Gioia del Colle

Gioia del Colle, literally Joy of the Hill, is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above sea level.
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the area now known as Gioia del Colle dates back to the 7th century BC. Archaeological excavations have revealed that at that time a Peucetian village was located in the area of Monte Sannace (about 3 miles from Gioia).
The placename seems to derive from Joha, short for the surname Joannakis, a Byzantine family living in the area during the Middle Ages. The town grew further in the 12th century, during the time of Norman Count Riccardo Siniscalco d’Altavilla, who built the Castle of Gioia del Colle, which was, then, destroyed by William the Wicked. In the 13th century the fief was under the rule of Frederick II of Swabia, who rebuilt the castle.