49-612: Itria Valley (in Italian: Valle d'Itria ) is an area located in Apulia region, in Southern Italy . Itria Valley spreads over Province of Bari , Province of Brindisi and Province of Taranto , and coincide with the lower part of Murgia upland (Low Murgia). The towns of Martina Franca , Locorotondo , Cisternino and Ceglie Messapica overlook Itria Valley. "Valley" is an inaccurate term, because Itria Valley has not
98-500: A 2018 Gold Medal New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) winner, Frantoio , Garganica , La Minuta , Leccino , Moresca , Nocellara Etnea , Nocellara Messinese , Ogliarola , Ogliarola Barese , Ogliara Messinese , Ottobratica , Peranzana , Rotondella , Santagatese , Saracena , Tonda Iblea , and Verdello (subspecies of San Benedetto). Since 2008–2010, the olive oil industry in Apulia has been under threat from
147-707: A city called Sybar existed at the time of the Trojan War , founded by the Messapii . It was conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, receiving the new name of Lupiae . Under the emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD) the city was moved 3 kilometres (2 miles) to the northeast, taking the name of Licea or Litium. Lecce had a theater and an amphitheater and was connected to the Hadrian Port (the current San Cataldo ). Orontius of Lecce , locally called Sant'Oronzo,
196-467: A type of bread. Typically Apulian pasta shapes are orecchiette , cavatelli , and troccoli . Popular street foods include panzerotti , sgagliozze (fried polenta ), popizze (small fried balls of pizza dough that are sometimes also called pettule), rustici (puff pastries stuffed with tomatoes, béchamel sauce, mozzarella, and black pepper), the famous pasticiotto (a flaky shortbread dough filled with custard), and focaccia barese. A popular snack in Apulia
245-465: Is Taralli . As with the other regions of Italy, the national language (since 1861) is Italian. However, because of its long and varied history, other historical languages have been used in this region for centuries. The local languages of northern and central Apulia (roughly the provinces of Bari , Barletta-Andria-Trani , and Foggia as well as the northwestern parts of the Province of Taranto ) are
294-742: Is 1st place among Italian grape-growing regions. But in the production of quality DOC and DOCG wines, Apulia has only ranked 12th of 20 with 297.667 hl. There are four DOCG wines: There are an estimated 50 to 60 million olive trees in Apulia, and the region accounts for 40% of Italy's olive oil production. There are four specific Protected designations of Origin (PDO) covering the whole region. Olive varieties include: Baresane , Biancolilla , Brandofino (Castiglione), Buscionetto ( Biancolilla ), Carolea , Cellina di Nardò , Cerasuola (Ogliara), Cerignola ( Bella di Cerignola ), Cima di Bitonto , Cima di Mola , Coratina , also grown in Corning, California,
343-565: Is a region of Italy , located in the southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Otranto and Ionian Sea to the southeast and the Gulf of Taranto to the south. The region comprises 19,345 square kilometers (7,469 sq mi), and its population is about four million people. It is bordered by the other Italian regions of Molise to
392-700: Is considered to have served as the city's first Christian bishop and is Lecce's patron saint. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth king Totila in the Gothic Wars . It was restored to Roman rule in 549, and remained part of the Eastern Empire for five centuries, with brief conquests by Saracens and Lombards . After the Norman conquest in
441-694: Is located in Taranto . The unemployment rate stood at 14.1% in 2020. The port of Taranto hosts numerous fishing boats. The fleet is mainly made up of about 80 fishing boats, which do not exceed 10 gross tonnage and which practice trawling, while the remaining small-scale fishing boats operate with gillnets. The sea, rich and generous, is populated by dentex , sea bream , glit-head bream , grouper , redfish , mullet , mussels , sea urchin , anchovies , shrimp and squid . Other significant fishing ports are Manfredonia , Trani , Molfetta , Mola di Bari , Monopoli , Castro , and Gallipoli . Today Taranto
490-548: Is mainly intensive and modern agriculture that allows the region to be among the first in Italy for the production of many products: Vegetable growing ( lettuce , artichoke , fennel , cabbage , celery , barattiere , borage , sweet potato , caper , portulaca , broccoli rabe ) and horticulture ( peach , orange , clementine , lemon , kumquat , fig , pomegranate , persimmon , prickly pear ) are also developed. Vineyards cover 106.715 ha (263.70 acres) in Apulia, which
539-542: Is nicknamed "The Florence of the South". "Lecce stone"—a particular kind of limestone —is one of the city's main exports, because it is very soft and workable, and thus suitable for sculptures. Lecce is also an important agricultural centre, chiefly for its olive oil and wine production, as well as an industrial centre specializing in ceramics . Lecce is home to the University of Salento . According to legend,
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#1732772841419588-549: Is the largest metallurgical work ILVA Acciaierie di Taranto (8,200 empl.) in Europe with a full iron and steel production cycle. It will be sold to Arcelor Mittal . In Brindisi , there is a chemical industrial park with an ENI power station, ENI oil refinery, Syndial chemical factory, and Versalis chemical factory (basic chemistry, intermediates, polyethene, styrenics and elastomers). LyondellBasell polypropylene plant, Sanofi plant (antibiotics). Another ENI oil refinery
