Nascita di una città: San Ferdinando di Puglia

San Ferdinando di Puglia is a town which was founded in the middle of the 19th century at the behest of King Ferdinando II di Borbone, in order to lighten the burden of overcrowding in the royal salt-works ('Reali Saline') of the town of Barletta and populate a large and unoccupied inner zone of the 'Tavoliere'. During the foundation phase, the initial idea of a small farming colony was abandoned in favour of a bigger urban centre. For its realization, two projects, both deeply inspired by the King himself, were drawn up. After a difficult start, the town experienced, subsequent to the unification of Italy, a marked population growth due to the arrival of immigrants from nearby centres. New problems arose, leading to the drafting of the first town street master plan and to the realization of the first public works, completed in the 20th century.