Locorotondo
Encyclopedia
Locorotondo is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Bari
, Italy
, with a population of c. 14,000. The city is known for its wines and for its round historical center, from which derives its name, meaning "Round place". It is located in south-east Murgia
, deep in the Itria Valley
, dotted with white trulli
.
Locorotondo is listed as one of most beautiful hamlets in Italy.
monastery of St. Stephen in Monopoli
. The estate of various feudal lords for 500 years, it saw an increase in population, housing development, and the construction of the walls and castle. The Caracciolo
family, Dukes of Martina Franca
and the last feudal lords, remained in Locorotondo until the beginning of the 19th century.
The Locorotondo countryside is an example of an area of dispersed settlement
s (jazzelere) and has an abundance of trulli
dwellings which were built around a communal area called "jazzile". This settlement pattern is due in large part to emphyteutic leases
, particularly in the 19th century for the development of vineyards.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Bari
Province of Bari
The Province of Bari is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari.It has an area of 5,138 km², and a total population of 1,594,109 . There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Bari...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, with a population of c. 14,000. The city is known for its wines and for its round historical center, from which derives its name, meaning "Round place". It is located in south-east Murgia
Murgia
Murgia is a sub-region of Apulia in southern Italy, corresponding to a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape, occupying the central area of the region. The name stems from the Latin murex, meaning "sharp stone"....
, deep in the Itria Valley
Itria Valley
Itria Valley 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 .The towns of Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Ceglie Messapica overlook Itria...
, dotted with white trulli
Trullo
A trullo is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small...
.
Locorotondo is listed as one of most beautiful hamlets in Italy.
History
The site has been settled since ancient times, as testified by archaeological finds dating between the 3rd and the 7th century BC. The foundation of a town dates back to around 1000 AD as an unfortified hamlet under the jurisdiction of the BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery of St. Stephen in Monopoli
Monopoli
Monopoli is a town and comune in Italy, in the province of Bari, region of Apulia. The town is roughly in area and lies about 40 km southeast from Bari. It has about 50,000 inhabitants....
. The estate of various feudal lords for 500 years, it saw an increase in population, housing development, and the construction of the walls and castle. The Caracciolo
Caracciolo
Caracciolo is the surname of a famous noble family of southern Italy.Its members include:*Battistello Caracciolo, Italian painter*Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo, Spanish viceroy of Peru*Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist...
family, Dukes of Martina Franca
Martina Franca
Martina Franca is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, Apulia , Italy. It is the second most populated city of the province after Taranto....
and the last feudal lords, remained in Locorotondo until the beginning of the 19th century.
Main sights
Locorotondo's heritage includes the Mother Church of "St. George the Martyr", built between 1769 and 1821 and including 14th century basreliefs; the church of "San Rocco", the Romanesque church of "Our Lady of Greece". The beauty of the historic centre is also represented by a labyrinth of white alleys, jealously guarded by their inhabitants. The houses end with the unusual pitched roofs called "cummerse", a feature typical of the historical centre of Locorotondo.The Locorotondo countryside is an example of an area of dispersed settlement
Dispersed settlement
A dispersed settlement is one of the main types of settlement patterns used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England and other parts of the world....
s (jazzelere) and has an abundance of trulli
Trullo
A trullo is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small...
dwellings which were built around a communal area called "jazzile". This settlement pattern is due in large part to emphyteutic leases
Emphyteusis
The Law of Emphyteusis is a right, susceptible of assignment and of descent, charged on productive real estate, the right being coupled with the enjoyment of the property on condition of taking care of the estate and paying taxes, and sometimes the payment of a small rent.Akin to a system of...
, particularly in the 19th century for the development of vineyards.