Acquaviva delle Fonti ( nap, label=
Barese, Iacquavìve ; known as just Acquaviva until 1863) is an town and of 20,446 inhabitants, in the
Metropolitan City of Bari
The Metropolitan City of Bari ( it, Città Metropolitana di Bari) is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari. It replaced the Province of Bari and includes the city of Bari a ...
, in
Apulia
it, Pugliese
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, demographics1_info1 =
, demographic ...
, Italy. Acquaviva is famous for its characteristic
red onions, which have been awarded the
DOP mark. The main monuments are the Palazzo de Mari (now the town hall), the
Co-Cathedral of Sant'Eustachio and the ancient village. The town is located on the
Murge
The Altopiano delle Murge (Italian for "Murge plateau") is a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape in southern Italy. Most of it lies within Apulia and corresponds with the sub-region known as Murgia or Le Murge. The plateau lies mainl ...
plateau at an elevation of above sea level, and is from the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
and
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...
, which is the biggest city of the region. The
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including ...
is more than to the south.
The in Acquaviva is one of the biggest hospitals in southern Italy, with a wide range of surgical departments and a center for the treatment of rare diseases.
Physical geography
Territory
The town rises at an average altitude of 300 meters above sea level in the Apulian hinterland, on the lower
Murgia of Bari, not far from both the
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...
and
Ionian coasts. Acquaviva owes its name to the large aquifer that flows in its subsoil, which extends from the old town to the foot of the Salentino hill. The flat landscape that can be observed from the Collone and Monticelli districts, the highest areas of the territory, is suddenly interrupted by depressions called "''
lame''", or old beds, now dry rivers, shaped by karst. Typical of the lame is a luxuriant
Mediterranean scrub. Other phenomena due to karst are the
sinkhole
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
s, mainly located in the blades, which are holes in the ground in the shape of a funnel or bowl. The flat part of the municipal territory north of the inhabited center reaches an altitude of just under 200 m a.s.l . Proceeding to the south, until it exceeds 430 meters above sea level in the southernmost offshoots of the municipal territory from the hilly course.
Climate
The climate is
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
with cool and variable winters and quite dry summers. The average annual of rainfall is below 600 mm, due to the orographic barrier to the southwest, with more frequent rains during autumn and winter and less frequent during summer (where there are however afternoon thunderstorms). The daily maximums are therefore only around 26–31 °C, with occasional maximums above 35 °C (during the arrival of the African anticyclone, especially with south-western favonic currents). The summer nights have average 17–23 °C. Winter temperatures are 9–14 °C for the highs and 4–9 °C for the lows. Between autumn and winter, fog can appear. The one from irradiation occurs in nights of high pressure, that from advection or with southern wet currents rising from the Ionian Sea or with northern wet currents from the Adriatic Sea. Frosty nights can also occur, however rarely drop below −3 °C. Snow falls almost exclusively during cold air waves from the Balkans. This happens thanks to the "humidifying" action of the Adriatic which releases humidity.
Origin of the name
The name Acquaviva comes from the superficial town aquifer that extends under the municipal territory, already known in
Roman times. In the past the city was known for its abundance of water, so much so that during periods of drought came people from other countries for water. Traces of the importance of water for the community are the numerous wells in the old town and in the countryside. These are called ngegne'', machines by animal traction that drew water from
artesian wells.
History
Its origins are uncertain. Some studies believe that it rises around the 4th to 5th century BC in the ''Salentino'' area (hill located a few kilometers from the town and dominating a large flat and very fertile area); others support that the first Acquavivese settlements could date back to the period between the 6th and 8th centuries AD. It is certain that in Salentino there was an ancient settlement because the excavations carried out in 1976 confirmed it. Several houses with hearths have been unearthed and burials of human bones have been found next to them.
The fertility of the lands downstream, the richness of the spring waters or some devastation were the causes that pushed the inhabitants to move towards the current urban center. The toponym in Latin times was: ''Aquaviva''. The current Acquaviva, in fact, was inhabited by emigrants from the ancient villages of Malano, Ventauro, San Pietro, San Marco, Sant'Angelo and Salentino. Acquaviva from the earliest age grew rapidly, compared to other villages, thanks to its climate and the presence of aquifers and it's thanks to this latter wealth that, after many centuries, "delle Fonti" was added to the name Acquaviva.
