Mattinata
Encyclopedia
Mattinata is a famous seaside resort
town and comune
(municipality) in the province of Foggia
, Apulia
, southern Italy.
facing south the Adriatic sea
, Mattinata is part of the Gargano National Park
(Parco Nazionale del Gargano). The main urban area is located above two hills enclosed by mountains in the northern, western and southern side. The town faces eastward a plain (Piana di Mattinata) ending to the Adriatic sea.
The northern coastal side is known for its white cliffs made of chalks, its large number of suggestive sea caves and, above all, to its two Faraglioni
, located in the Zagare Bay area. The area surrounding Mattinata is also a popular destination for botanical experts, due to the existence of around 60 different species of orchids.
), which populated the surrounding areas since the 5th century BC.
The origins of the name Mattinata can be traced back to the Roman village of Matinum, which was located near the current sea port in the 1st century AD. Relatively few traces of the Roman settlement can still be found. The modern town is the result of the direct immigration of citizens from Monte Sant'Angelo
over different centuries, which administered the town until 1955, year of its independence as a municipality
.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
town and 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:...
(municipality) in the province of Foggia
Province of Foggia
The Province of Foggia is a province in the Apulia region of Italy.This province is also known as Capitanata, originally Catapanata, because during the Middle Ages it was governed by a catapan, as part of the Catapanate of Italy...
, Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, southern Italy.
Geography
The only town in ApuliaApulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
facing south the Adriatic sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, Mattinata is part of the Gargano National Park
Gargano National Park
The Gargano National Park is a national park in the province of Foggia, southern Italy. Aside from the Mount Gargano promontory from which it takes its name, it includes also the Tremiti Islands archipelago and the Foresta Umbra, a large wood protected area established in 1977....
(Parco Nazionale del Gargano). The main urban area is located above two hills enclosed by mountains in the northern, western and southern side. The town faces eastward a plain (Piana di Mattinata) ending to the Adriatic sea.
The northern coastal side is known for its white cliffs made of chalks, its large number of suggestive sea caves and, above all, to its two Faraglioni
Faraglioni
Faraglioni is the collective name for three stacks located off the island of Capri in the Bay of Naples. The stacks have been given their own names: Stella , Mezzo , and Scopolo . Its height is 109 m, 82 m and 106 m, respectively. The lacerta viridens faraglionesis or the blue-tinted lizard can...
, located in the Zagare Bay area. The area surrounding Mattinata is also a popular destination for botanical experts, due to the existence of around 60 different species of orchids.
History
The first humans to settle in the area were tribes of Eastern European origin, mainly from Greece and the Balkans (IapygesIapyges
The Iapyges or Iapygians were an Indo-European people who inhabited the heel of Italy before being absorbed by the Romans.-Identity:The Iapyges have unknown origins but could have been from Illyria....
), which populated the surrounding areas since the 5th century BC.
The origins of the name Mattinata can be traced back to the Roman village of Matinum, which was located near the current sea port in the 1st century AD. Relatively few traces of the Roman settlement can still be found. The modern town is the result of the direct immigration of citizens from Monte Sant'Angelo
Monte Sant'Angelo
Monte Sant'Angelo is a town and comune of Apulia, southern Italy, in the province of Foggia, about 15 km north of Manfredonia by road and 4 km west of Mattinata, on the southern slopes of Monte Gargano.-History:...
over different centuries, which administered the town until 1955, year of its independence as a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
.
Main sights
- Necropolis of Monte Saraceno, including more than 500 DauniaDaunia250px|thumb|Example of Daunian ceramics.The Daunia is a historical and geographical region in Apulia, southern Italy, mostly coincident with modern Province of Foggia...
n graves - Ruins of the Benedictine abbey of Santissima Trinità
- Ruins of the Roman town of Matinum, located near the port
- Fraraglioni rocks in the Zagare Bay.