The guided tour of Giovinazzo starts from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, a large square with a monumental fountain of tritons in the centre, built by Tommaso Piscitelli in 1933. Giovinazzo was a small fortified centre of the Romans, who called it Natolium, maybe built on the ruins of the PeuceteNetium, which was destroyed during the Punic Wars.

After the Byzantine period, it became a countship. It later became a flourishing commercial centre, that had trading connections with Venice. Through the narrow streets of the historic centre, you will visit the Arch of Trajan, one of the ancient gates of the village, formed by two pointed arches supported by four milestones of the Via Traiana and the Aragonese Tower, a defence tool behind the pretty little port.

The tour continues with the visit of the Ducal Palace up to the XII century Cathedral of Saint Maria Assunta. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Maria Assunta (Mary's Assumption), was built in the Norman period 1150-1180, in characteristic Apulian Romanesque style. It features Eastern and Western elements, and was consecrated in 1283 under bishop Giovanni II. Under Bishop Paolo De Mercurio (1731-1752) it had a thorough Baroque remodeling.