Gonzalo de Cordoba the 'Gran Capitan'. Barletta has one gold medal for military valour and another one for civil valour, for its resistance to an incursion of German Fallschirmjäger who destroyed the port in order to prevent its falling intact into the hands of the advancing British Eighth Army during World War II. Geography Barletta is located on the Adriatic coast, where the rocky shore is covered with silt from the Ofanto river. The river forms the boundary of the provinces of Bari and Foggia and has always influenced the agricultural activities of the area. The river also marks the passage from the Murgia to the fertile plain of the Tavoliere, which starts in Barletta. Barletta is situated on the south-west end of the Gulf of Manfredonia and sits opposite the promontory of Gargano. On its borders are: the Adriatic coast to the north; Trani to the south-east; Canosa di Puglia to the south-west; the mouth of the Ofanto river to the north-west; and the town of Margherita di Savoia to the west. It is on a low plain that varies from above sea level. The surface extends over an area of , and has a length (east to west) of about , a width (north to south) of about and a perimeter of about . Its climate is moderated by the sea. Winds are usually from the south. Rainfall is low; Barletta receives of rain annually, with most of the rain in autumn and winter during which day-long deluges occur. Rain is minimal between the second half of June and the first half of August. The comune comprises two parts, Montaltino and Fiumara. The communes next to Barletta are: Andria, Canosa di Puglia, Margherita di Savoia, San Ferdinando di Puglia, Trani, and Trinitapoli. The city is endowed with a very long, sandy coast stretching to both the east and the west from the commercial port. Along the coast, there are various attractive beaches with trees to the west. History Barletta developed long before the Roman era, known by Greeks and Romans respectively as Bardulos or Barulum, from Illyrian name "Bardylis" its origin dates back one before the arrival of either in the region,at the end of the Bronze Age (11th-10th centuries BC) and during the transition to the Iron Age, Illyrian groups from the eastern Adriatic migrated to Italy. In the Middle Ages it was a stronghold of the