Salice Salentino is a small 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:...

in the southern part of 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...

, 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...

, in the Salento

Salento

Salento is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot"...

 area. It is bounded with the province of Taranto

Province of Taranto

The Province of Taranto is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto.It has an area of 2,437 km², and a total population of 580,588...

 to the northwest and the province of Brindisi

Province of Brindisi

The Province of Brindisi is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. Surrounded by vineyards and artichoke fields, Brindisi is a major sailing port for the southern part of Italy....

 to the north.

Coat of arms

Its coat of arms features a tree in the middle of a shield and a golden crown on top.

Bounding communes

• Avetrana
  Avetrana
  Avetrana is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, part of the Apulia region of southeast Italy.-Main sights:*The Castle or Torrione*The Chiesa Madre *Palazzo Imperiali...
  
   (TA)
• Campi Salentina
  Campi Salentina
  Campi Salentina is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.-Bounding communes:*Cellino San Marco *Guagnano*Novoli*Salice Salentino*Squinzano*Trepuzzi*Veglie-Population History:...
  
  
• Guagnano
  Guagnano
  Guagnano is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy....
  
  
• Nardò
  Nardò
  Nardò is a town and comune of 31,185 inhabitants and comune in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the province of Lecce.-History:...
  
  
• San Pancrazio Salentino
  San Pancrazio Salentino
  San Pancrazio Salentino is a comune in the province of Brindisi in Puglia, on the south-east Italy coast. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes....
  
   (BR)
• Veglie
  Veglie
  -History:Veglie was founded around the 10th century. Veglie was a small village.The tomb founded in Via Novoli in 1957 dates back to the Messapic times it is displayed in a provincial museum...
  
  

Population History

Year	Population
1861	3,412
1871	4,158
1881	4,774
1901	6,027
1911	6,686
1921	6,727
1931	7,454
1936	8,306
1951	9,600
1961	9,567
1971	9,198
1981	9,017
1991	8,771
2001	8,484

The population grew until the 1951 census, after the increasing trend, the population fell slowly mainly by emigration to other parts of 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...

.

History

Founded by the prince Raimondo Orsini Del Balzo in the end of the 14th century, Salice Salentino owns the name to the willow trees that once used to grow and populate its muddy, clay soil. The prince constructed his residence, the "Casa del Re" (House of the King). It was later owned by the baron Zurlo in 1485. It was passed on to the marquis Albricci, Enriquez, prince of Squinzano

Squinzano

Squinzano is a town and comune in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.Squinzano is also a specific area within the Puglia wine region. Squinzano DOC is produced in red and rosé versions, and is obtained principally from the Negro Amaro grape, with a small addition of...

, Filomarini, duke of Cutrofiano

Cutrofiano

Cutrofiano is a town and comune in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy. It is known for its shoes and ceramic production....

 and della Torre.

Economy

Its main economy is agriculture in the olive and wine industry.

It is famous for its own wine, Salice Salentino.