Arco Pinto
Placed in a striking context, in the heart of the old Centre, in Bitonto, the Arco Pinto, about twenty meters long, was built near the Normans walls. On the 1eft, for those entering from Prince Amedeo Street, coming from Cavour Square there is the Pinto Court, a zone that preserves a lot pre-existences dating back to the 13th century, the period when the process of urbanization assumed a considerable development both for the economic aspect, and for the flow of people from the surrounding countries. Starting from the first half of the 11th century the process of urbanization assumed particular characterizations in Bitonto about typologies of civil settlings and fortification structures, especially of the Norman age, still existing. A few steps ahead of the Arco Pinto, in fact, in a court named Ciciliana, you can still admire a Norman age building, a Castle or perhaps a tower that defined, with other coeval buildings, the fortified perimeter of the town in the period following the 11th century; it represents the second stage of expansion of the urban complex; in medieval age, it marked the third and last stage, the Swabian-anjouin one, whose barycentre was the Cathedral, religious, cultural and economic point of reference of the city, therefore, the unifying element of the system. This stage of extension of the walls represents the finishing of a process that exactly in the 13th century will get true even though by degrees, but in a rapid and unitary way. The new walls delimited in an unequivocal way the area that was to be reconciled and unified on any account, aiming to favour the real development of the town. The peculiarity of the arches of Bilonto is represented by the custom to fresco or decorate their walls. Therefore, the Arco Pinto too, always on the left of whom enters from Prince Amedeo Street, has a great and beautiful fresco, that portrays the Deposition. Il shows the hand of the painter, perhaps Luca Pinto, lived in the 18th century, thanks Io verfiable similarities with other paintings of the artist, preserved in the diocesan Picture Gallery of Bitonto. The name of the arch is popular, it was given to define the whole area, as you can notice in the 1728 real estate land register, where it is also written... "in the neighbourhood of the Arco Pinto". Bui there is still a question mark over the name: does "Pinto" mean "dipinto" ("painted", in English) for the wall fresco or does it refer to the name of the author?