The Villa Comunale «Giuseppe Marano» is one of the main parks of Andria, with its seventy thousand square metres; it lies in the northern sector of the town, in the locality of La Specchia, with its main entrance in largo XXV Aprile, formerly largo Torneo.
What to see
The villa has the layout of an Italian garden, with a precise geometry of avenues and flowerbeds, but also elements of the English garden in the juxtaposition of natural and artificial elements. It has the shape of an irregular triangle, with its vertex at the main entrance, made monumental by four stone pillars: from there starts the central avenue, which leads to a square paved with stone slabs, on which games such as chess, hopscotch, the snail and the flag are depicted. In the eastern part are a semicircular theatre that echoes the shape of the Greek theatre, the reading area, the five-a-side pitch, the playground and the Mediterranean garden; in the western part are the fountains and an area for dogs. The four new side avenues bear the names of four figures from the political history of the city: Onofrio Jannuzzi, Leonardantonio Sforza, Giuseppe Colasanto and Consalvo Ceci.
From about 1890, along the Andria-Trani provincial road, the Specchia area was a bare stretch of land that came alive at three times of the year: in April for the cattle fair, in June for the grain trade and in September for the patron saint's festivities, with fireworks and horse races. On 4 June 1931 the racecourse was inaugurated, and the name «largo Torneo» recalls the races of the feast of Saint Riccardo. In 1930 the first pinewood was planted; then came the sports ground, today the Stadio degli Ulivi, and in 1960 the public gardens, designed by the agronomist Martiradonna. The present appearance is the result of a recovery project concluded in 2013 by the administration led by mayor Nicola Giorgino; at the new inauguration, on 2 June, the villa was named after the former mayor Giuseppe Marano.
Visiting
The villa is in the northern sector of Andria, with its main entrance in largo XXV Aprile; the sources consulted give no opening hours, which should be checked with the Comune. According to the source it is served by video surveillance and free wifi.
Our editors' tip
Look at the slabs of the central square: among the geometric designs in limestone and volcanic stone are carved children's games, hopscotch, chess, the snail and the flag.
