Corato

The chief feature of the old town centre, which is surrounded by modern buildings, is the Romanesque church. It is a twin city of Grenoble, France, where many Coratini immigrated during the 20th century. The origins of the current town of Corato date back to the 3rd century BC, during the Roman Republican era, when Scipio Africanus rewarded veterans of the conquest of Carthage by granting them several territories in Apulia. One of them, a certain Caius Oratus, is said to have owned an area as a Roman patrician, where he built a village, which he named after his own. Over the centuries, the name varied between Coratus, Coratum, Curati (in the Norman-Swabian era), Quarata, and Quadrata until, in the Bourbon era, the town took its official name of Corato. The modern town of Corato was founded in 1046 by Peter I of Trani, adding a castle, four angular towers, the perimeter enclosing walls, four access gates, and two main perpendicular streets. These elements, typical of a mediaeval town, were preserved until the 16th century.