The Winery of the Challenge

The Winery of the Challenge, also known as the home of Poison, is the old tavern known as the “Winery of the Challenge.” It was here that was formerly prepared a delicious lunch, according to the customs of chivalry, in honor of the French who had been defeated in a battle with the Spanish.

During lunch, the French La Motte, with audacity and arrogance would have praised his soldiers and despised the Italian soldiers, calling them cowards, inept and unfair. During the banquet, intoxicated by the excellent wine of Barletta, the French knights, between which there is the figure of the proud La Motte sit with the Spanish including Captain Don Diego de Mendoza that causes the French by comparing their value to that the Italian allies.

La Motte and his men do not accept this great offense: be compared to the “timid” Italian. So the “Challenge” came and they organized the fight between the best warriors of both sides.

The Winery of the Challenge of Barletta, inside the building that according to sources was the seat of the Great Captain of the Spanish troops in Italy, Don Gonzalo Fernandez of Cordova, is still a fascinating and full of history.