Monopoli
Monopoli
Menòpele (Neapolitan) | |
---|---|
Città di Monopoli | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 70043 |
Dialing code | 080 |
Patron saint | Madonna della Madia |
Saint day | December 16 |
Website | Official website |
Monopoli (Italian:
History
The area was first settled in about 500 BC as a fortified Messapian city.
In order to improve communication with the East, between the years 108 and 110 AD, the Emperor
After the destruction of
In 1484 the city came under Venetian control and saw an economic upswing as a seaport on the Adriatic Sea, a base between Bari and Brindisi as well as through trading its own agricultural goods. It was frequently attacked by Muslim pirates in the following decades. These continuous threats forced Monopoli to build strong fortifications which allowed them in 1529 to resist the Armada of Charles V for three months, forcing the Spaniards to abandon the siege. In 1529 the city, protected by its highly effective defensive system, with the help of Venetian soldiers and its citizens, successfully resisted a three-month siege by the Spanish imperials under the command of the Marquis of Vasto Alfonso III d 'Avalos, which is forced to withdraw due to losses. After the peace with Venice, the city passes peacefully into the hands of the Spanish imperials of Charles V of Habsburg. However, though Monopoli pass back under Spanish rule, it still was granted a free city status.
It became part of the newly unified state Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
The city, lying in the south of Italy or
Geography
Overview
Located in the south-eastern corner of its province, near the borders with the one of Brindisi, and by the Adriatic Coast, Monopoli borders with the municipalities of Alberobello, Castellana Grotte, Fasano (BR) and Polignano a Mare.[3] The town is 15 km from Fasano, 33 from Martina Franca, 44 from Bari, 64 from Taranto and 75 from Brindisi.
Frazioni
The territory outside the walled city counts 99 hamlets (frazioni) and localities named contrade. Some of them, which merged with the urbanized area of the town, were suppressed and became outer wards. The others are mostly rural localities, mainly composed by some scattered farmhouses.
The 99 contrade are: Aione, Antonelli, Aratico, Arenazza, Assunta, Balice, Barcato, Bellocchio, Belvedere, Cacaveccia, Capitolo, Cardillo, Caramanna, Carluccio, Carrassa, Casale, Cavallerizza, Cervarulo, Chianchizza, Chiesa dei Morti, Ciminiera, Ciporelli, Conchia, Corvino, Cozzana, Cristo Cozzana, Cristo delle Zolle, Cristo Re, Due Torri, Gorgofreddo, Gravina, Grotta dell'Acqua, Guadiano, Guidano, Impalata, Laghezza, Lama di Macina, Lamalunga, Lamammolilla, Lamantia, Lamarossa, Lamascrasciola, Losciale, Macchia di Casa, Macchia di Monte, Mazzone, Monte Scopa, Moredifame, Mozzo, Nispole, Padresergio, Pagliericci, Pantano (inurbata), Parco di Tuccio, Paretano, Passarello, Passionisti (inurbata), Peroscia, Petrarolo, Piangevino, Pilone, Romanelli, Samato, Sant' Andrea, Sant' Antonio d'Ascula, San Bartolomeo, San Francesco da Paola, San Gerardo, San Luca, San Lucia, San Nicola, Sant' Oceano, Sant' Oronzo, Santo Stefano, Santa Teresa, San Vincenzo, Scarciglia, Sicarico, Sorba, Spina, Stomazzelli, Tavanello, Terranova, Tormento, Torichiano, Torre d'Orta, Torricella, Tortorella, Vagone, Virbo, Zampogna, Zecca and Zingarello.
Demographics
Main sights
- Castle of Charles V. Finished in 1525, it has a pentagonal plan. It is located on a promontory which was originally separated from the medieval city. It was restored and enlarged in the 17th century. Starting from the early 19th century, it was used as a jail, a status it kept until 1969. It is currently the seat of an art exhibition and cultural events.
- Coastal castle of St. Stephen, built by the Norman lord Godfrey of Conversano in 1086. It was subsequently turned into a Benedictine monastery.
- Jerusalem Hospital, founded in 1350 by the Hospitallers
- Monopoli Cathedral (18th century), minor basilica
- Palazzo Palmieri (18th century)
- Monte San Nicola (Mount St. Nicholas) faunal reserve. The reserve, lying on the summit of a hill, 290 metres (950 ft) high in the Murgeplateau, is important for the presence of some endemic plants.
Sport
The local football club is the
Notable people
- Giorgio Lapazaya (c. 1495 – c. 1570), mathematician and musician
- Giacomo Insanguine (1728–95), composer
- Domenico Morgante (1956), musicologist, organist and harpsichordist
- Sportsmen and sportswomen
- Giandomenico Mesto (1982), footballer; bronze medal Olympic games 2004, gold medal European Under-21 2004
- Gianpiero Sportelli (1987), martial artist; k-1 world champion 2010 and European champion k-1 2013. Chessboxing world championship, bronze medal 2017 and silver medal 2019
- Vito Sardella (1974), distance runner "World Athletics".
- Marialucia Palmitessa (1998) clay pigeon shooting, world champion Juniores Trap.
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Monopoli is
See also
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Istat2014
- ^ 40804 Monopoli on OpenStreetMap
- ^ Conseil des Communes et Regions d'Europe Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today (in French) accessed 27 April 2011
Bibliography
- Francesco Antonio Glianes, Monopoli nel Medioevo e nel Rinascimento, Schena Editore.
- L. Finamore Pepe, Monopoli e la Monarchia delle Puglie, Monopoli, 1897.
- Sebastiano Lillo, Monopoli sintesi storico geografica, Grafiche Colucci Monopoli, 1976.
- Stefano Carbonara, Monopoli nel Secondo Novecento, Schena Editore.
- Domenico Cofano, Monopoli nell'età del Rinascimento, Biblioteca Comunale Prospero Rendella.
- Giuseppe Andreassi, Mare d'Egnazia, Schena Editore.
- Domenico Capitanio, Il sistema difensivo e la città, Monopoli nel suo passato vol.5, Comune di Monopoli, Grafischena s.r.l., Fasano. 1992.
External links
- (in Italian) Monopoli official website
- (in Italian) Office of tourism of Monopoli
- (in Italian) Meteo and city webcam of Monopoli