Termoli, tra mare e mura medievali del borgo antico

The village, perched on a bold rocky promontory, has a curious elliptical shape and inside it unfolds a dense network of small streets, alleys, and squares. The medieval walls were built by Frederick II of Swabia around the castle, which, in fact, was nothing more than a simple fortified structure with lookout and defense functions. From the Belvedere of Piazza Sant’Antonio, the view over the entire village is, to say the least, fantastic. Walking along Via Duomo, you reach one of Termoli’s symbolic monuments: the Romanesque Cathedral of San Basso, whose light stone wonderfully shines under the sun’s rays. It was built in the 12th century by Alfano da Termoli and despite repeated devastation caused by Saracen raids, it has managed to preserve its original charm and elegance. The facade is animated by small arches, pilasters, and an ornate portal; inside, you can still see traces of an ancient Roman temple on which the church was built and fragments of the original Byzantine-style mosaic floor, depicting real and fantastic animals. Subjects that were very common in the medieval iconography of sacred buildings in southern Italy.