637-474: Is the world's largest producer of farmed mussels : with 1,300 employees, around 30,000 tons of mussels are processed per year. Mussel farming has characterized the city's economy for centuries, making the mussel the gastronomic symbol of Taranto. It is said that the first mussel gardens in La Spezia , Pula , Olbia and Chioggia were established by mussel farmers who emigrated from this city. The workplace of
686-614: The A14 highway ( Bologna – Taranto ), which connects the region's capital, Bari , to Taranto , the second most populous city in the region. The A14 also connects Foggia and points further north along the Adriatic coast to Pescara , Ancona , Rimini and eventually Bologna . The only other highway in the region is the A16 (Naples–Canosa), which crosses the Italian peninsula east–west and links
735-633: The Allies , they couldn't prevent a defeat. In 1944 and 1945, B-24 long-range bombers of the 98th Heavy Bomber Group attached to the 15th U.S. Army Air Force were based in Lecce, from where the crews flew missions over Italy, the Balkans, Austria, Germany and France. Lecce experiences a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ). Lecce is home to Serie A football club U.S. Lecce , founded in 1908. Since 1966, they have played at
784-715: The Appian Way and, in the imperial era, of the Via Traiana along which cities such as Troia , Ordona , Gravina , Canosa , Ruvo and Bitonto prospered. The region occupied leading positions in the production of grain and oil, becoming the largest exporter of olive oil in the East. At the Fall of the Western Roman Empire , Apulia also went through a long period of suffering. Heruli and Ostrogoths invaded
833-571: The Barletta province, and wood and furniture in the Murge area to the west. Between 2007 and 2013 the economy of Apulia expanded more than that of the rest of southern Italy. Such growth, over several decades, is a severe challenge to the hydrogeological system. Apulia's thriving economy is articulated into numerous sectors boasting several leading companies, but most of them produce materials or components, not finished goods: In Taranto , there
882-932: The Byzantines , followed by the Normans , the Aragonese and the Spanish . Subsequently, it became part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies , to then be annexed to the unified Kingdom of Italy after the Expedition of the Thousand . Apulia's coastline is longer than that of any other mainland Italian region. In the north, the Gargano promontory extends out into the Adriatic sea like a "sperone" ("spur"), while in
931-630: The Democratic Party has served as President of the Apulian region. Apulia is divided into six provinces: Important locally produced ingredients include olive oil, artichokes, tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, and various kinds of seafood. Local specialties include the carosello , a variety of muskmelon which is often consumed when unripe. Apulian Protected designation of origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical indication (PGI) products included cheeses, olive oils, fruits and vegetables, and
980-609: The Franco-Provençal language called Faetar is spoken in the mountain villages of Faeto and Celle di San Vito , in the Province of Foggia . It is sometimes classified as a pair of dialects of Franco-Provençal, Faetar and Cellese. The Arbëreshë dialect of the Albanian language has been spoken by a small community since refugees settled there in the 16th century. Apulia is home to several national football, water polo , volleyball, basketball and tennis clubs. Across
1029-515: The Napoleonic era , provided the modernization of Apulia with the abolition of feudalism and judicial reforms until the return of the Bourbons and the birth of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . Liberal movements were formed throughout the region in 1820 with the spread of Freemasonry and Carbonari . With the Kingdom of Italy established in 1861, Apulia was administratively divided into
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#17327728414191078-517: The Principality of Taranto , which extended across the entire Terra di Otranto . In 1043 the Normans founded the county of Apulia which in 1059 merged into the vast County of Apulia and Calabria , whose borders progressively extended up to in Principality of Salerno . From 1130 it became part of the Kingdom of Sicily . In the 13th century the name Apulia was used by some authors to indicate
1127-754: The Sahara Desert . On some days in spring and autumn/fall, it can be warm enough to swim in Gallipoli and Porto Cesareo on the Ionian coast while at the same time, cool winds warrant jackets and jumpers/sweaters in Monopoli and Otranto on the Adriatic coast. The area between Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca is part of the Regional Natural Coastal Park of "Costa Otranto — Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase " wanted by
1176-587: The Salento Peninsula was known as Calabria in that period), but the occupation of the region, in the third century BC, was not easy, especially for the resistance of Tarentum and Brundisium. In 216 BC in Cannae the Roman army suffered its worst defeat against Hannibal 's Carthage . The Roman Province of Apulia and Calabria was then established, which also included Irpinia . With the construction of
