LA FONDAZIONE DI SYPONTUM NOVELLUM (ODIERNA MANFREDONIA) E IL SUO SVILUPPO TRA LA FINE DEL DUECENTO E LA PRIMA ETÀ MODERNA

The current layout of the historical centre of Manfredonia originates from its foundation by King Manfred (1258–1266). On 7 November 1263, the king ordered the relocation of the inhabitants from the ancient city of Siponto to the new town and granted them a ten-year exemption from taxes. According to historiography, the foundation may have begun a few years earlier (1256); construction was interrupted when Charles I of Anjou (1266–1285) conquered the town in 1266 and was resumed a few years later, leading to its completion. This paper aims to analyse the city in order to understand the principles of medieval town planning and their adaptation or completion in the early modern period.