Grottaglie

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Grottaglie is a town in the province of Taranto, Puglia, southern Italy.

Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Main sights 4 Culture 5 Economy

[edit] Geography

The municipality has a popolation of 30.947 inhabitants accordingly to the results of the national census made in 1991. After the national census made in 2001 the population was 31.894 inhabitants, thus showing during the years 1991 - 2001 a percentual variation of 3% inhabitants.

Grottaglie offers the tourists cultural, natural and historical angles. The Salento peninsula is in fact a whole rock of limestone dividing Adriatic sea from Ionian sea. The countryside around Grottaglie is scattered with vast and deep ravines that open the ground into the heart of the limestone-rock. The landscape around Grottaglie is characterized by the presence of such ancient and enthralling rupestrian ravine encircling the built-up area.

[edit] History

The name Grottaglie derives from the Latin Cryptae Aliae, meaning “many ravines”, which have been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age. The ancestral part of Grottaglie was one of the citadels in the area, referred in the Medieval documents as “Casale Cryptaleum”, which was founded during the Dark Ages by the inhabitants of the caves who sheltered because of the Saracen invasions.

The fief of Grottaglie was donated by the Norman overlords to the archbishopric seat of Taranto in the 11th century. In 1300s the ecclesiastic administration provided the fief with fortifications, walls, a castle (renown as “Castello Episcopio”, Italian for “archbishop’s castle”) as well as with the “Chiesa Matrice” (Italian for "main church"). Since 15th-17th centuries the jurisdiction over Grottaglie fief was split between the ecclesiastic administration (civil law) and the lay feudal lords (criminal law, Cicinelli-Caracciolo family). Fights between these two competing authorities and periodic revolts by the heavily-taxed population were the leit-motiv of Grottaglie’s history until the abolition of feudalism after the French revolution. After the Italian unification Grottaglie had the first urban expansion outside its Medieval walls.

[edit] Main sights

The heart of the old city centre is formed by the beautiful square “Regina Margherita”, where the Chiesa Matrice soars, dating back to 1379, the Purgatory Oratory and Palazzo Cicinelli. The St. Francis de Paul monastery represents the greatest baroque monument, which has a splendid cloistered-court inside. A 1530 stone crib scene made by Stefano from Putignano is placed in the Chiesa del Carmine. Once within the town the sight-seeing goes on also on the impressive “Castello Episcopio” (XIII century), through the churches dating back to 1300s-1400s and the unique ceramics-neighbourhood (whose shops are carved into the limestone rock), to the noble families’ palaces build from 1500s onwards. Although architecturally the religious elements are prevailing, it is also the aristocratic palaces that define the town’s roadmap. In particular in the central via Victor Emmanuel II one may see the aristocratic palazzi dating back to 1500-600s: Palazzo Urselli with pre-baroque façade massive entrance-door and impressive internal courtyard, Palazzo Maggiulli-Cometa whose structure is similar to Palazzo Urselli’s, Palazzo Blasi with its baroque façade. In the main square there is instead a palace whose entry-door’s dimension is uniquely vast; that is the princely Palazzo Cicinelli, household of the Prince of Cursi and residence of the feudal lords of the town who shared Grottaglie’s fief with the archbishopric seat of Taranto, according to bye-laws dating back to Bohemond I of Hauteville (11th century).

[edit] Culture

Folkloristic and religious events include the commemoration-day of St. Cyrus and Easter-period when the Medieval-rooted confraternal religious orders perform their processions during the days of the Holy Week (Easter rituals include procession and pilgrimage of confrères called “Bubbli-Bubbli” through the streets of town).

Other events include:

• The exhibition “Ceramica nel Quartiere delle Ceramiche”
• The Mediterranean ceramics contest, theatrical and musical events
• Promotion of dessert grapes, months of July-August-September
• Exhibition-contest about ceramic crib scene during the months of December and January
• “Musica Mundi” – international festival of ethnic music in July.

[edit] Economy

Grapes and ceramics-industry are two traditional elements of the local economy since the times of Greater Greece and the Hellenic colonisation of Apulia.

The numerous ceramic finds, tracing back to the Classical Age and kept in the National Museum of "Magna Grecia" in Taranto, reveal the antique roots of this handicrafts production which was privileged by the presence of considerable amounts of clay in the surrounding territory. More recently, records dating back to the 18th century report at the time 42 companies in Grottaglie operating in the ceramics-sector with a total of 5,000 employees. In addition to ceramics, also agricultural products such as olive oil and excellent choice dessert grapes are of great importance.

Coordinates: 40°32′N 17°26′E