Terlizzi has origin during the maximum moment of expansion of Longobardi in Apulia in the VII century A.D. . As settlement of Longobardi, the "Casale di Terlicio " takes part to the history in the end of the same century. In 773 Wacco is registered in the Chronicon monasterii Casinensis as benefactor of the same Benedectine monastery in Montecassino. The long settlement of Longobardi to conquest the last part of the Byzantine empire gave origin to the various settlements:also the Casale di Trelicio, with the assignation of State lands covered still by Mediterranean undergrowth and oak-groves to veterans in discharge.

Lecci in viale Roma

From here, comes of course the etymology of the place-name Trelicium or more commonly, in the most ancient parchments,Terlicium or better terra ilicium in the meaning

Tratto della via consolare Appia-Traiana, direzione verso sud

of " Land of Evergreen oak " or " Place situated among the Evergreen oaks ". The long and complicated history of the South, of Apulia, consists in various foreign dominations and is characterized by that particular political, social and economic regime, known as feudalesimo (feudalism) put by Normans in during the XI century. Terlizzi has lived periods of foreign dominations as Norman Period (1071-1194) , Periodo Svevo (1194-1266) , Periodo Angioino (1266-1435) , Periodo Aragonese (1435-1503) , Period of the Spanish viceroyalty (1503-1707), Period of the Austrian viceroyalty (1707-1734) and primo Borbonico (1707-1806).

Gaetano Valente

G. Valente was born in Terlizzi in 27th /09/1919. He followed a course in palaeography. He' s teacher of religion in State school and of litterary subjects in a Grammar School. This scholar,Gaetano Valente, reconstructed, according the criterions used by modern historiographic methodology, the historic events of Terlizzi in medieval and modern ambit, using a great variety of documents made available both by ancient parchments and by the recent reorganization of the Diocesan Archives. The whole work, titled "Feudalesimo e feudatari", it' s made up of six volumes, represent s six different periods of foreign dominations and links to the last years of Byzantine domination until to the French one. The historical reconstruction wants to connect local events to great and general movements until the final revenge had in 1779.

- bibliography of Gaetano Valente -