Cannae (now Canne della Battaglia, ) is an ancient village of the Apulia region of south east Italy. It is a frazione (civil parish) of the comune (municipality) of Barletta. Cannae was formerly a bishopric, and is a Latin Catholic titular see (as of 2022).

Geography

The commune of Cannae is situated near the river Ofanto (ancient names Aufdius or Canna), on a hill on the right (i.e., south) bank, 9.6 km southwest of its mouth, and 9 km southwest of Barletta.

History

It is primarily known for the Battle of Cannae, in which the numerically superior Roman army suffered a disastrous defeat by Hannibal in 216BC. There is a considerable controversy as to whether the battle took place on the right or the left bank of the river. In later times the place became a municipium, and the remains of an unimportant Roman town still exist upon the hill known as Monte di Canne. In the Middle Ages, probably after the destruction of Canosa di Puglia in the 9th century, it became a bishopric, and again saw military action in the second battle of Cannae, twelve centuries after the more famous one (1018). The Byzantine catapan, Basilios Bojoannes, successfully drove off the invading Lombard and Norman army. The town was wrecked in 1083 by Robert Guiscard, who left only the cathedral and bishop's residence, and was ultimately destroyed in 1276.