it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 = , demographics1_info2 = , demographics1_title3 = , demographics1_info3 = , timezone1 =

CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast En ...

, utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST =

CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...

, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code_type =

ISO 3166 ISO 3166 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, special areas of geographical interest, and their principal subdivisions (e.g., ...

code , area_code = IT-75 , blank_name_sec1 =

GDP (nominal) Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

, blank_info_sec1 = €76.6 billion (2018) , blank1_name_sec1 = GDP per capita , blank1_info_sec1 = €19,000 (2018) , blank2_name_sec1 =

HDI The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...

(2018) , blank2_info_sec1 = 0.845
· 18th of 21 , blank_name_sec2 = NUTS Region , blank_info_sec2 = ITF , website = , footnotes = , governing_body = Council Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian name Puglia (), :: nap, label=, Puie :: nap, label= Tarantino, Puje : scn, label= Salentino, Puia : frp, label=

Faetar Faetar, fully known as Faetar-Cigliàje (Italian: ) is a Franco-Provençal language that is spoken in two small communities in Foggia, Italy: Faeto and Celle di San Vito, as well as émigré communities in Ontario, Canada (primarily Toronto ...

, Poulye : el, label=

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, ...

, Απουλία : aae, Pulia. is a

region of Italy The regions of Italy ( it, regioni d'Italia) are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which have higher autonomy than the rest. U ...

, located in the southern peninsular section of the country, bordering 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 t ...

to the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto to the south. The region comprises , and its population is about four million people. It is bordered by the other Italian regions of

Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

to the north,

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

to the west, and Basilicata to the southwest. Its chief town is Bari.

Geography

Apulia's coastline is longer than that of any other mainland Italian region. In the north, the Gargano promontory extends out into the Adriatic sea like a 'sperone' ("spur"), while in the south, the

Salento Salento (Salentino: ''Salentu'', Salentino Griko: ''Σαλέντο'') is a cultural, historical and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia in Southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula, ...

peninsula forms the 'tacco' ("heel") of

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 ...

's boot. The highest peak in the region is Monte Cornacchia (1.152 m/3.779 ft above sea level) within the

Daunian Mountains Daunian Mountains (in Italian Monti della Daunia or Monti Dauni, or also improperly Subappennino Dauno) are a mountain range in southern Italy, constituting the eastern appendix of the Campanian Apennines. They occupy the western fringe of Capit ...

, in the north along the Apennines. It is home to two national parks, the Alta Murgia National Park and

Gargano National Park The Gargano National Park () is a national park in the province of Foggia in southern Italy. Aside from the Gargano promontory (encompassing the ancient woodlands of the Foresta Umbra) from which it takes its name, it includes also the Tremiti Is ...

. Outside national parks in the North and West, most of Apulia and particularly the Salento peninsula is geographically flat with only moderate hills. The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry and sunny summers and mild and rainy winters. Snowfall, especially on the coast is rare but has occurred as recently as January 2019 (following on from snow in March 2018 and January 2017). Apulia is among the hottest and driest regions of Italy in summer with temperatures sometimes reaching up to and above 40 °C/104 °F in Lecce and Foggia. The coastal areas, particularly on the Adriatic sea and in the southern Salento peninsula, are frequently exposed to winds of varying strengths and directions, strongly affecting local temperatures and conditions, sometimes within the same day. The Northerly Bora wind from the Adriatic sea can lower temperatures, humidity and moderate summer heat while the Southerly

Sirocco Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from ...

wind from

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

can raise temperatures, humidity and occasionally drop red dust from the

Sahara desert , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

. On some days in spring and autumn/fall, it can be warm enough to swim in Gallipoli and

Porto Cesareo Porto Cesareo (; Salentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy. The area around the sea of Porto Cesareo is a beautiful example of "Maquis Shrubland". Beyond the importance of natu ...

on the Ionian coast while at the same time, cool winds warrant jackets and jumpers/sweaters in