The underground water, collected in the aquifers, was exploited for agricultural purposes and pulled up by the noria, according to the local language the ngegne'', which was a machine activated by a donkey or a mule that circled endlessly (still today this object is visible in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II).
Its name is among the episcopal seats of the early times of the
Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chri ...
. Later it belonged to the
Normans
The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...
, who built the Castle, passed to the
Swabians
Swabians (german: Schwaben, singular ''Schwabe'') are a Germanic people who are native to the ethnocultural and linguistic region of Swabia, which is now mostly divided between the modern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, in southweste ...
who modified the castle with elements typical of the
Frederician period, to the
Angevins and the
Aragonese. Passed to the
Prince of Taranto Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo, the
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
of Acquaviva was assigned as a dowry in 1456 to his daughter Caterina, wife of the Duke of
Atri
Atri ( sa, अत्रि) or Attri is a Vedic sage, who is credited with composing numerous hymns to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities of Hinduism. Atri is one of the Saptarishi (seven great Vedic sages) in the Hindu tradition, and the on ...
Giulio Antonio Acquaviva
Giulio Antonio Acquaviva (c. 1425 – February 7, 1481) was an Italian nobleman and condottiere. He was 7th Duke of Atri and 1st of Teramo, Count of Conversano and San Flaviano and Lord of Padula and Roseto.
Life
Giulio Antonio Acquaviva was bo ...
, together with the fiefs of
Noci,
Turi,
Conversano
Conversano ( Barese: ) is an ancient town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, south-eastern Italy. It is southeast of Bari and from the Adriatic coast, at above sea level.
The counts of Conversano owned a stud that they u ...
,
Castellana,
Bitonto
Bitonto (; nap, label= Bitontino, Vetònde) is a city and '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari ( Apulia region), Italy. It lies to the west of Bari. It is nicknamed the "City of Olives", due to the numerous olive groves surrounding the ...
,
Bitetto and
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...
. In 1499 the fief of Acquaviva belonged to the County of Conversano.
The marquis of Acquaviva, together with the County of Gioia, passed in 1597 to Giosia and his son Alberto Acquaviva d'Aragona, was put up for sale in 1614 by the latter due to financial difficulties. On that date in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
at the
Regia Camera della Sommaria the auction notice was posted with the price estimated by the Regi Tavolari and so Acquaviva was described: «Acquaviva is a rich and populated land, 1700 fires (8 500 inhabitants) of a beautiful site, presents the convenience of negotiating oils being in the heart of the province rich in this fruit. The proximity to the sea offers the possibility of disposing of it, for Venetia, Ferrara and for other infinite places».
The sale of Acquaviva, together with Gioia, took place on 4 March 1614 and it was purchased by the
genoese businessman marquis Paride Pinelli. In 1623, on the death of the latter, the fiefs of Acquaviva and Gioia was held in rent for 35 years (1629–1664) by Giangirolamo Acquaviva d'Aragona, by the Genoese Antoniotto Spinola, by the Marquis
Caracciolo Caracciolo () is an Italian surname most associated with the noble House of Carácciolo from the Kingdom of Naples.
Other people with the name include:
* Alberto Caracciolo, Argentinian musician
* Andrea Caracciolo, Italian footballer
* Battistel ...
di
Santeramo and then by the prince of
Cassano, Gaspare Ayerbo. In 1663 Giovanni Girolamo Molignani, on the ashes of a previous poetic-literary academy, founded the
Accademia dei Ravvivati (Academy of the Revived). The fief was finally bought in 1665 for 216,000 ducats by the genoese Marquis of Assigliano Carlo de Mari. The new feudal lord, with whom the de Mari family's dominion began which will last for over a century and a half, fixed his residence in the old castle of Acquaviva delle Fonti, transforming it into a wonderful baronial palace.
