What to See in Foggia: Epitaffio and Neolithic Village with Interactive Map

The Epitaph of Foggia is a historic monument that marks the exact point considered the geographic center of the Tavoliere delle Puglie. Located along the road leading to the city center, this white stone obelisk dates back to the 18th century and represents one of the city's lesser-known but most significant symbols. Its position is not accidental: it indicates the zero point from which land division measurements began during the Bourbon period, when the Tavoliere was the granary of the Kingdom of Naples. The simple yet elegant architecture of the Epitaph, with its square base and spire rising toward the sky, tells a story of boundaries, measurements, and territorial organization that has characterized this plain for centuries. Today the monument stands in an urban area but retains its symbolic value intact. Visiting the Epitaph means gaining a better understanding of the geography and agrarian history of Capitanata, discovering how a simple reference point has influenced the economy and social organization of the entire province for centuries. Its current location, though surrounded by modern urban fabric, still preserves that function of territorial reference that made it important for generations of farmers and administrators.

The Passo di Corvo Archaeological Area takes you back 7,000 years, when one of the most important ditched villages of the Neolithic period in southern Italy stood here. Discovered in the 1950s during agricultural work, this site shows you how the first farmers of Puglia lived. The foundation pits of the huts are still visible, arranged in concentric circles that reveal an advanced social organization. The artifacts found—impressed pottery, flint and obsidian tools—demonstrate contacts with other Neolithic communities in the Mediterranean. Today, you can walk among the remains of this prehistoric settlement that extended over about 2 hectares, imagining the daily life of those who worked the land and raised animals. The location on a gentle rise ensured control over the surrounding territory and proximity to water resources. The defensive structures with multiple ditches make you understand how important it was to protect the community. Visiting Passo di Corvo means touching the origins of civilization in Capitanata, in a place that has revolutionized knowledge of the Puglian Neolithic.