Maratea
Encyclopedia
Maratea is a town and comune
of Basilicata
, in the province of Potenza
. It is the only town of the region
on the Tyrrhenian coast
and because of its beautiful scenery and coastline it has been called "the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian". Owing to the considerable number of its churches and chapels it has also been described as "the town with 44 churches".
on the Tyrrhenian Sea
. It has approximately 32 km of rocky coastline, with more than twenty beaches. One of the main characteristics of Maratea is the variety of its landscapes, varying from breath-taking sea views to wooded hillsides and majestic mountains which sweep down to the sea creating steep cliffs.
The Grotta di Maratea, or the Cave of Wonders, was discovered in 1929 by men building the Highway 18 from Calabrie.
The centre of the town (called Maratea Borgo, meaning "Maratea's Old Town") is situated on the northern slopes of Mount San Biagio; other villages in the comune include Acquafredda, Cersuta, Fiumicello, Porto, Marina, Castrocucco (situated on the coast), Castello, Santa Caterina, Massa and Brefaro (situated on the overlooking hills).
The principal vegetation comprises oak
s, pine
s, rosemary
, holm oak
s, and wild fennel
.
Maratea has a small harbour, which can accommodate up to 200 boats.
era. In the 15th–14th century BC a village grew up on top of the little headland called La Timpa. This was a small trading center, and its existence is documented until 2nd century BC, when the Romans
conquered Lucania
.
During the Roman era, the region continued to be a trade center: on the seabed near Santo Janni island dozens of ancient anchors have been found, and these are now on display in the local museum.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
, southern Italy became part of the Byzantine Empire
, starting from the Gothic Wars (6th century). From the 7th century, the Tyrrhenian Sea came under the control of the Saracen
s, (Sicily became a Muslim emirate in the 9th century), who sacked numerous towns. So, for safety reasons, the local inhabitants moved to the high ground of Mount San Biagio, where they built the so called Castello, a little fortified urban centre.
In 732
a ship, fleeing the religious persecution of Leo III the Isaurian
, brought the sacred remains of Saint Blaise
to Maratea, who thereafter became the patron saint of the town. The remains of the saint are still kept in the Maratea's Basilica, which is built over an ancient temple of Minerva
.
In 1077 Maratea, together with the rest of Southern Italy, was conquered by the Normans.
In the 11th-12th century, since the Castello could no longer accommodate the increasing population, some of the people of Maratea decided to found a new urban centre, historically called the Borgo (a word that means "village" in Italian
). Today the ancient Borgo is the principal urban centre of Maratea. In view of the risk from Saracen attacks, the Borgo was situated behind Mount San Biagio, so that it could not be seen from the sea.
In 1282 the war of the Sicilian Vespers
began, in which the houses of Angevins
and Aragon
fought for control of the Kingdom of Naples
. The war ended in 1302, but the dispute continued for another century. Between 1302 and 1496, thanks to its loyalty to the royal house, Maratea was awarded numerous grants of autonomy. The Castello was put under siege in 1441, by Lauria
(a nearby town), and in 1495 by Angevins soldiers. On both occasion it resisted successfully.
From 1566 to 1595, six guardhouse-towers where built along the coastline, to protect the new villages that had developed in the meantime: Acquafredda, Cersuta and Porto.
On 2 May 1676 the village of the Borgo was besieged by 160 bandits. However, the guards of the Castello killed the bandit leader and captured the remainder of the gang.
In the 18th century Maratea entered a period of progress and prosperity; on April 12, 1734 the first hospital of Basilicata
was opened in the town. Many of the so-called 44 churches were built during this period.
When Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself King of Naples
, Maratea was one of the few cities which did not accept French supremacy. In August 1806 the nearby town of Lauria
, whose citizens also refused to acknowledge Napoleon, was set on fire by general André Masséna
. Alessandro Mandarini, mayor of Maratea and commander of its castle, believing that Maratea would be the next target, evacuated the inhabitants to Sicily
. Since Mandarini had been promised relief from the English army, he remained, with only 1,000 men, to defend the castle and the town. After three days under siege, Mandarini, who did not received any help by the English, was forced to surrender (December 10th 1806). In token of their great admiration for the brave resistance, the French spared the lives of the rebels, but ordered them to pull down the walls of the castle. The latter was slowly abandoned during the 19th and 20th century.