The transformation work of Carlo de Mari and his successors on the castle is radical: they completely transfigured it, bringing it to a structure very close to the current one, having the status of a noble palace. The de Mari dynasty was characterized and studded by despotism, usurpations and exploitation to the people of Acquaviva, Gioia and Castellaneta until the abolition of feudality in 1806.
Feudal lords
12th century
* Cornulo (1129);
* Roberto Brizio (1136);
* Roberto Gurgulione (1145).
13th century
* Filippo Cinardi (1240);
* Consiglio da Bari (1266);
* Galgano de Marra (1269);
* Guglielmo I de Sateguevilla (1270);
* Guglielmo II de Sateguevilla (1270);
* Guglielmo III de Sateguevilla (1282);
* Guglielmo d'Alneto (1284).
14th century
* Raimondo Berengario (1303);
* Azzo VIII, signore di Ferrara (1305);
* Bertrando del Balzo, Conte d'Andria (1309);
* Francesco I del Balzo, Duca d'Andria (1351);
* Luigi d'Enghien (1375 circa);
* Luigi di Sanseverino (1382);
* Franceschello Guindazzo (1382);
* Pietro di Lussemburgo (1397).
15th century
* Antonio de Sansovisiis (1407);
* Alberico da Barbiano (1409);
* Giovannella Gesualdo e Domenico Attendolo Sforza (1414);
* Giacomo II di Borbone-La Marche, principe di Taranto e duca di Calabria (1415);
* Maria d'Enghien e Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo, principe di Taranto (1416);
* Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo, principe di Taranto (1429);
* Jacopo Caldora, duca di Bari (1434);
* Antonio Caldora, duca di Bari (1439);
* Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo, duca di Bari e principe di Taranto (1440);
* Francesco II del Balzo, duca d'Andria (1450 circa);
* Pirro del Balzo, duca d'Andria e signore di Acquaviva (1482);
* Federico IV d'Aragona, duca d'Andria e signore di Acquaviva (1487);
* Giovanna di Trastámara, principessa d'Aragona e regina consorte di Ferdinando I di Napoli (1496);
* Andrea Matteo Acquaviva d'Aragona (1499).
16th century
* Prospero Colonna (1503);
* Andrea Matteo Acquaviva d'Aragona (1505);
* Giovanni Antonio Donato Acquaviva d'Aragona (1511);
* Giovanni Girolamo I Acquaviva d'Aragona (1554);
* Alberto Acquaviva d'Aragona, undecimo duca d'Atri e conte di Gioia (1575);
* Giosia Acquaviva d'Aragona, duodecimo duca d'Atri (1597).
17th–18th century
* Ascanio de Scribanis (1611);
* Paride Pinelli, marchese di Civitasantangelo (1614);
* Giangirolamo Acquaviva d'Aragona (1629);
* Antoniotto Spinola (1640);
* Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, Marquis of Santeramo(1658);
* Gaspare Ayerbo d'Aragona, prince of Cassano (1664);
* Carlo I de Mari, first prince of Acquaviva and second marquise of Assigliano (1665). Wife: Geronima Doria. Daughter: Teresa de Mari;
* Carlo II de Mari, second prince of Acquaviva and third marquise of Assigliano (1697). Wife: Beatrice di Tocco dei principi di Montemiletto. Daughter: Laura de Mari.
* Giovanbattista de Mari, third prince of Acquaviva (1740). Wife: Maria Grazia Caracciolo;
* Carlo III de Mari, fourth prince of Acquaviva (1775). Wife: Maria Rosa Gaetani. Daughter: Beatrice de Mari.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architectures
Co-cathedral of Sant'Eustachio martyr
The
co-cathedral of Sant'Eustachio martyr was built in the 12th century by the
Norman feudal lord Roberto Gurgulione. It was rebuilt and enlarged around the second half of the sixteenth century by Count Alberto Acquaviva d'Aragona and today retains the
Renaissance style. The façade is divided into three orders: in the central one it is possible to admire the magnificent rose window with sixteen arms richly decorated. On the central portal with an interrupted cusp erected by
Corinthian style
The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...
columns resting on stone lions, there is represented God the Father, under whom there is the
lunette
A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void.