Monopoli Monopoli (; Monopolitano: ) is a town and municipality in Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia. The town is roughly in area and lies on the Adriatic Sea about southeast of Bari. It has a population of 49,24 ...

and

Otranto Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...

on the Adriatic coast. The area that is in between Otranto and

Santa Maria di Leuca Santa Maria di Leuca, often spelled simply Leuca (, from ''Leukos'', "white"), is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Castrignano del Capo, in the Salento peninsula ( Apulia), southern Italy. A part of the town once belonged to the ''comune'' of ...

is part of the Regional Natural Coastal Park of "Costa Otranto -

e Bosco di

Tricase Tricase is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce, part of the Apulia region of south-east Italy. It is located in the Salento traditional region. In Tricase have Cardinale Giovanni Panico General Hospital. The area that is in between Otr ...

" wanted by the Apulia Region in 2008. This territory has numerous natural and historical attractions such as Ciolo, which is a rocky cove. Murge Castel del Monte

History

Apulia is one of the richest archaeological regions in Italy. It was first colonized by

Mycenaean Greeks Mycenaean Greece (or the Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, spanning the period from approximately 1750 to 1050 BC.. It represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland ...

. The Greeks referred to the region as Iapygía (whence 'Apulia') owing to the presence of the three main Iapygian tribes that inhabited Apulia during the first millennium B.C. – the

Daunians The Daunians ( el, Δαύνιοι, Daúnioi; la, Daunii) were an Iapygian tribe that inhabited northern Apulia in classical antiquity. Two other Iapygian tribes, the Peucetians and the Messapians, inhabited central and southern Apulia respectiv ...

in the North, the

Peucetians The Peucetians ( grc, Πευκέτιοι, Peukétioi; la, Peucetii; later also grc, Ποίδικλοι, Poidikloi, links=no; la, Poediculi, links=no) were an Iapygian tribe which inhabited western and central Apulia in classical antiquity. Tw ...

in the Centre, and the

Messapians The Messapians ( grc, Μεσσάπιοι, Messápioi; la, Messapii) were a Iapygian tribe who inhabited Salento in classical antiquity. Two other Iapygian tribes, the Peucetians and the Daunians, inhabited central and northern Apulia respective ...

in the South. Some parts of the regions were conquered by the Muslim Saracens and the

Emirate of Bari The Emirate of Bari was a short-lived Islamic state in Apulia ruled by non-Arabs, probably Berbers and Black Africans. Controlled from the South Italian city of Bari, it was established about 847 when the region was taken from the Byzantine Empire, ...

was established for a brief period of time by

Muhammad Abul Abbas of Sicily Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mono ...

. A number of castles were built in the area by the King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, including Castel del Monte, sometimes called the "Crown of Apulia". Apulia was an autonomous duchy until 1130 when its duke became king of Sicily. After 1282, when the kingdom

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

the island of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

itself, Apulia remained part of the remnant Kingdom of Naples (confusingly known also as the Kingdom of Sicily), and remained so until the unification of Italy in 1861. This kingdom was independent under the House of Anjou from 1282 to 1442, then was part of Aragon until 1458, after which it was again independent under a cadet branch of the

House of Trastámara The House of Trastámara ( Spanish, Aragonese and Catalan: Casa de Trastámara) was a royal dynasty which first ruled in the Crown of Castile and then expanded to the Crown of Aragon in the late middle ages to the early modern period. They were ...

until 1501. As a result of the French–Spanish war of 1501–1504, Naples again came under the rule of Aragon and the Spanish Empire from 1504 to 1714. When Barbary pirates of North Africa sacked

Vieste Vieste (; nap, label= Viestano, Vìst) is a town, ''comune'' and former Catholic bishopric in the province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. A marine resort in Gargano, Vieste has received Blue Flags for the purity of its wate ...

in 1554, they took an estimated 7,000 slaves. The coast of Apulia was

occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...

at times by the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

and at other times by the Venetians. In 1861 the region became part of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