After the return of the House of Bourbon
to the throne of Naples
, a movement developed that would have brought about the political unification of the peninsula. In 1848, one of its leaders, the revolutionary Costabile Carducci, was killed after years of being hunted by the Neapolitan militia.
In 1861 Italy was finally united. However, at this time Maratea suffered extreme poverty, in common with the rest of Basilicata
. Many of its inhabitants emigrated to the United States or to Venezuela
, and with their economic help Maratea was connected to the railway network in 1894, built its first aqueduct in 1902, had electrical connection from 1924, and tarred roads connected the Old Town with the outlying districts on the coast in 1930.
Thanks to the help of Stefano Rivetti, an Italian industrialist, in the 1950s the economic situation of Maratea improved: factories (a wooden-mill and an industrial estate) and many hotels were opened.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer, or the Christ of Maratea, was built of pure Carrara
marble in 1965 by Bruno Innocenti, a sculptor from Florence
. It is located on the top of Monte San Biagio, right in front of the basilica.
In the outlying districts are the rest of the churches which complete the list:
Plus, the comune
has several little villages, spread across the region.
, Italy, since 3 February 1980 Carosino
, Italy, since 2001 Bolzano, Italy, since May 2008
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:...
of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, in the province of Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
. It is the only town of the region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
on the Tyrrhenian coast
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
and because of its beautiful scenery and coastline it has been called "the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian". Owing to the considerable number of its churches and chapels it has also been described as "the town with 44 churches".
Geography
Maratea is the only town of BasilicataBasilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
on the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
. It has approximately 32 km of rocky coastline, with more than twenty beaches. One of the main characteristics of Maratea is the variety of its landscapes, varying from breath-taking sea views to wooded hillsides and majestic mountains which sweep down to the sea creating steep cliffs.
The Grotta di Maratea, or the Cave of Wonders, was discovered in 1929 by men building the Highway 18 from Calabrie.
The centre of the town (called Maratea Borgo, meaning "Maratea's Old Town") is situated on the northern slopes of Mount San Biagio; other villages in the comune include Acquafredda, Cersuta, Fiumicello, Porto, Marina, Castrocucco (situated on the coast), Castello, Santa Caterina, Massa and Brefaro (situated on the overlooking hills).
The principal vegetation comprises oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
, holm oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
s, and wild fennel
Fennel
Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
.
Maratea has a small harbour, which can accommodate up to 200 boats.
History
Based on archeological findings, the first settlements in the Maratea region date back to the PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
era. In the 15th–14th century BC a village grew up on top of the little headland called La Timpa. This was a small trading center, and its existence is documented until 2nd century BC, when the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
conquered Lucania
Lucania
Lucania was an ancient district of southern Italy, extending from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. To the north it adjoined Campania, Samnium and Apulia, and to the south it was separated by a narrow isthmus from the district of Bruttium...
.
During the Roman era, the region continued to be a trade center: on the seabed near Santo Janni island dozens of ancient anchors have been found, and these are now on display in the local museum.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, southern Italy became part of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, starting from the Gothic Wars (6th century). From the 7th century, the Tyrrhenian Sea came under the control of the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s, (Sicily became a Muslim emirate in the 9th century), who sacked numerous towns. So, for safety reasons, the local inhabitants moved to the high ground of Mount San Biagio, where they built the so called Castello, a little fortified urban centre.
In 732
732
Year 732 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 732 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* October 10 – Battle of Tours: Near...
a ship, fleeing the religious persecution of Leo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian or the Syrian , was Byzantine emperor from 717 until his death in 741...
, brought the sacred remains of Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
to Maratea, who thereafter became the patron saint of the town. The remains of the saint are still kept in the Maratea's Basilica, which is built over an ancient temple of Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
.
In 1077 Maratea, together with the rest of Southern Italy, was conquered by the Normans.
In the 11th-12th century, since the Castello could no longer accommodate the increasing population, some of the people of Maratea decided to found a new urban centre, historically called the Borgo (a word that means "village" in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
). Today the ancient Borgo is the principal urban centre of Maratea. In view of the risk from Saracen attacks, the Borgo was situated behind Mount San Biagio, so that it could not be seen from the sea.
