Corte Altavilla

The Corte Altavilla residential complex is of Norman origin and is located in the heart of the historic center of Conversano.

In the early Middle Ages the territory of Conversano (formerly called Norba) welcomed a small fortified nucleus: Cupersanum.
Conquered by the Normans in the 11th century, it acquired considerable strategic and economic importance under their influence.
The town was erected in the county under the rule of the Casa Altavilla whose courtyard resided right in the walls of our complex.

Goffredo d’Altavilla called it Comes Cupersani, making it the center of that county which will extend from Castellana through Polignano a Mare to the gates of Brindisi and Lecce.
From this date (about 1054), and for the 4 centuries to follow, we see several blazons alternating: from the Altavilla to the Bassavilla, through Brienne, the d'Enghien and the Luxembourg. Around 1422 the county passed to the Orsini family, then to Giovanni Antonio Orsini del Balzo (Prince of Taranto and Duke of Bari) who, in 1455, gave it to his daughter Caterina as a dowry, married to Julius Antonio Acquaviva of Aragon Duke of Atri and count of Teramo. Thus began the succession of the Aragonese counts in Conversano (19 in 4 centuries), between a distinction of heroisms and love affairs, until reaching Jerome II of Aragon, VII Duke of Nardò, count of Castellana and XXXII Count of Conversano. The latter, more commonly known as "Guercio delle Puglie", cross and delight of the Shire (see jus primae noctis, from which the nickname of the conversanesi: sons of the count) was at the center of many legends and, at the same time, kept in " I checkmate the Shire for about 40 years (1626 - 1645).

WHO WAS SIBILLA D'ALTAVILLA
After about a millennium and following a trip to Normandy, it was discovered by prof. Carmine Liuni, internationally renowned agronomist and passionate lover of the subject, a plaque, placed under the main altar of the cathedral of Rouen, with the inscription: "Sibyl from Altavilla da Conversano ..........."

And from here began the work of discovering this noble figure of a woman, daughter of Goffredo d'Altavilla and celebrated, in the chronicles of the time, for her extraordinary beauty and intelligence.

The Roman writer Dora Liguori, who accidentally came to know about the evocative story of Sibilla, during her stay at the Corte Altavilla relais, decided to tell it with a novel entitled "Sibilla d’Altavilla, Countess of Conversano, Duchess of Normandy".

Today the Corte Altavilla offers 32 independent residences with 2, 3 or 4 beds, each equipped with:
Free WI-FI, air conditioning, satellite TV, direct dial telephone, safe, private bathroom with shower, minibar and kitchenette on request.