There are telephone calls to make and it's nearly ten o'clock by the time we set off for Lucera. But it's an easy drive on various dual carriageways and Lucera itself isn't a large town so it's quick to find a parking space and walk into the centre.The redbrick cathedral is imposing but before looking inside we have a look at the courtyard of the Palazzo Vescovile. The Museo Diocesano seems closed but here we are lucky because the custodian calls another custodian who comes specially to show us the museum. The museum is in the rooms the Bishop would have used for public meetings and there are some interesting pieces, made even more interesting by the custodian's description. There's an altar in a cupboard including a gold leaf version of everything an altar could possibly have. There's a stone statue of la Madonna della Melagrana and a fine painting of Madonna della Grazie by Carlo Tolentino (il Tartaglia) dated 1565. It's well worth the visit and the custodian also gives us some interesting booklets about the museum but also about the area, which will be useful for planning our days in Daunia next week. The cathedral is also nice with its tall gothic columns and unadorned walls.
It's nearly 12 o'clock but there's time for a walk around the historical centre before getting some pastries for lunch at the bakery just behind the cathedral.
We drive around uselessly looking for a pleasant place for a picnic but have to give up and eat silently but reasonably in the shade in the car parked near the Guardia di Finanza not far from the castle. Lucera castle is impressive from below and also, as we later realise, from the highroad to Pietramontecorvino, our next destination.
Lucera was nice but we are a little tired and depressed for other reasons and as we drive through the parched countryside with enormous windmills I wonder if it's worth driving an extra 20 minutes to a place I'm not even sure is interesting.
Pietramontecorvino is destined to cheer us up in more ways than one. It's just before two when we arrive so there's a sort of sun-baked deserted high noon atmosphere as we park near the chiesa del Rosario. The houses in the square are old but when we go up a few steps it's a complete surprise, like entering another world, a perfectly restored Borgo, yes, indeed one of the Borghi più belli d'Italia this time.
The pale ochre stone, the perfect environment, the view across the countryside. We are enchanted. Amazingly, the church is open, beautiful, pure stone painstakingly reaching upwards with a splendid arch over the altar. Complete silence. Beautiful. We contemplate a while then prosaically head back to the 'main' road in search of coffee. Everything seems closed except for someone drinking coffee outside a sign saying Birreria Montalto. We go in and sit down.
Sometimes one is just lucky. The boy behind the bar is friendly and welcoming, there are a couple of locals. Three-quarters of an hour later we come out decidedly refreshed, coffee, a taste of their delicious craft beer which drunk straight after a boiling cappuccino mysteriously gets rid of a threatening headache, a long chat about living in small villages north and south.....
Oh yes, and the owner of the local supermarket who came in to drink coffee offered us the beer...., what a thoroughly delightful place!
We have another look around the medieval village centre, up and down the quiet and narrow streets
and then go back to our car, now seriously obstructing preparations for the festival the following day. I start apologizing but there's no need, we are warmly invited to come back the next day to take part. Some places, and people are just nice, we drive home through the fields of stubble and those newly tilled warmed and happy. We brought a couple of bottles for supper too....
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