Sometimes you run into something, and wish you could get more information on it, such is the case with this church. It sits quietly above San Nicandro several miles distant, and displays a decidedly Spanish Mission style influence, almost identical to the church in San…Read More

Sometimes you run into something, and wish you could get more information on it, such is the case with this church. It sits quietly above San Nicandro several miles distant, and displays a decidedly Spanish Mission style influence, almost identical to the church in San Nicandro, but smaller.

When I questioned my brother-in-law about the church, he had few answers even though he drove me here. I didn't even see any signs here or on the small road that leads here. I am curious about this small church and the influences in its architecture, especially the relationship with the church in San Nicandro.

I will ask my brother-in-law to get more information on this church and other things so that I may pass them along.

Below I included an extra picture of the church in San Nicandro for comparison.

Walking the streets of San Nicandro Italy can be interesting and tiring. There is much to be seen in this old village, and as with most places, some good and some bad. To the wary traveler this place might be better avoided, but if you…Read More

Walking the streets of San Nicandro Italy can be interesting and tiring. There is much to be seen in this old village, and as with most places, some good and some bad. To the wary traveler this place might be better avoided, but if you don't mind a little excitement, this place can be quite interesting.

As with several of the places I have stayed in Italy and Sicily, there are no hotels here to the best of my knowledge as well as no rental cars. The closest train station is in Foggia, but a bus does come through this town a couple of times a day. According to my brother-in-law, who was raised here, San Nicandro is considered one of the top drug smuggling cities in Europe. As to the truth of such a statement, I'm not qualified to say, but I saw plenty of evidence of crime and violence. I can offer that I have seen plenty of evidence of crime and violence in American cities as well, and I like many others who travel am simply a little more cautious when in Europe. Of my travels to San Nicandro I can say this, I value having had the experience, and learned much from that time to make me wiser in the future.

During my stay in San Nicandro I realized people were curious about my presence there. My features look Germanic even though I'm of Scotch/Welsh decent and decidedly American. In stores, people would ask me to pay for goods in the German language. Since I lived in Germany for three years I have retained a little German and like an idiot responded that I was not German, in the German language, not very convincing. Once people realized that I was American, the response was always the same: we don't see Americans here.

Owing to its age, San Nicandro is a piecemeal town that looks as though it was thrown together. In the older parts of the city its helter skelter heritage is most evident, while in the more recently constructed areas a plan for development emerged. San Nicandro is a beautiful and alluring city nestled in the hills above the Adriatic about 35 mile north of Foggia. The small city of San Severo is about halfway between Foggia and San Nicandro. The residents of this city are for the most part gracious and friendly.

While there I saw a professional dance troop at a local restaurant, El Texano. I also saw the recent remnants of a Mafia retaliation bombing which killed an entire family, sadly by mistake. I witnessed the hard working time honored tradition of preparing the Pomedore, (tomatoes), and right across the street I saw the anguish of a 70 year old woman who had been beaten and robbed, (I didn't have the heart to ask her for a picture). My wife and I were chased through the fields at 2:30 AM by four youths on mopeds with every intention of robbery.

Even with all that I saw there, I will go back, a little wiser perhaps, but I will return.