Francavilla Fontana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francavilla Fontana is a town in the province of Brindisi (Puglia, Italy), in the province of Brindisi. It has a population of 36,000.

[edit] History

The name Francavilla has French-Norman origins: "Franca" (tax-free) and "villa" (town). The specification "Fontana" alludes to a vision of the Virgin Mary witnessed by a Prince, who hence declaring the town a tax-free haven, according to the local legend.

[edit] Main sights

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
The massive square Castle of the Imperiali family, to whom, with Oria, it was sold by S. Carlo Borromeo in the 16th century for 40,000 ounces of gold, which he distributed in one day to the poor.