Salento

Salento (Italian pronunciation: [saˈlɛnto], Salentino: Salentu, Salentino Griko: Σαλέντο), is a cultural, historical, and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot". It encompasses the entire administrative area of the Province of Lecce, most of the Province of Brindisi (all of it except Fasano and Cisternino), and the south-eastern part of the Province of Taranto (like Grottaglie and Avetrana, but not Taranto itself).
In ancient times the peninsula was named Sallentina, Calabria, or Messapia.
In the eleventh century BC, Iapygians migrated to Apulia from the Illyrian coast, to what was Messapia (Greek: Μεσσαπία) which was the ancient name of a region of Italy largely corresponding to modern Salento. Following the migration, the Greeks arrived in Messapia from Sparta, and giving Salento the name Magna Grecia.
In the fourth century BC, the Roman Empire built the Appian Way or Via Appia, connecting the capital Rome to Apulia. The Romans expelled the Greeks and took control of the region in 272 BC. Under Roman occupation, Salento developed a flourishing agricultural economy growing wheat, and producing olive oil. The Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD.
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Salento came under the control of the Ostrogoths. Otranto in the sixth century AD became the seat of the Byzantine government, which during the Byzantine era, the Greek population had returned to Salento, bringing the Greek language, religious beliefs, artistic influences, agriculture, and trade. Greek is still seen in parts of Salento as Salentino Griko. Following the Greek return, the Lombards tried to conquer Apulia and Salento in 569 AD, but were pushed back by the Byzantines in Northern Apulia. The Saracen people occupied Bari, Ugento, and Taranto in 847 AD, but the Byzantines and Greeks still remained in the un-occupied regions of Salento. Following this occupation, the Saracens in 870 AD destroyed Ugento, and deported all the inhabitants of Ugento to Africa, which after the destruction of Ugento, Taranto was also destroyed by the Saracens. In 1016, the Normans arrived in Southern Italy, landing in Salerno.
Apulia became governed in 1059 by the Norman Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, and this was the beginning of a period of prosperity for the region of Salento. Apulia became a part of the Holy Roman Empire under Henri VI von Hohenstaufen, followed by his son, the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II. Between 1266-1442, the French Angevins came to power and Apulia became part of the Kingdom of Naples, taken from the Kingdom of Sicily. Following the merger with Naples, the Kingdom of Naples became a part of the Crown of Aragon until 1458.
In 1480, the Ottomans under Gedik Ahmed Pasha lay siege to and ransack Otranto. Hundreds to almost a thousand men were slaughtered over the age of 15 by the Ottomans when they refused to convert to Islam, causing them to be beheaded. Neighboring towns to Otranto were fortified in an attempt to protect themselves from the Ottomans and further onslaughts. During this period, between the years of 1482 and 1484, the Venetians briefly gained control of Salento. In 1534, Emperor Charles V realises the strategic importance of Salento as a base to fight against the Turks. Charles V restores several castles, among them the castle of Lecce.
In 1713, Austria was granted Salento in the Treaty of Utrecht, although the Venetians and Ottoman Turks continued to attack the region. Following Austria being granted access, in 1734, the Battle of Bitonto, Spain defeatee Austria and took control of Apulia once more. In 1806, the abolition of feudal society within the Kingdom of Naples under the French, near the start of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples.
Following the abolition of feudal society in 1816, the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily went through a state merger, becoming the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
In 1861, during the Risorgimento, Apulia joined the new Kingdom of Italy, after which the Catholic Church was forced to sell the majority of its land by the Kingdom.
In 1922, under Mussolini the production of grain, olives and wine is increased in Apulia to try to make Italy a self-sufficient nation. In 1939, the Second World War had started, which German troops were placed in Salento and Italy. In 1943 in the ongoing the Second World War, Italy joined the allied powers, causing the ports of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto to suffer heavy bombing as Allied troops attempted to remove German forces from Apulia.
The Salento peninsula is composed of limestone, dividing the Gulf of Taranto to the west from the Strait of Otranto on the east, with the Adriatic Sea to the north and the Ionian Sea to the south. Known also as "peninsula salentina", from a geo-morphologic point of view it encompasses the land borders between Ionian and the Adriatic Seas, to the "Messapic threshold", a depression that runs along the Taranto-Ostuni line and separates it from the Murge.
The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters which provides suitable conditions for the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits and palm trees. The generally flat topography and surrounding seas can make Salento prone to windy weather year round.
Winters are mild and rainy with temperatures generally hovering in the teens °C during the day. Occasional bora winds from the northeast can bring colder temperatures to the east of the Italian Peninsula. Snowfall has been recorded as recently as 2017 but is generally very rare in coastal Salento. In contrast, southerly sirocco winds can bring warm temperatures of 20°C+ even during the midwinter months.
Alongside much of southern Italy, summers are hot, dry and sunny. While the seas which surround Salento moderate it from the extreme heat seen in Foggia and Basilicata, summer temperatures are still high with temperatures occasionally reaching 40°C or higher during heatwaves. Sirocco winds from the south occasionally deposit dust and sand from the Sahara in the coastal towns of Salento during such heatwaves. Humidity levels can be high and summer thunderstorms are not unknown.
Its borders are:
In Salentino, the Salentino dialect of Extreme Southern Italian is predominantly spoken, although an old Hellenic dialect (known as Griko) is also spoken in a few inland towns.
Some of the popular dishes from the Salento area include:
The nearest international airports are those of Brindisi and Bari (the latter is out of Salento but not far).
A 2-lane freeway connects Salento to Bari. The main railway line ends at Lecce. Other locations are served by regional railroads.
Leisure ports are those of: Taranto, Brindisi, Campomarino di Maruggio's tourist and leisure Marina, Gallipoli, Santa Maria di Leuca, Otranto.
In the province of Lecce, the Ciolo cave is one of the main tourist destinations.
Salento's sagre food festivals show off local cuisine, cooking traditions and local culture. These communal feasts are vibrant, welcoming occasions that provide an introduction to Salento's cuisine.
Salento is a major holiday destination for the Italian gay population, developing around the southern town of Gallipoli, the lidos at Baia Verde and nearby naturist beaches. Salento Pride is celebrated annually.
The coastal towers in Salento are coastal watchtowers, as the peninsula's coast was long subject to maritime attacks by the Saracens. The first towers may have been built by Normans. The remaining historic towers are mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries. Many are now in ruins.
Media related to Salento at Wikimedia Commons Salento (Italy) travel guide from Wikivoyage
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