In 1282 the war of the Sicilian Vespers
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to the successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out on the Easter of 1282 against the rule of the French/Angevin king Charles I, who had ruled the Kingdom of Sicily since 1266. Within six weeks three thousand French men and women were slain by...
began, in which the houses of Angevins
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
and Aragon
House of Aragon
The House of Aragon is the name given several royal houses that ruled the County, the Kingdom or the Crown of Aragon.Some historiansGuillermo Fatás y Guillermo Redondo, Alberto Montaner Frutos, Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués...
fought for control of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. The war ended in 1302, but the dispute continued for another century. Between 1302 and 1496, thanks to its loyalty to the royal house, Maratea was awarded numerous grants of autonomy. The Castello was put under siege in 1441, by Lauria
Lauria
Lauria is a city and comune of Basilicata, Italy, in the province of Potenza, situated near the borders of Calabria.It is a walled town on the steep side of a hill with another portion in the plain below.-History:...
(a nearby town), and in 1495 by Angevins soldiers. On both occasion it resisted successfully.
From 1566 to 1595, six guardhouse-towers where built along the coastline, to protect the new villages that had developed in the meantime: Acquafredda, Cersuta and Porto.
On 2 May 1676 the village of the Borgo was besieged by 160 bandits. However, the guards of the Castello killed the bandit leader and captured the remainder of the gang.
In the 18th century Maratea entered a period of progress and prosperity; on April 12, 1734 the first hospital of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
was opened in the town. Many of the so-called 44 churches were built during this period.
When Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself King of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Maratea was one of the few cities which did not accept French supremacy. In August 1806 the nearby town of Lauria
Lauria
Lauria is a city and comune of Basilicata, Italy, in the province of Potenza, situated near the borders of Calabria.It is a walled town on the steep side of a hill with another portion in the plain below.-History:...
, whose citizens also refused to acknowledge Napoleon, was set on fire by general André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
. Alessandro Mandarini, mayor of Maratea and commander of its castle, believing that Maratea would be the next target, evacuated the inhabitants to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Since Mandarini had been promised relief from the English army, he remained, with only 1,000 men, to defend the castle and the town. After three days under siege, Mandarini, who did not received any help by the English, was forced to surrender (December 10th 1806). In token of their great admiration for the brave resistance, the French spared the lives of the rebels, but ordered them to pull down the walls of the castle. The latter was slowly abandoned during the 19th and 20th century.
After the return of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
to the throne of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, a movement developed that would have brought about the political unification of the peninsula. In 1848, one of its leaders, the revolutionary Costabile Carducci, was killed after years of being hunted by the Neapolitan militia.
In 1861 Italy was finally united. However, at this time Maratea suffered extreme poverty, in common with the rest of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
. Many of its inhabitants emigrated to the United States or to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and with their economic help Maratea was connected to the railway network in 1894, built its first aqueduct in 1902, had electrical connection from 1924, and tarred roads connected the Old Town with the outlying districts on the coast in 1930.
Thanks to the help of Stefano Rivetti, an Italian industrialist, in the 1950s the economic situation of Maratea improved: factories (a wooden-mill and an industrial estate) and many hotels were opened.
The Statue of Christ
The statue of Christ the Redeemer, or the Christ of Maratea, was built of pure Carrara
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
marble in 1965 by Bruno Innocenti, a sculptor from Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. It is located on the top of Monte San Biagio, right in front of the basilica.
The 44 Churches
Maratea is called the town with 44 churches for the number of its churches and chapels.- Basilica of Saint Blaise. It is the main church in the town, situated at the Castello. Built in the 6th-7th century, it houses the remains of the saint, in honor of which, every year (on the second Sunday of May), a procession takes place in which the silver statue of the saint is transported from the basilica to the main church of the Old Town.
- Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, built in 1505, is the principal church of the Old Town
- Church of Saint Vitus. It is the most ancient church of the Old Town, dating to the 9th century
- Church of the Holy Annunciation, built in 16th century
- Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, built in 1620
- Church of Mary Immaculate (16th century). In its cryptCryptIn architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
was found the ancient church of Saint Peter - Church of the Calvary (15th century)
- Church of Saint Anthony, built in 1615. It is home to a precious wooden polyptychPolyptychA polyptych generally refers to a painting which is divided into sections, or panels. The terminology that follows is in relevance to the number of panels integrated into a particular piece of work: "diptych" describes a two-part work of art; "triptych" describes a three-part work; "tetraptych"...
