Tourists for a week - Part 2

This is a bit late, but here is some tourist related activity from Steven and Bec's visit. We have Kushla and Laura with us this week so we get to be tour guides again.

Trani is a sea port of Pulgia on the Adriatic Sea, about 30 minutes north of Bari. In the middle ages it was a key port for the crusades, with many leaving for battle from there. There is still a Templar Knights Church in Trani which was the last stop for many befroe embarking on the hazardous sea journey.


Trani at sunset


Selling fresh fish


Dinner overlooking the boats


Cathedral - dedicated to St Nicholas. This is St Nicholas the Pilgrim (not Santa Claus St Nick from Bari), a Greek assassinated at Trani in 1094 and canonized by Urban II. It is in such a beautiful spot overlooking the sea.


Emperor Frederick II built a massive castle in Trani in the early 13th century which juts out onto the sea.

Trani has had a strong Jewish population. By the 12th century, Trani housed the largest Jewish community of Southern Italy. Jews were originally brought to Trani as salves during the time of the crusades and later began to thrive. Vica La Giudea (Jew Road) and others still exist in the Jewish quarter.

At one point there were four synangogues in Trani. The Jews were soon persecuted. The Scolanova Synagogue survives and, after many centuries as a church, has been rededicated as a synagogue.


On the sign outside the synagogue it mentions in Italian that the it was transformed into a church towards the end of 1400. In the English version it adds "(after the fall of the Jewish community)" which is no doubt a euphemism in itself. The road the synagogue is now called Via Scolanova but the old name which is still visible was Strada Stregatezze - Witchery Rd, which probably highlights the local attitude towards the Jews in those days.

By 1380 all of the four synagogues in Trani had been converted to churches and the 310 Jews remaining in the city forcibly converted to Christianity. The talmudist Rabbi Moses ben Joseph di Trani (1505–1585) was born in Thessaloniki, three years after his family had fled there from Trani due to antisemitic persecution.

The church of Sant'Anna is another medieval former synagogue which now houses artifacts from the Jewish history of the area.

Tourists for a week - Part 1

Our friends, Steve and Becs, from New Zealand came to stay with us for a week.

It was great having them here with us and to be their tour guides.

We showed them around the old part of Bari, went to Trani, Polignano, Ostuni, Alberobello, and Castellana. So here is our best impresson of being tour guides.

Firstly Old Bari, Bari Vecchia.

Rebekah & Andrea - waterfront Bari


In the Old City


St Nicolas' Basilica


Inside the Basilica

Visit by Ken and Mark

We had a great week with Pastor Ken and Mark Hutchinson. Ministry included:

Alphacrucis block course on Leadership
Sunday Ministry (Ken at Bari, Mark at Carato and Andria)
Leadership training with the Leaders from Bethel Church
Strategy Development meeting with the Leaders of the movement.

It was a really fruitful time and Andrea and I were really encouraged to have them her. Kaira loved it too as she kept getting spoiled!


Pastor ken ministering at Bethel Church on Sunday



Bethel Leaders


At Alphacrucis block course


At Polignano. In the background is where the cliff diving event takes place.


This is a Knights Templar Church in Trani. It was were a lot of the crusaders stopped before heading off towards Israel.

Tomorrow's post will show you the suffering we go through as missionaries in Italy!

Trani

Recently we travelled to a picturesque town called Trani, about 40 minutes from Bari. It is quite a nice, laid back town.

The main monument of Trani is the Cathedral, dedicated to St. Nicholas the Pilgrim, a Greek assassinated at Trani in 1094 and canonized by Urban II. It lies on a raised open site near the sea. Emperor Frederick II built a massive castle in Trani which we visted.






Kaira enjoying a visit to the castle!