Economy

The region's contribution to Italy's

gross value added In economics, gross value added (GVA) is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy. "Gross value added is the value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption; it is a measure o ...

was around 4.6% in 2000, while its population was 7% of the total. The per capita GDP is low compared to the national average and represents about 68.1% of the EU average. The share of gross value added by the agricultural and services sectors was above the national average in 2000. The region has industries specialising in particular areas, including food processing and vehicles in Foggia; footwear and textiles in the

Barletta Barletta () is a city, '' comune'' of Apulia, in south eastern Italy. Barletta is the capoluogo, together with Andria and Trani, of the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. It has a population of around 94,700 citizens. The city's territory be ...

province, and wood and furniture in the Murge area to the west. Between 2007 and 2013 the economy of Apulia expanded more than that of the rest of southern Italy. Such growth, over several decades, is a severe challenge to the hydrogeological system. Apulia's thriving economy is articulated into numerous sectors boasting several leading companies, but most of them produce materials or components, not finished goods: * Aerospace (

Leonardo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate ...

Avio Aero Avio S.p.A. is an Italian company operating in the aerospace sector with its head office in Colleferro near Rome, Italy. Founded in 1908, it is present in Italy and abroad with different commercial offices and 10 production sites. Avio operates ...

, Sitael, Blackshape) * Automotive ( Bosch,

Magneti Marelli Magneti Marelli S.p.A. () is an Italian developer and manufacturer of components for the automotive industry. The firm is headquartered in Corbetta, Italy, and includes 86 manufacturing plants, 12 R&D centres, and 26 application centers in 19 c ...

, Magna Gertrag, Bridgestone) * Mechanics (

New Holland Construction New Holland Construction is an American manufacturer of construction machinery. Along with New Holland Agriculture, New Holland Construction is a brand of CNH. New Holland Construction produces construction equipment including backhoes, excav ...

, IVECO Motori, Isotta Fraschini Motori, MERMEC) * Furniture (

Natuzzi Natuzzi Group () is an Italian high end furniture company founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi, the group's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Group Stylist. It designs, produces and markets sofas, armchairs and living room accessories. Natuzz ...

) * Food and Beverage (De Carlo, Divella, Quarta Caffé) * Agriculture (Casillo Group, G.C. Partecipazioni) * Publishing ( Laterza, Edizioni Dedalo) * Tourism (Nicolaus tour) * Logistics (GTS Rail) * I.C.T. ( Exprivia) In

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 ...

there is the largest metallurgical works ILVA Acciaierie di Taranto (8,200 empl.) in Europe with full iron and steel production cycle. It will be sold to

Arcelor Mittal ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourgian multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Luxembourg City. It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Indian-owned Mittal Steel. ArcelorMittal is the second larg ...

. In Brindisi there is a chemical industrial park with ENI power station, ENI oil refinery, Syndial chemical factory, Versalis chemical factory (basic chemistry, intermediates, polyethylene, styrenics and elastomers). LyondellBasell polypropylene plant,

Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...

plant (antibiotics). Other ENI oil refinery is located in

Unemployment

The unemployment rate stood at 14.1% in 2020.

Fishing and aquaculture

The port of

hosts numerous fishing boats. The fleet is mainly made up of about 80 fishing boats, which do not exceed 10 gross tonnage and which practice trawling, while the remaining small-scale fishing boats operate with gillnets. The sea, rich and generous, is populated by

dentex ''Dentex'' is a genus of fish in the family Sparidae. Species There are currently 14 recognized species in this genus: * '' Dentex abei'' Iwatsuki, Akazaki & Taniguchi, 2007 (Yellowfin seabream) * ''Dentex angolensis'' Poll & Maul, 1953 (Ango ...

and sea bream,

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

, mullet and

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

, shrimp and squid. Other significant fishing ports are

Manfredonia Manfredonia is a town and commune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and gives its name to the gulf to the east of ...

