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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Grottaglie
Grottaglie
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Grottaglie is a municipality having a population of 30.947 inhabitants accordingly to the results of the national census made in 1991. After the national census made in 2001 the population were 31.894 inhabitants, thus showing during the years 1991 - 2001 a percentual variation of 3 percent 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.
The name Grottaglie is derived from the Latin Cryptae Aliae, meaning many ravines, which have been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age. The fief of Grottaglie was donated by the Norman overlords to the archbishopric seat of Taranto in the 11th century. Since 15th-17th centuries the jurisdiction over Grottaglie fief was split between the ecclesiastic administration and the lay feudal lords. 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.
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. Other events include, the exhibition, The Mediterranean ceramics contest, theatrical and musical events Promotion of dessert grapes, months of July-August-September.
Grottaglie is one of the most visited places. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace.
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