumed the denomination of Corato. In 1250, Carlo D' Angiò imposed its dominion after having defeated Corradino di Svevia. The village rised at short distance from the sea, on a small height in order to defend it from the pirates sailing along the Adriatic coasts, in a fertile area and it was characterized by four towers and the defense constructed by the Longobards, consisted also in a labyrinth of streets with arches and underground paasages, a characteristic still present nowadays in the historical city center. Under the dominion of the Normanni, the city was fortified and the four towers were joined in order to encircle the historical centre with a wall and a castle was built up, nowadays it is called Palace Gioia. In the 1409 Svevi and Angioini thought to the city development in the commerce and agricultural industry with wine, olive oil, almond and lether. Past the Feudal period, Corato entered into a civil progress that found its maximum development after the unit of Italy.

The economy of Corato is mostly agricultural, handicraft, small businesses and commercial activities. The particular agricultural tradition produces an immense range of cheese products and vaaaiorus olive oil mills are set. The city is the native land of the extra vergine olive oil obtained from the species of the "Cultivar Coratina or racioppa di Corato".

Corato and Surroundings