- Church of Saint Anne (14th century)
- Church of Saint Francis of Paola (17th century)
- Church of the Rosary, constructed in 1575. It is one of the most beautiful edifices of the town.
- Chapel of Mary of Lourdes, built in 1932
- Chapel of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is a little chapel from the 16th century.
In the outlying districts are the rest of the churches which complete the list:
- Church of Mary Immaculate, at Acquafredda. It was constructed in 1833, this church conserves the remains of Costabile Carducci
- Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, at Cersuta (17th century)
- Church of the Child Jesus, at Fiumicello, was built in 1953
- Chapel of Our Lady of the Graces, at Fiumicello, built in 1801
- Chapel of Saint Joseph, at Fiumicello (16th century)
- Church of Our Lady of the Safe Harbour, at Porto (16th century).
- Chapel of Our Lady of Loreto, at Porto (17th century)
- Church of Saint Teresa of Ávila, at Marina, built in 1958 after the destruction of the original church
- Chapel of Saint Michael, at Marina (19th century)
- Chapel of Saint Joseph (17th century)
- Chapel of Saint Bartholomew, at Marina (19th century)
- Church of The Immaculate Hear of Mary, at Castrocucco, built in 1992
- Chapel of Saint Jerrard, at Castrocucco (20th century)
- Chapel of Mary Immaculate, at Castrocucco, built in 1926
- Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, at Massa, from 1931
- Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, at Massa (19th century)
- Church of Our Lady of Mercy, in the little Brefaro village. It dates to the late 19th century
Other
Maratea's territory is also home to six coastal watchtowers, dating to the 16th-17th centuries.Frazioni
Maratea has two urban areas: one is located on the top of the mount San Biagio, called Castello; the other one is called Borgo, situated on the north hillside of the same mountain.Plus, the comune
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:...
has several little villages, spread across the region.
- Acquafredda
- The first outlying district on the northern coast of Maratea is Acquafredda (its name means "cold water"). This village has a wonderful rocky coastline, surrounded by pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forests, and a 19th century church.
- Cersuta
- It is the second frazione on the northern coast of Maratea. Its name means "the land of oaksOaks-Horse races:"Oaks" is generally used to describe a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Among the best-known races using the term are:*Epsom Oaks, The Oaks Stakes, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England; the original "Oaks" race...
". It's a little village.
- Fiumicello-Santavenere
- Fiumicello (the name means "little river") is located near the harbour. Its development in the 1950s was thanks to the Italian industrialist Stefano Rivetti.
- Porto
- Porto (meaning "harbour") is the centre of the local fishing industry, based round the modern harbour of Maratea.
- Marina
- Marina is located on the southern coast. It developed between 1894 and 1921, thanks to the opening of the third railway station in Maratea. It has ten beautiful beaches, and an ancient caveCaveA cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
.
- Castrocucco
- Castrocucco (the name means "the castle on the hillside") is an outlying district, some 10 km (6 mi). along the coast road to the south.
- Santa Caterina
- Is the smallest village of Maratea. It is situated on the hillside of Mount San Biagio.
- Massa
- The name means "the manor farm", this is the largest outlying district of Maratea.
- Bréfaro
- The name means, in ancient Greek, "the high place". This is one of the smaller villages, but it is well known for the production of excellent wine.
Airports
The nearest airports are:- Salerno-Pontecagnano (QSR) 139 km
- Napoli-Capodichino (NAP) 211 km
- Lamezia Terme (SUF) 217 km
Twin towns
CentoCento
Cento is a city and comune in the province of Ferrara, part of the region Emilia-Romagna . In Italian "cento" means 100.-History:The name Cento is a reference to the centuriation of the Po Valley...
, Italy, since 3 February 1980 Carosino
Carosino
Carosino is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, in the northern Salento, part of the Apulia region of southeast Italy.Economy is based on the production of wine, olive oil and grapes....
, Italy, since 2001 Bolzano, Italy, since May 2008