A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc taken ...
with the bas-relief with the scene of the conversion of the Roman general Eustachio. Inside, the basilica-cathedral features polychrome marble decorations made in the nineteenth century by Monsignor Giandomenico Falconi in 1560. The
crypt
A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...
, still covered with polychrome marble and stucco on the vaults, has three altars: on the right one in marble dedicated to Saint Eustace and his family, in the center a silver one dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament and on the left, again in silver, one dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Constantinople, patron saint of Acquaviva. This last altar preserves a painting of the Madonna of Constantinople attributed to Francesco Palvisino and dated between 1540 and 1560.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore dates back to the 16th century and was consecrated in 1620. Inside it is decorated in the Baroque style.
Church of Santa Lucia
The church of Santa Lucia, located on the outskirts of the town, appears to be very simple from a structural point of view. Externally the facade is a gable and internally it has a single nave. At the bottom of the church there is the bell tower.
Civil architecture
Episcopal palace
The episcopal palace was built in the 19th century close to the cathedral. Commissioned by Bishop Giandomenico Falconi, it was designed by the architect Luigi Castellucci.
De Mari-Doria palace
Built by the Genoese nobleman and Neapolitan patrician Carlo I de Mari, prince of Acquaviva, marquis of Assigliano and also owner of
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...
and
Castellaneta
Castellaneta (Tarantino: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region of Southern Italy, about from Taranto. Located in a territory spanning from the Murgia to the Ionian Sea, characterized by numerous ''gravina'' ...
, at the end of the 17th century. He incorporated the structures of the former
Norman castle of which today saw various details, including the remains of an octagonal tower. The monumental building was probably the work of the Genoese architect Riccobuono. The main facade with a large loggia, sees a central triple balustrade balcony on the grandiose lower entrance portal in
Neapolitan style. Particular is the succession of apotropaiche masks that runs along the final cornice of the noble palace; it has an internal court with a large staircase that leads to the loggia on the first floor where there is the heraldic coat of arms of the princes of Mari-Doria; here there are two beautiful entrance portals that lead the inscription "Carolvs De Mari Aqvaviva Princeps". The whole structure has over one hundred internal rooms. The palace passed in the nineteenth century to Sante Alberotanza, a nobleman from
Mola di Bari, and was subsequently bought by the then University of Acquaviva which made it the municipal seat of Acquaviva delle Fonti.
Cassarmonica
The
Cassarmonica was built was built in 1930, with the financial contribution of the citizens of Acquaviva, to honor the local band. It is built entirely with prefabricated reinforced concrete blocks (rare example, together with the sound box of
Rapallo
Rapallo ( , , ) is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, located in the Liguria region of northern Italy.
As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and Chiav ...
, in
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
).
Military architectures
Missile field
On the territory of Acquaviva delle Fonti, between January and April 1960 on the old road of Sannicandro di Bari, not far from the town of Acquaviva, was built an Italian Air Force base, nicknamed by the population the "Campo dei Missili". Here was located exactly the base no.9 of the 2nd Squadron of the 111th Group of the 36th Strategic Interdiction Air Brigade created to host the PGM-19 Jupiter, medium range thermonuclear warhead missiles (ie with a range between 1000 and 5500 km) pointed at the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
. Seven bases were also operational from 1958 to 1963 on the Murge along the route of the Via Appia in Spinazzola,
Gravina, Casal Sabini-Altamura, Ceraso-Altamura, Gioia del Colle,
Laterza and
Mottola
Mottola ( nap, label= Mottolese, Mòtele, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto and region of Apulia in southeast Italy.
It stands on a hill above mean sea level in the sub-region of Murgia. It is also called "The Ionian Spy" ...
, while two bases were located in
Basilicata
it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman)
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, near
Irsina
Irsina, until 1895 called Montepeloso (in local dialect: or ), is a town, '' comune'' (municipality) and former Latin bishopric in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
The town
Irsina is an agricultural town p ...
and
Matera
Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy.
As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comp ...
. Each of the bases had installed three Jupiter missiles inside, each of which with power equal to about one hundred atomic bombs like the one launched on
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui ...