Molfetta Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect. History The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...

Mola di Bari Cathedral. Mola di Bari, commonly referred to simply as Mola ( Barese: ), is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the region of Apulia, in Southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. In recent times, the town was best known for ...

, Gallipoli and

Castro Castro is a Romance language word that originally derived from Latin ''castrum'', a pre-Roman military camp or fortification (cf: Greek: ''kastron''; Proto-Celtic:''*Kassrik;'' br, kaer, *kastro). The English-language equivalent is '' chester''. ...

Today

is the world's largest producer of farmed

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...

: with 1,300 employees, around 30,000 tons of mussels are processed per year. Mussel farming has characterized the city's economy for centuries, making the mussel the gastronomic symbol of Taranto. It is said that the first mussel gardens in La Spezia, Pula,

Olbia Olbia (, ; sc, Terranoa; sdn, Tarranoa) is a city and commune of 60,346 inhabitants (May 2018) in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called ''Olbia'' in the Roman age ...

and

Chioggia Chioggia (; vec, Cióxa , locally ; la, Clodia) is a coastal town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Geography The town is situated on a small island at the southern entrance to the L ...

were established by mussel farmers who emigrated from this city. The work place of the Taranto mussel farmers is the boat; every detail of the working method has improved over time. 10 m long structures made of wood or metal, called "pali" (piles), are attached to the seabed, to which ropes and nets are then attached, on which the mussels are grown. The mussels farmed here are particularly tasty and valued because they grow in a special environment, a mixture of salt seawater and karst freshwater. These special environmental conditions of the seas of Taranto are ideal not only for the mussels, but also for the fish and crustaceans that find food and shelter between the piles. While there are around 18 submarine freshwater springs, called "Citri", in the Mar Piccolo, there is only one large one in the Mar Grande, which is called "Anello di San Cataldo" in honor of the patron saint of the city. Dentex_dentex_1.jpg, Dentex Sparus_aurata_juvenile.jpg, Sea bream pandborealisind.jpg, Shrimp Cozza_tarantina.jpg, Mussels

Agriculture

Agriculture plays a prominent economic role in Apulia. It is a mainly intensive and modern agriculture that allows the region to be among the first in Italy for the production of many products: *

durum Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represe ...

wheat which is used to produce pasta *

tomatoes The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

* almonds * olive oil Vegetable growing (

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...

artichoke The globe artichoke ('' Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green artich ...

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

, cabbage,

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, ...

, barattiere,

borage Borage ( or ; ''Borago officinalis''), also known as starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and has naturalized in many other locales. It grows satisfactorily in gard ...

, sweet potato,

caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...

portulaca ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consume ...

) and horticulture ( kiwis,

peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

clementine A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

) are also developed.

Viticulture

Vineyards cover in Apulia, which is 1st place among Italian grape-growing regions. But in the production of quality DOC and DOCG wines, Apulia has only ranked 12th of 20 with 297.667 hl. There are four DOCG wines: * Castel del Monte Bombino Nero * Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva * Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva * Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale

Oliviculture

There are an estimated 50 to 60 million olive trees in Apulia, and the region accounts for 40% of Italy's olive oil production. There are four specific Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) covering the whole region. Olive varieties include: ''Baresane'', ''Biancolilla'', ''Brandofino'' (Castiglione), ''Buscionetto'' ( Biancolilla), ''Carolea'', ''Cellina di Nardò'', ''Cerasuola'' (Ogliara), ''Cerignola'' ( Bella di Cerignola), ''Cima di Bitonto'', ''Cima di Mola'', ''Coratina'', also grown in Corning, California, a 2018 Gold Medal New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) winner, ''Frantoio'', ''Garganica'', ''La Minuta'', ''Leccino'', ''Moresca'', ''Nocellara Etnea'', ''Nocellara Messinese'', ''Ogliarola'', ''Ogliarola Barese'', ''Ogliara Messinese'', ''Ottobratica'', ''Peranzana'', ''Rotondella'', ''Santagatese'', ''Saracena'', ''Tonda Iblea'', and ''Verdello'' (subspecies of San Benedetto).

