Monteleone di Puglia (
Irpinian: ) is a hill 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 ...
'' of the
province of Foggia
The Province of Foggia ( it, Provincia di Foggia ; Foggiano: ) is a province in the Apulia (Puglia) region of southern Italy.
This province is also known as Daunia, after the Daunians, an Iapygian pre-Roman tribe living in Tavoliere plain, an ...
in the
Apulia region of south-eastern
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 ...
.
Its territory borders the municipalities of
Accadia
Accadia (Irpino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Until the mid-20th century it was just within the eastern frontier of the region of Campania in the province of Avellino.
The town oc ...
,
Anzano di Puglia
Anzano di Puglia is a small town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia and region of Apulia in southeast Italy. It rises above sea level.
The town lies along the Apennines, astride the Daunian Mountains at the intersection of two ancient Roma ...
,
Ariano Irpino (
AV),
Panni,
San Sossio Baronia
San Sossio Baronia is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. Its name refers to Saint Sossius, a Roman Catholic martyr.
Located in the Apennines between the Ufita Valley and Daunian Mountains, the town is part of t ...
(AV),
Sant'Agata di Puglia,
Savignano Irpino (AV),
Zungoli
Zungoli is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy, about from the town of Avellino.
Located in Irpinia historical district between the Ufita Valley and Daunian Mountains, Zungoli is awarded two quality ma ...
(AV).
History
The town was historically inhabited by
Provençal refugees (followers of the
Waldensian Protestant rite) and
Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including:
* Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name
* Arbëresh ...
community,
Gjovalin Shkurtaj, ''Shpirti i arbrit rron''
/ref> but both have since assimilated.
In 1942, during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Monteleone was the seat of a revolt women, sparked by the arrogance of a Carabinieri officer who confiscated a pot of corn flour that was being carried to a local bakery by three women.angry mob
Mob rule or ochlocracy ( el, ὀχλοκρατία, translit=okhlokratía; la, ochlocratia) is the rule of government by a mob or mass of people and the intimidation of legitimate authorities. Insofar as it represents a pejorative for majorit ...
formed and the Carabinieri office was stormed. Police had trouble controlling the riot and fired warning shots into the air. Soon after, police began firing bullets towards the crowd. Eventually, the citizens of Monteleone - armed with clubs and pitchforks - were subdued when renfoircements were sent by the prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect's ...
of Foggia, Giovanni Dolfin
Giovanni Dolfin, also known as Giovanni Delfino or Delfin (died 12 July 1361) was the fifty-seventh Doge of Venice, appointed on August 13, 1356. Despite his value as general, during his reign Venice lost Dalmatia. He was blind from one eye after ...
. Overall, 180 citizens were arrested and detained. Most rioters arrested had to serve a prison sentence of between a few days and 15 months. This revolt was the first of its kind in Italy during the Second World War.
In the years following the war, a large number of migrants from the town and their descendants established an expatriate community in Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada. There is a club in Toronto for those who have roots in Monteleone.
Festivals
The patron saints of Monteleone are San Rocco
Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...
and Saint John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
.
People
Monteleone is the birthplace of the Canadian politician Joe Volpe
Giuseppe "Joe" Volpe (born September 21, 1947) is a Canadian politician. He represented the Ontario riding of Eglinton-Lawrence as a member of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until 2011, when he lost his seat t ...
.
References
External links
Official website
Italiani.ca - Web magazine for Italian-Canadians
Page at comuni italiani website
Arbëresh settlements
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monteleone Di Puglia
Cities and towns in Apulia
Hilltowns in Apulia