1225-467: The 11th century, Lecce regained commercial and political importance (count Tancred of Lecce was the last Norman King of Sicily), flourishing in the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevine rule. The County of Lecce was one of the largest and most important fiefs in the Kingdom of Sicily from 1053 to 1463, when it was annexed directly to the crown. From the 15th century, Lecce was one of the most important cities of southern Italy, and, starting in 1630, it
1274-572: The Adriatic Sea and in the southern Salento peninsula, are frequently exposed to winds of varying strengths and directions, strongly affecting local temperatures and conditions, sometimes within the same day. The Northerly Bora wind from the Adriatic Sea can lower temperatures, humidity and moderate summer heat while the Southerly Sirocco wind from North Africa can raise temperatures, and humidity and occasionally drop red dust from
1323-592: The Apulia Region in 2008. This territory has numerous natural and historical attractions such as Ciolo , which is a rocky cove. In 2010 the Ministry of Health declared 98.6% of the Apulian coasts suitable for bathing. Human settlement in Apulia dates back to at least 250,000 years ago, as evidenced by the fossil remains of the Altamura Man , an archaic form of Neanderthal . There are numerous finds from
1372-604: The Apulian Southern Italo-Romance dialects, including Bari dialect and Tarantino dialect . In the southern region of Salento , an extreme Southern Italo-Romance language, the Salentino dialect is widely spoken. There is also an Italiot Greek language found in Salento called Griko , which is still spoken by a few thousand Griko people in some areas. In addition, a rare daughter language of
1421-625: The Salento peninsula is geographically flat with only moderate hills. The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry and sunny summers and mild and rainy winters. Snowfall, especially on the coast is rare but has occurred as recently as January 2019 (following on from snow in March 2018 and January 2017). Apulia is among the hottest and driest regions of Italy in summer, with temperatures sometimes reaching and exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) in Lecce and Foggia . The coastal areas, particularly on
1470-518: The Taranto mussel farmers is the boat; every detail of the working method has improved over time. 10 m long structures made of wood or metal, called "pali" (piles), are attached to the seabed, to which ropes and nets are then attached, on which the mussels are grown. The mussels farmed here are particularly tasty and valued because they grow in a special environment, a mixture of salt seawater and karst freshwater. These special environmental conditions of
1519-461: The north, Campania to the west, and Basilicata to the southwest. The regional capital is Bari . In ancient times, more precisely at the beginning of the first millennium BC, the region of Apulia was inhabited by the Iapygians , while during the 8th century BC its coastal areas were populated by ancient Greeks . Later, the region was conquered by the ancient Romans . It was then conquered by
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1568-448: The pathogen Xylella fastidiosa , a disease that inhibits the trees' uptake of water and nutrients. The epicentre of the epidemic is the southeastern part of the region. Apulia has many small and picturesque villages, 14 of them have been selected by I Borghi più belli d'Italia (English: The most beautiful Villages of Italy ), a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that
1617-869: The prehistoric era, including several menhir and dolmen . Around the 1st millennium BC, the Iapygians settled in the territory with the tribes of the Daunians , the Peucetians and the Messapians , as well as the populations of the Calabri and the Sallentini (both settled in Salento ); later, in the Hellenic era, the Magna Graecia colonies were quite numerous, especially in the southern part of
1666-441: The progressive decline of the latifundium, the ancient Apulian farms, properties of medium agricultural size, also decayed. During fascism , Apulia was affected by numerous land reclamations in vast areas and, following the post-war agrarian reform, the region enjoyed strong agricultural development. In the 1970s and 1980s the economy of the region moved from the primary sector to the tertiary one, with notable development coming from
1715-548: The provinces of Foggia, Bari and Lecce; to these were added in the twentieth century the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto. In the period following the unification of Italy, various brigand gangs arose, especially in Capitanata and Terra di Bari; among the major exponents are Michele Caruso, Antonio Angelo Del Sambro and Giuseppe Schiavone, the latter a faithful lieutenant of the Lucanian brigand leader Carmine Crocco . With
1764-855: The region with Naples . There are two international airports, Karol Wojtyła Airport in Bari ( IATA : BRI ) and Brindisi Airport (IATA: BDS ), which serve as the principal logistical hub for the United Nations Global Service Center headquartered in Brindisi . With the approval of a redevelopment project in 2018, the Grottaglie Airfield (IATA: TAR ) will host a spaceport for the Italian Space Agency and Virgin Galactic . Emigration from
