Bovino

Bovino is a comune and hilltop town at the foot of the Irpinia mountains in the province of Foggia, in the region of Apulia in southern Italy.Bovino is currently a member of the society "Italy's Most Beautiful Villages". On April 5, it was voted Italy's fifth prettiest village, during the national TV contest "Il Borgo dei Borghi".HistoryBovino has more than two thousand years of history, and in 323 BC, participated in the Samnite Wars, fighting against the Romans. The Romans subsequently rebuilt the town, calling it Vibinum. During the Second Carthaginian War, it is likely that Hannibal camped on Monte Castro during his march to Rome.In 663, after being conquered by the Lombards, Bovino was destroyed during the war with the Byzantines. In 876, after the Byzantine reconquest, the walls around Bovino were rebuilt by Emperor Basil I, and the streets were laid out in their characteristic narrow design. In the 11th century, during the Norman conquest of southern Italy, Bovino was one of the last remaining Byzantine strongholds. In 1656, bubonic plague killed the majority of the local population, and only 1,200 people survived.Main sightsThe largest single edifice is the Norman castle. It occupies a commanding view of the village. The courtyard is permanently open.