Lucera - ancient city located in the province of Foggia in the Italian region of Puglia. It was founded by tribes dauniytsev in the heart of their possessions - Down. During archaeological excavations have been found traces of Bronze Age settlement.

The name of Lucera had, probably on behalf of Lucius, a mythical king dauniyskogo, or the temple dedicated to the goddess Lux Chereris. A third version, the founders of the city were the Etruscans, in this case, its name means "sacred forest" ("Ray" - the forest, "Erie" - sacred).

In the 321-m BC Roman army was surrounded by the troops of the Samnites. Trying to get the support of allies, the Romans were ambushed and were routed. Samnites occupied Lucera, but were soon driven out by a popular revolt. In the 320 th year of Rome gave the city the status Togata colonies, which meant that he was under the control of the Roman Senate. And in order to strengthen ties between the two cities in Lucera went 2, 5 thousand Romans. Since then, the city was known as a constant ally of Rome. From those times to have survived relatively large number of monuments, including an amphitheater. When the Western Roman Empire fell, Lucera gradually began to decline. In 663, the year it captured the Lombards, and a little later the city destroyed Constans II, the ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire.

In 1224, the year Emperor Frederick II in response to the religious uprising in Sicily expelled all Muslims from the island, and many of them for many years settled in Lucera. Their number reached 20 thousand people, and so the city became known as Lukaera Sarachenorum because it was the last Muslim bastion in Italy. In peacetime, the Muslims were engaged mainly in farming - they grew wheat, barley, beans, grapes and other fruits. They also bred bees and honey is obtained. This colony prospered for 75 years, until 1300, the year has not been spoiled by Christians under the command of King Charles II of Anjou. Most of the Muslim population of Lucera were expelled or sold into slavery. Many found refuge in Albania, which lies on the other side of the Adriatic Sea. Abandoned mosque were destroyed, and in their place grew Christian churches, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Vittoria.

After the expulsion of Muslims Charles II tried to settle in Lucera Christians, and Muslims who have adopted the new faith, got back his property. However, none of them have been restored to their former posts or admitted to the political life of the city. In 2009, he conducted a study of the gene pool of residents Lucera and neighboring towns, in which the locals had found a small percentage of North African "blood".

In Lucera preserved many historical monuments belonging to different periods. Among them - the Roman amphitheater, one of the largest in southern Italy. It was discovered in 1932, together with a statue of Emperor Augustus. The size of the amphitheater - 131 * 99 meters. It could accommodate up to 18,000 spectators. From the Middle Ages preserved castle, the church of San Francesco and Cathedral, built in the 1300s on the site of a mosque last medieval Italy. You can also see the Church of Carmen, Santa Domenica, San Giovanni Battista and Sant Antoni. Dome of the last part of the city was once a mosque.