''Xylella fastidiosa'' disease

Since 2008–2010, the olive oil industry in Apulia has been under threat from the pathogen ''

Xylella fastidiosa ''Xylella fastidiosa'' is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium of the genus ''Xylella''. It is a plant pathogen, that grows in the water transport tissues of plants ( xylem vessels) and is transmitted exclusively by xylem sap-feeding insects such ...

'', a disease that inhibits the trees' uptake of water and nutrients. The epicenter of the epidemic is the south-eastern part of the region.

Transport

The region has a good network of roads, but the railway network is less comprehensive, particularly in the south. There are no high-speed lines. The region is crossed northwest to southeast by the A14 highway (

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

–

), which connects the region capital, Bari, to

, the second most populous city in the region. The A14 also connects Foggia and points further north along the Adriatic coast to:

Pescara Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

and eventually

. The only other highway in the region is the A16 (Naples–Canosa), which crosses the Italian peninsula east–west and links the region with

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 adminis ...

. There are two international airports, Karol Wojtyla Airport in Bari ( IATA: BRI) and

Brindisi Airport Brindisi Airport ( it, link=no, Aeroporto di Brindisi), also known as ''Brindisi Papola Casale Airport'' and ''Salento Airport'', is an airport in Brindisi, in southern Italy, located from the city center. History This airport was originally es ...

(IATA: BDS), which serves as the principal logistical hub for the United Nations Global Service Center headquartered in Brindisi. With the approval of a redevelopment project in 2018, the

Grottaglie Airfield 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 ...

(IATA: TAR) will host a

spaceport A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching or receiving spacecraft, by analogy to a seaport for ships or an airport for aircraft. The word ''spaceport'', and even more so ''cosmodrome'', has traditionally been used for sites capable ...

for the

Italian Space Agency The Italian Space Agency ( it, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana; ASI) is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy. The agency cooperates with numerous national and international enti ...

and

Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The compan ...

Demographics

Emigration from the region's depressed areas to northern Italy and the rest of Europe was very intense in the years between 1956 and 1971. Subsequently, the trend declined, as economic conditions improved, to the point where there was net immigration in the years between 1982 and 1985. Since 1986 the stagnation in employment has led to a new inversion of the trend, caused by a decrease in immigration.

Government and politics

Since 1 June 2015, former judge and mayor of Bari,

Michele Emiliano Michele Emiliano (born 23 July 1959) is an Italian politician and former judge. He is the incumbent president of Apulia Region since June 2015, and he previously served as mayor of Bari from 2004 to 2014. Emiliano has often been considered a popu ...

of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

has served as President of the Apulian region.

Culture

Cuisine

Important locally produced ingredients include olive oil, artichokes, tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, and various kinds of seafood. Local specialties include the

carosello ''Carosello'' () was an Italian television advertising show broadcast on RAI from 1957 to 1977. The series mainly showed short sketch comedy films using live action, various types of animation, and puppetry. It had an audience of about 20 milli ...

, a variety of

muskmelon ''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of '' Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without a musky aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such a ...

which is often consumed when unripe. Apulian Protected designation of origin (PDO) and Protected geographical indication (PGI) products included cheeses, olive oils, fruits and vegetables, and a type of bread. Typically Apulian pasta shapes are

Orecchiette Orecchiette (; singular ; ) are a pasta typical of Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear. Description An orecchietta has the shape of a small dome, with its center thinner than its e ...

Cavatelli Cavatelli ( , also , ; literally "little hollows") are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough, that resemble miniature hot dog buns, commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce. A ...

, and

Troccoli Troccoli is a thick spaghetti-like pasta featuring a square or oval cross section. It is typical of the Apulian and Lucanian cuisines and is often compared to spaghetti alla chitarra due to its ultimate shape, though the processing for making ...

