The discovery of rock paintings, burial grounds and rudimentary stone tools
demonstrate man's presence in the area since Paleolithic times. At the beginning
of the VI milennium B.C., the inhabitants of the Gargano, until then hunters and
harvesters, learned sheep-herding and agriculture from seafarers arriving from
the Syrian-Anatolian coasts and the nomadic 'jay of life gave way to permanent
settlements. The transition from the Paleolithic to Neolithic is documented by
the discovery of villages near Mattinata, Manaccore, the mouth of the Candelaro
river, etc.) located close to the sea. The reason for settling near the sea is
to be wind in the ancient people's terror of mountainous areas, rightly believed
to be inaccessible and dangerous, but also in the greater ease f contact and
commerce with Middle Eastern merchants reaching the Gargano coast. TheDaun
ethnic group was formed between the IX md VIII centuries B. C. with the arrival
of colonies from the opposite side of'the Adriatic Sea and Aegean coasts. The
funeral stands found ill over the area belong to this civilization of which very
little is known. These stands are formed of thin rectangular slabs of limestone
oUfi a head decorated with hunting, fishing, sailing and domestic scenes. Except
for commerce and the importation of some mythologi-al characters like Diomedes
who it was said founded several cities in Puglia, Greek influence was not so
great. From the IV la HI century B. C. the Gargano, like the rest of Puglia, was
conquered by the Romans but because of its inaccessible nature it remained off
the great road-vays (via, Appia Trauma and via Litoranea). Siponto and Vieste
became flourishing ports of great importance for commercial exchan-les with
Greece, but most of the Gargano promontory wan little influenced by the Romans
who, even though present throughout the area, tept a low profile. After the fall
of the Roman Empire, the marshy, boggy zones were afflicted by malaria and the
subsequent Byzantine ind Saracene incursions led the population to abandon the
coastal centers and to look for shelter in safer inland areas. In the Gargano he
drop in the, population and fall back of agriculture was such that wilderness
once again invaded what had- been arable land. The birth m the promontory of the
cult of Archangel Michael helped to stem this phenomenon and the shrine at Monte
Sant'Angelo took on par-icular importance between the VI and XII centuries
becoming almost a compulsory stop for pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. New
oads were built along which new settlement and places of worship flourished.
After the Lombards came the Byzantines, the Normans, heAngemns and theAragons,
From the XV century onwards the Gargano was split up among feudal lords and this
division continued riso during the French-Spanish wars under Spanish and Bourbon
domination ending only with the Un'inication of Italy.
Map of Gargano