1813-467: The region's depressed areas to northern Italy and the rest of Europe was very intense in the years between 1956 and 1971. Subsequently, the trend declined, as economic conditions improved, to the point where there was net immigration in the years between 1982 and 1985. Since 1986, the stagnation in employment has led to a new inversion of the trend caused by a decrease in immigration. Since 1 June 2015, former judge and mayor of Bari Michele Emiliano of
1862-628: The region, including the city of Taras , now Taranto . During the second Samnite war (326–304 BC), the Roman army , in an attempt to provide relief to Lucera , besieged by the Samnites, suffered a serious defeat in the Battle of the Caudine Forks , in 321 BC. Rome soon understood the strategic importance of Apulia (corresponding only to the central-northern part of present-day Apulia, while
1911-541: The seas of Taranto are ideal not only for the mussels but also for the fish and crustaceans that find food and shelter between the piles. While there are around 18 submarine freshwater springs, called "Citri", in the Mar Piccolo, there is only one large one in the Mar Grande, which is called "Anello di San Cataldo " in honour of the patron saint of the city. Agriculture plays a prominent economic role in Apulia. It
1960-412: The separation of the island of Sicily from the rest of the south of the peninsula, Apulia was under the rule of the Kingdom of Naples , from that moment the power of the landowners began to take root in the territory. From the middle of the 18th century the region of Apulia experienced a period of strong economic prosperity and excellent development of trade and agriculture. Between 1806 and 1815, during
2009-675: The south, the Salento peninsula forms the "tacco" ("heel") of Italy 's boot. The highest peak in the region is Monte Cornacchia 1,152 m (3,780 ft) above sea level) within the Daunian Mountains , in the north along the Apennines . It is home to two national parks, the Alta Murgia National Park and Gargano National Park . Outside national parks in the North and West, most of Apulia particularly
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2058-411: The southern part of the Italian peninsula. During the Sicilian domination Apulia achieved great material and civil progress, which reached its peak with Frederick II , who was responsible for the construction of a series of secular and religious buildings, some of high artistic value, including Castel del Monte , near Andria . During this period Foggia became one of his residences. From 1282, following
2107-409: The territory, but in the end it became the dominion of the Eastern Roman Empire , from the 6th to the 11th century except for a brief partial occupation of the region by the Emirate of Bari . Bari became the capital of a territory extending up to present-day Basilicata and subjected to the authority of a Catepanate . With the advent of the Normans in the 11th century, Taranto became the capital of
2156-473: The top three levels of Italian football , the clubs in Apulia include: Lecce Lecce ( / ˈ l ɛ tʃ eɪ / ; Italian: [ˈlettʃe] ) is a city in southern Italy and former capital of the province of Lecce , with the second-highest population in the Apulia region. It is on the Salentine Peninsula , at the heel of the Italian Peninsula , and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture , Lecce
2205-503: The tourism sector. The region's contribution to Italy's gross value added was around 4.6% in 2000, while its population was 7% of the total. The per capita GDP is low compared to the national average and represents about 68.1% of the EU average. The share of gross value added by the agricultural and services sectors was above the national average in 2000. The region has industries specialising in particular areas, including food processing and vehicles in Foggia ; footwear and textiles in
2254-409: The typical conformation of mountain area valleys: it is just a depression due to karstic phenomena. Itria Valley place-name is probably derived from Basilian Fathers oriental cult of the Madonna Odegitria (that is, ‘the Virgin Mary who shows the way’), patron of wayfarers, which founded - using a natural shelter located in Itria Valley - a monastic site where a fresco portraying the Madonna Odegitria
2303-452: Was enriched with precious Baroque monuments. To avert invasion by the Ottomans, a new line of walls and a castle were built by Charles V (who was also Holy Roman Emperor ), in the first part of the 16th century. In 1656, a plague broke out in the city, killing a thousand inhabitants. In 1943, fighter aircraft based in Lecce helped support isolated Italian garrisons in the Aegean Sea during World War 2 . Because they were delayed by
2352-440: Was found. Over the ruins of this medieval place of worship, located in Martina Franca, the Capuchin Monastery (in Italian: Convento dei Cappuccini ) - which nowadays is an interesting tourist attraction - was built in 1545. The main Itria Valley features are the following: Apulia Apulia ( / ə ˈ p uː l i ə / ə- POO -lee-ə ), also known by its Italian name Puglia ( Italian: [ˈpuʎʎa] ),
2401-408: Was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities. The region has a good network of roads, but the railway network is less comprehensive, particularly in the south. There are no high-speed lines, but a high-speed line between Naples and Bari is under construction, which should be completed in 2027. The region is crossed northwest to southeast by
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