. On March 1, 1957, the first Jupiter IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) missile was launched from the US base at
Cape Canaveral
, image = cape canaveral.jpg
, image_size = 300
, caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991
, map = Florida#USA
, map_width = 300
, type = Cape
, map_caption = Location in Florida
, location ...
. A little more than two years later, starting from September 5, 1959, the installation of the "Jupiter weapon system" began in Italy, an operation that ended on June 20, 1961, when the last base became operational. In January 1963, the US communicated to the Italian government the decision taken during the development of the Cuban missile crisis to retire the missiles. In June of the same year, the last Jupiter missile was removed from the Murgia and embarked overseas.
Natural areas
To the north of the urban center, along the right of the Baronial blade, WWF Italy protects a shrub area called Oasis "Gioacchino Catone" and extended for 2.5 hectares.
Society
Demographic evolution
Ethnicities and foreign minorities
Foreigners who live in the town as of December 31, 2019, were 732, equal to 3.58% of the total population. The most numerous communities are:
*
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
: 253
*
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
: 167
*
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
: 53
*
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
: 51
*
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
: 42
*
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
: 38
*
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
: 25
Institutions, organizations and associations
Acquaviva delle Fonti is the seat of the ecclesiastical regional hospital Francesco Miulli, one of the largest and most important hospitals in the Puglia Region. The town is part of the Authentic Italian Villages association (Associazione Borghi Autentici d'Italia).
Life quality
In the 1980s, Acquaviva had a significant strategic and economic importance throughout the Bari area due to the presence, on its territory, of the Miulli hospital and of important industries active in the dairy, plant engineering and services sectors. In the mid-90s began the decline and withdrawal of the Acquavivese square which, slowly and thanks to the choices of the local administrators, lost the prestige of the past to the advantage of other neighbourding municipalities. The Francesco Miulli regional hospital and an industrial area full of SMEs guarantee residents a per capita income among the highest in the whole of Southern Italy (ISTAT 2007 data).
Culture
Museum
In the de Mari's palace there was a permanent exhibition of archaeological finds entitled "Salentino, at the origins of the city". The collection consisting of about a hundred ceramics of Apulian and Peucet origin, coming from the archaeological area of Salentino dates back to the centuries BC from, sixth and third, during the excavation campaigns carried out between 1976 and 1979 –, blades and scrapers dating back to the lithic industry of the
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coin ...
from the Curtomartino Cave and other finds from the areas of Ventauro and Baronaggio were found.
This exhibition has fused into the AMA (acronym for Acquaviva Archaeological Museum), inaugurated in October 2020 and also located in the town hall.
Media
City information is edited by the free monthly ''L'Eco...di Acquaviva'', published by the Progetto Spazio 2000 association and distributed free of charge, and ''La Piazza'', bimonthly published by the association of the same name. They are joined by the television broadcaster ''TeleMajg'', which broadcasts over the air in analogue, digital and live streaming form, and the telematic newspapers ''www.acquavivalive.it'' and ''www.acquavivanet.it''. The information site ''www.acquavivapartecipa.it'' is also active. There is also a radio station, ''Radio Futura'' (FM 98.500 MhZ), with an operational base in the industrial area.
Theater
In Piazza Vittorio Emanuele the "Sebastiano Arturo Luciani" Municipal Theater, built in the early twentieth century and owned by the municipality, is located. Since 1983 it has been in a state of neglect due to the expiry of the management contract. In recent years it has undergone internal and external restoration interventions in order not to compromise its static nature. The municipal administration is currently studying hypotheses of use and / or conversion of the structure.
In April 2019, some scenes of the film Tolo Tolo, with director and protagonist
, were shot in Acquaviva. The shooting took place in a bank, in the Palazzo de Mari and in some streets of the historic center near the church of Santa Chiara.
Cooking
The city is known for the sweet onion that grows on its land, called the red onion of Acquaviva delle Fonti. The production is very limited (about 200 quintals per year) since its cultivation still uses traditional and rudimentary methods to preserve its aroma and fragrance. The red onion of Acquaviva and its famous "calzone" are celebrated with two festivals that take place at the end of July and mid-October each year.
