The small town of Corato lies a few kilometres from the evocative Castel del Monte. There are many, often legendary, stories concerning its foundation. Some maintain that Corato was founded during the Roman empire between 218 and 202 BC. Others claim that it is of Norman origin, dating from around 1046 AD. There was certainly a farming settlement here in the Roman period and the site seems to have undergone all the typical processes that have caused it to evolve into the town we see today. Its altitude is 232 metres above sea level and occupies an intermediary position between the heights of the north-western Murgia and the coastal plains. However the strongest influences on the character of Corato: its flora and fauna and the richness of its resources, come predominantly from the Murgia. The territory is classified as ‘pseudo steppe’, with its vast areas of arid ground populated only by small plants, spontaneous vegetation and a thin covering of wild grasses. Nevertheless, the area boasts a rich patrimony of flora and fauna which thrive in the apparently inhospitable terrain.