Editing Molfetta (section)

==History==
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are at the [[Neolithic]] site of Pulo, one of the most important such sites in southern Italy. The origins of the city can be traced to a small fishing port; antique graves testify to a fisherman's village in the fourth century BC. The position of the future city offered a valid landing to the commerce of [[Ruvo di Puglia|Roman Rubo]]. The first indication of a [[toponym]] on the coast between ''Turenum'' ([[Trani, Apulia|Trani]]) and ''Natiolum'' ([[Giovinazzo]]) is in the ''[[Antonine Itinerary|Itinerarium Provinciarum Antonini Augusti]]'', edited from a third-century core. The place denominated ''Respa'' was probably a wrong transcript of the toponym ''Melpha'', referring to a small village of fishermen.

The first official document that mentions the city dates to November 925; it documents a ''civitas'' denominated Melfi, situated on a peninsula named Sant'Andrea. The city developed under [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] dominion, and was later conquered by the [[Lombards]], who included it in the [[Duchy of Benevento]]. The city repelled repeated assaults by the [[Emirate of Bari]]. As an independent seaport, Molfetta traded with other Mediterranean markets, including [[Venice]], [[Alexandria]], [[Constantinople]], Syria, [[Amalfi]] and [[Dubrovnik|Ragusa]].

At the beginning of the 11th century the [[Italo-Normans|Normans]] arrived, and the autonomy that the city preserved helped foster its development as both a commercial port with the east, and as port of embarcation for pilgrims heading to the [[Holy Land]]. The [[Crusades]]  permitted the city to assume a wider importance. Among the many pilgrims was [[Conrad of Bavaria]], who was so enamoured of the city that he became venerated as San Corrado, the protecting saint of Molfetta. During the [[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevin]] dominion the city succeeded in remaining autonomous. However, the arrival of the Aragonese kingdom to Southern Italy, spurred turbulent struggles between French, Spanish and Italians. These wars provoked death and destruction in the whole south of Italy: the [[Sack of Molfetta]] at the hands of the French, 18&ndash;19 July 1529, was an episode that stalled the economic rebirth of the city.

In February 2006, Molfetta hosted International Youth Parliament, an event which took place the previous year in Canterbury.