Events
Celebration of Madonna di Costantinopoli
The patronal feast of the Madonna of Constantinople takes place over four days, culminating in the first Tuesday of September. Starting from the previous week, the image of the Virgin is carried in procession in seven days in the seven parishes of Acquaviva (peregrinatio Mariae). On Sunday morning, after the celebration, there is the rite of the enthronement. On Tuesday morning the solemn pontifical ceremony is celebrated in the square, at the end of which the mayor hands over the keys of the city to the Protector, and in the evening the image of the Madonna is carried in procession. The religious feast ends on Wednesday evening, when the image of the Madonna leaves the Cathedral again for the procession around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.
On Sunday evening there is a historical procession that commemorates the arrival of the painting (it is said that it comes from Constantinople and that, having arrived in Bari by sea, it was brought to Acquaviva on a cart pulled by oxen).
According to a tradition dating back to 1848, on Tuesday evening, the culmination of the party, a hot-air balloon is launched, weighing about one quintal and 21 meters high.
Infrastructure and transport
Roads
The most important provincial roads that cross the territory of Acquaviva delle Fonti are:
* the SP 20, which connects it to Gioia-Santeramo;
* the SP 48, which connects it to
Cassano delle Murge;
* the SP 75, which connects it to
Casamassima
Casamassima ( Barese: ) is a town and '' comune'' of 19,786 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Bari, in Apulia, southern Italy. Is also called "The Blue Town". The town is located inland from the Italian coastline, thrives and is built on a ...
;
* the SP 76, which connects it to
Sannicandro di Bari;
* the SP 82, which connects it to
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...
;
* the SP 83, which connects it to
Adelfia
Adelfia ( el, Αδέλφια, meaning ''brothers''; Barese: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is south of central Bari, and is a combination of two smaller towns, Montrone and Canneto ...
;
* the SP 125, which connects it to
Sammichele di Bari;
* the SP 127, which connects it to
Santeramo in Colle;
* the SP 205 and 205 bis, ie its ring road.
Railways
The Acquaviva delle Fonti station is located on the Bari-Taranto line at a similar kilometer distance from the two capitals, served by Trenitalia with 36 daily trips and 4 trips with replacement buses, and is located on the Bologna-Taranto-Reggio Calabria route.
To serve the Missile Field, in the 1960s the Le Chiasce station was built, near the Scappagrano district, on the original route of the Bari-Taranto line.
Other administrative information
The town of Acquaviva delle Fonti was part of the Mountain community of the south-east Bari Murgia until 2010, the year of its definitive suppression. It grouped together 7 municipalities of the former Province of Bari.
Sports
Football
After the failing of ACD Acquaviva (founded in 1996) in 2011–2012, football is represented by Atletico Acquaviva (red-blue) and Football Acquaviva (white-blue), both of them play in the Puglia Promotion championship for the 2020–2021 season. The football match between the two mentioned teams is known as the Cassarmonica Derby.
Basketball
In other team sports, the ASD Basket Acquaviva Team is included.
Cycling
The Fausto Coppi Cycling Group, founded in 1981, is the longest-running sports association in the city. It organizes a cycle walk every year to promote the use of ecological means of transport.
Athletics
Very important, moreover, is the athletics club Amatori Atletica Acquaviva. Historical company among the most important nationally in the discipline of walking, of which it boasts some national titles.
Skateboarding
In October 2019, the first skate park in the country was inaugurated at the "Tommaso Valeriano" sports center.
Sport facilities
The main sports facilities in Acquaviva are the Giammaria stadium and the "Tommaso Valeriano" sports center. Athletics competitions and football matches of the aforementioned teams are held at the stadium, while volleyball matches are held in the sports hall.
Twin towns
Acquaviva delle Fonti is
twinned with:
*
Cesano Boscone
Cesano Boscone ( lmo, Cesan ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southwest of Milan.
Cesano Boscone borders the following municipalities: Milan, Corsico, Trezzano sul N ...
,
Lombardy
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*
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende () is the principal city in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato, Mexico. A part of the Bajío region, the city lies from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Queré ...
,
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, Mexico
*
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important comme ...
,
Apulia
it, Pugliese
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, Italy
External Links
References
Bibliography
*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Apulia