Norba In was born in the city centre of Conversano, an attractive small town situated 219 metres above sea-level. Occupying a predominant position, almost hanging between earth and sea, it represents an enchanting stop for those who look for health air, temperate climate, genuine products (handicraft icecream, dairy products, almond cakes, cherries, olive ), religious and popular festivals and , in particular, art and history. The name derives from a small village, the so-called "Norba", located in today's Conversano land, whose existence is dated back to the IX-VIII centuries B.C. It boasts first important archaeological finds in the period between the VIII and the VI centuries B.C. centuries and shows deep traces of ellenistic culture. When it passed under the dominion of Rome as a consequence of the conquest of whole Puglia, it suffered Gothic invasions.
In the early Middle Ages the Norba land was transformed into a small fortified core: Cupersanum was conquered by the Normans (XI century). Under their domination, it became an important economic strategic centre. After the division of the dukedom of Benevento, it was raised to the status of the county of the Altavilla family. Later, during the Angevin age the county was dominated by such families, as Brienne, Enghien, Lussemburgo, Sanseverino and Barbiano. In the beginning of the XV century, because of the political crisis outbreaking within the Angevin dominion, the county of Conversano became the feud of the Caldora and Orsini del Balzo di Taranto families. In the middle of the century, the feud was first under the Angevin family's King of Naples, Alfonso I d'Aragona, then, because of the marriage between Caterina Orsini del Balzo and Giulio Antonio Acquaviva, it was under the rule of the Acquaviva family until 1806, when Giuseppe Bonaparte ordered the abolition of feudal system.
Within the Acquaviva family some counts distinguished themselves, such as the above-mentioned Giulio Antonio, who was a brave man at arms at the service of the Aragonese family and Giangirolamo II Acquaviva, named "il Guercio delle Puglie" (XVII cent.), characterized by an inconsistent behaviour. He was the count who welcomed at his court Paolo Finoglio, the Neapolitan painter, whose restored works representing "La Gerusalemme Liberata" by Torquato Tasso are located in the town picture gallery inside the rooms of the castle.
Today the town of Conversano presents a particularly suggestive historic centre: the boundary walls of the imposing castle tower above the vast territory together with mediterranean luxuriant vegetation, "masserie" (farm houses), precious churchs and monasteries and interesting rural chapels.