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  Visit
  the territory
  in bicycle

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  Discover the
  Orchids of
  the Gargano

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  Sant'Egidio

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  Saint Mary of Pulsano

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  Holy Mountain

Holy Mountain

Solitary, majestic and superb, it’s the highest mountain of the east Gargano. At the northern of Manfredonia, with his 874 meters, raises the Holy Mountain, his landscape is characterized by oak trees, reforestation of black pine trees, elms and cypresses and also in the most fresh expositions hop-horn beam and downy oaks.

The south east slope of the relief is covered by the vegetation typical of the Mediterranean. Directly the “Holy Mountain” makes you think of a place of cult. You could presume that the name derives from the presence of the friar’s settling, but the mountain was already consecrated to the cult before the Advent of the Christianity.

The old name of the place is Dodoneo in homage to Jupiter to whom it was dedicated. The millennium dedication changed horizon; in fact, some documents reveal that in the same year in which was celebrated the first mess in honour of the Archangel Saint Michael, who since shortly appeared in the cave on the homonymous Mountain, Lorenzo Maiorano, bishop of Siponto, accompanied by other prelates, climbs up on the top of the Dodoneo and consecrated it to the Holy Trinity (at the end of the V century). In middle age period, a group of monks realised on this mountain top a cell that is a little coenobium for a few friars.

Traces of this were found for the first time in a papal stamp of 1058. But already hundred years later the “Holy Mountain” was mentioned as abbey, thus they presume it had become very important until winning the independence of the nucleus of Peschici, in the XII century, After a period of economical prosperity and prestige, the incomes of the abbey began to reduce for receiving a terrible blow with the institution of the commend. In 1481 the abbey is by this time deserted and  joined to that of Siponto. The deterioration is progressive, until coming to the actual state of ruins.