first post-war period. On 1 July 6 workers were killed and following day in retaliation three landowners. Monuments and interesting places Norman-Hohenstaufen castle The Gioia del Colle Norman-Swabian Castle is the result of at least three construction interventions: one dating back to the Byzantine period, another to the Norman one and the last to the Swabian one. Initially it consisted of a fortified enclosure in stone ashlars. It was enlarged in the 12th century by the Norman Richard of Hauteville, who transformed it into a noble residence. The final castle arrangement is due to Frederick II of Swabia around 1230. It has a quadrangular courtyard, halls and rooms that overlook it, and is bordered by four corner towers. Of the four original corner towers, which are mentioned in the book the Terra di Gioia both by the architect and tabular book Honofrio Tangho of 1640 and by Gennaro Pinto of 1653, today only two towers remain: that of De 'Rossi and that of the Empress. The castle permanently houses the Gioia del Colle National Archaeological Museum. The main Church It was built towards the end of the 11th century by Riccardo Siniscalco with the name of "Palatine Church of St. Peter". It was initially dedicated to St. Peter, but it was later renamed "Madonna della Neve". The church was destroyed in 1764 by a fire. In the same year the church was rebuilt and dedicated to the nativity of the Blessed Virgin.This period dates back to the two stone sculptures on the front (S. Filippo Neri and the Madonna with the Child in her womb). The church was damaged again in 1857, by an earthquake. It was then closed to worship. The church's front and the bell tower were restored in 1893. The downfall of the bell tower dates back to 1942 and it is due to structural instability between the part built in the 12th century and that of 1893. The Baptismal Books were established in the church in 1575 and the Registers of the Dead in 1584. It has inside numerous frescoes dating back to different historical periods and a crypt in which the body of Prince Carlo III De' Mari is buried. It was rebuilt over the centuries, it still retains the original jamb of the entrance door and a sarcophagus used as a washbasin (preserved in the sacristy). Other churches Parrocchia Sacro Cuore Parrocchia Santa Lucia