Andria

Castel del Monte

Andria, city, Puglia (Apulia) region, southeastern Italy. It is situated on the eastern slopes of the Murge plateau, just south of Barletta.

Andria was perhaps the Netium mentioned by the 1st-century-bce Greek geographer Strabo, but its recorded history began with the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century ce, when Pietro I, Norman count of nearby Trani, enlarged and fortified the minor settlement of Locum Andre. It later became a favourite hunting residence of the emperor Frederick II, who in 1240 built the Castel del Monte (11 miles [17 km] south), a massive octagonal Gothic structure. Eventually the city passed to the Angevin dynasty, Otto IV (Otto of Brunswick), and the Orsini, Acquaviva, and Carafa families. The city has some Roman remains, and the restored 10th-century cathedral contains the tombs of Isabella (Yolande) of Brienne and Isabella of England, the second and third wives of Frederick II. There are several other notable churches and palaces.

Andria is on the railway from Bari to Foggia. Agriculture, especially the cultivation of vines, olives, and almonds, is the chief industry; there is also wine production, oil refining, and the manufacture of textiles. Pop. (2012 est.) mun., 100,432.