Orta Nova is situated at the centre of the Daunia and is one of the “Five Royal Sites” established by Ferdinand IV. Its origins date back to the year 1611, when the Jesuits of the Roman College decided to buy the feud of Orta. Historians date the origin of this town to the Roman period, when Diomedes received Evippe, the daughter of the Daunian King, as a spouse. The first mention of Orta Nova in an official document dates back to 1184 and refers to a village depending on the Abbey of Venosa.
Afterwards, Charles of Anjou enacted a few edicts regarding the restoration of the castle of Orta, built by Federico II, and of a Royal Farm.
The first settlements of Orta Nova were established around the Jesuits’ convent and the church. Once the Jesuits were expelled, in November 1767, the large feud went back into the Crown’s hands. In 1773, by order of Ferdinand IV, the colonies of Orta, Ordona, Carapelle, Stornarella and Stornara were established and called the "Five Royal Sites". The town was built as an independent Commune in 1808.