Francavilla Fontana ( Francavillese: ) is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the

province of Brindisi The Province of Brindisi ( it, Provincia di Brindisi) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. It has an area of and a total population of 401,652 (2013). Geography The Province of Brindisi is situated in ...

and region of

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, in southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It is also called the town of the "Imperiali", after the Imperiali, a family of feudal lords who ruled the town from the end of 16th century until the 18th century. With a population of 36,358, in 2017, it is the third municipality of its province after

Brindisi Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Histo ...

and

Fasano Fasano (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brindisi, Apulia, southern Italy. It is the second most populated town in the province after Brindisi, with a population in 2021 of 39,026. History According to a folk etymology, ...

. Its one of the many towns in south Italy where the Greek dialect

Griko Griko, sometimes spelled Grico, is the dialect of Italiot Greek spoken by Griko people in Salento (province of Lecce) and (also called Grecanic) in Calabria. Some Greek linguists consider it to be a Modern Greek dialect and often call it ( el, � ...

is spoken.

History

The name Francavilla has French-Norman origins: "Franca" (tax-free) and "villa" (town). The specification '' Fontana'' ("fountain") alludes to a vision of the Virgin Mary witnessed by Prince Filippo d'Angiò, who hence declaring the town a tax-free haven, according to the local legend.

Geography

Francavilla is located in the Altosalento, on the last

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 ...

's hills, and it is equidistant, about , from

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 com ...

and

. The municipality borders with

Ceglie Messapica Ceglie Messapica (; scn, label= Brindisino, Cégghie) is a town, and ''comune'', located in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, in southern Italy, in the traditional area called Salento. Geography The area of Ceglie Messapica is loc ...

Grottaglie Grottaglie (; scn, label=Salentino, li Vurtàgghie; la, Criptalium) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, in southern Italy. Geography Grottaglie is located in the Salento peninsula, dividing the Adriatic sea from Ionian ...

Latiano Latiano ( Brindisino: ; Leccese: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the southeast coast of Italy. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. Bartolo Longo Bartolo Longo (February 1 ...

Manduria Manduria is a city and '' comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Taranto. With c. 32,000 inhabitants (2013), it is located east of Taranto. History It was an important stronghold of the Messapii against Taras. Archidamus III, king ...

, Oria,

San Marzano di San Giuseppe San Marzano di San Giuseppe ( aae, Shën Marcani) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Taranto, in the Italian region of Apulia. Alongside Casalvecchio di Puglia and Chieuti, it is one of the Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arb ...

San Michele Salentino San Michele Salentino is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the south-east Italian coast. Its main economic activities are the growing of olives and grapes. International relations San Michele Salentino is twinned with: * ...

San Vito dei Normanni San Vito dei Normanni ( Sanvitese: ) is an Italian town of 19,947 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi in Apulia. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi (or Santuvitisi in dialect) and the town is sometimes referred to as San Vito. Physical geog ...

Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...

and

Villa Castelli Villa Castelli is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the south-east Italy coast. It is a comune in Salento, the borderline with Itria Valley. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. Main ...

Main sights

* The massive square Castle (''Palazzo Imperiali'') of the Imperiali family, to whom, with Oria, it was sold by St.

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat ...

in the 16th century for 40,000 ounces of gold, which he distributed in one day to poor and plague-infected people in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. * Mother Church, built from 1743 over a former Angevine construction. *Torre dell'Orologio (watchtower), built in 1750.

Transport

The town, 18 km east of

Taranto-Grottaglie Airport Taranto-Grottaglie "Marcello Arlotta" Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Taranto-Grottaglie "Marcello Arlotta") is an airport serving Taranto and Grottaglie, both ''comunes'' in the province of Taranto in Italy. The airport is located from the city of M ...

, is served by the SS7 " Appia" highway. The local railway station is a junction point between the lines Taranto–Brindisi, owned by the national company FS, and Martina–Lecce, owned by FSE. It is served by regional and, on the

line, by long-distance trains also.

Sport

The local football club is the Virtus Francavilla, that has its home ground in John Paul II Stadium.

People

* Ottaviano Andriani (b. 1974), marathon runner *

Cosimo Caliandro Cosimo Caliandro (11 March 1982 – 10 June 2011) was an Italian middle distance runner who won a gold medal at the 2007 European Indoor Championships. Biography Caliandro was born in Francavilla Fontana. In his first appearance on the world st ...

(1982–2011), middle-distance runner * Clementina Forleo (b. 1963), judge *

Giuseppe Renato Imperiali Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (1 May 1651 – 18 February 1737) was an Italian cardinal, and known as an avid bibliophile. Biography He was born in Francavilla Fontana in Apulia, in the Kingdom of Naples, into an aristocratic family which had com ...

(1651–1737), cardinal * Michele Imperiali Simeana (1736–1782), prince *

Giacomo Leone Giacomo Leone (born 10 April 1971 in Francavilla Fontana, Brindisi) is a retired male long-distance runner from Italy. He set his personal best (2:07:52) in the marathon on 4 March 2001 in Otsu, Japan. Leone is best known for winning the 1996 ...

(b. 1971), long-distance runner * Francesco Ribezzo (b. 8 May 1875, died Lecce, 19 October 1952), glottologist - the science of tongues or languages; comparative philology, particularly the dialect of F. Fontana

Twin towns

San Giovanni al Natisone San Giovanni al Natisone ( fur, San Zuan dal Nadison) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about southeast of Udine. San Giovanni al Natison ...

, Italy

References

External links

Official website
* Cities and towns in Apulia Localities of Salento Castles in Italy {{Puglia-geo-stub