PHOTOS. 25 years on, the Prince returns to Puglia
On Wednesday, Prince Albert II spent part of his afternoon in Terlizzi, a municipality in Puglia that he visited for the first time in 1997. In Italy from 20 to 22 April, the Prince is maintaining relations with municipalities that are historically linked to his family.
A diplomatic visit and a busy schedule. Almost as soon as he arrived in Terlizzi, the Sovereign attended the inauguration of a first plaque at the entrance to the town. Enscribed “Historic Site of the Grimaldis of Monaco”, it symbolises the village’s membership in a network of municipalities that have historic ties to the Principality.
The Prince’s last visit to Terlizzi was in 1997, on 16 June to be precise, when the Prince celebrated 700 years of the Grimaldi dynasty. Prince Rainier III had tasked his son, then Hereditary Prince, with visiting the territories whose history is intertwined with that of the Lords and Princes of Monaco.
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Then, after a visit to the church of Santa Maria di Sovereto, the tour continued through the streets of the town. The Prince participated in the inauguration of a second, commemorative plaque on the wall of the public market. The market is located in the former castle that belonged to the Sovereign’s ancestors, between 1532 and 1641. After paying his respects at the war memorial in Terlizzi, the Prince and the reste of the delegation headed to the Pinacoteca for speeches by the Prince and the town’s mayor, Nicola Gemmato.
The Prince’s journey continued with a visit to the town of Trani and in particular its cathedral, San Nicola Pellegrino. The day concluded with a dinner for the Monegasque delegation and the mayors of Trani, Canosa di Puglia, Terlizzi, Poggiorsini and Spinazzola.