. Popular street foods include

panzerotti A panzerotto (; plural panzerotti , also known as panzarotto ), is a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and dough used for its preparation. The term usually ap ...

, sgagliozze (Fried Polenta), popizze (small fried balls of pizza dough that are sometimes also called pettule), rustici (puff pastries stuffed with tomatoes, bechamel sauce, mozzarella, and black pepper), the famous pasticiotto (a flaky short bread dough filled with custard), and

focaccia barese Focaccia ( , , ; lij, fugassa ; nap, label= Barese, fecazze ) is a flat leavened oven-baked Italian bread, similar in style and texture to pizza; in some places, it is called ("white pizza"). Focaccia can be served as a side dish or as san ...

. A popular snack in Apulia are

Taralli Taralli are toroidal Italian snack foods, common in the southern half of the Italian Peninsula. A cracker similar in texture to a breadstick, a pretzel, a bublik, a Sushki or baranki, taralli can be sweet or savory. Sweet taralli are sometim ...

. Spaghetti_con_le_cozze_2.jpg, Spaghetti con le cozze (with mussels) Munaceddhri.jpg, Monacelle (land snail species '' Cantareus apertus'') La_scapece.JPG, Scapece gallipolina: fried fish preserved in red wine vinegar with breadcrumbs and saffron Marro_al_forno_con_patate.JPG, Cazzomarro: baked involtini of lamb entrails Goat_chops.jpg, Goat chops Lampascioni.jpg, , prepared bulbs of the grape hyacinth '' Leopoldia comosa'' preserved in olive oil

Language

As with the other regions of Italy, the national language (since 1861) is Italian. However, because of its long and varied history, other historical languages have been used in this region for centuries. The local languages of northern and central Apulia (roughly the provinces of Bari,

Barletta-Andria-Trani The Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani is a province of Italy in the Apulia region. The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on 21 May 2010. It was created from 10 municipalitie ...

, and Foggia as well as the northwestern parts of the Province of Taranto) are the Apulian Southern

Italo-Romance The Italo-Dalmatian languages, or Central Romance languages, are a group of Romance languages spoken in Italy, Corsica (France), and formerly in Dalmatia (Croatia). Italo-Dalmatian can be split into:Hammarström, Harald & Forkel, Robert & Haspe ...

dialects, including Bari dialect and

Tarantino dialect Tarantino (; Tarantino: ; it, dialetto tarantino), spoken in the southeastern Italian region of Apulia, is a transitional language, most of whose speakers live in the Apulian city of Taranto. The dialect is also spoken by a few Italian immig ...

. In the southern region of

, an extreme Southern

language, the

Salentino dialect Salentino () is a dialect of the Extreme Southern Italian ( in Italian) spoken in the Salento peninsula, which is the southern part of the region of Apulia at the southern "heel" of the Italian peninsula. Overview Salentino is a dialect of the ...

is widely spoken. There is also an Italiot Greek language found in Salento called

, which is still spoken by a few thousand

Griko people The Griko people ( el, Γκρίκο), also known as Grecanici in Calabria, are an ethnic Greek community of Southern Italy. They are found principally in regions of Calabria and Apulia (peninsula of Salento). The Griko are believed to be remnants ...

in some areas. In addition, a rare daughter language of the

Franco-Provençal language Franco-Provençal (also Francoprovençal, Patois or Arpitan) is a language within Gallo-Romance originally spoken in east-central France, western Switzerland and northwestern Italy. Franco-Provençal has several distinct dialects and is sep ...

called

, is spoken in the mountain villages of

Faeto Faeto ( frp, Fayéte, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It is a mountain village lying astride the Apennines and renowned for its prosciutto, an Italian dry-cured ham known as . Residen ...

and

Celle di San Vito Celle di San Vito ( frp, Cèles de Sant Vuite, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia of the Apulia region in southern Italy. Located upon the Daunian Mountains, Celle di San Vito is by far the smallest municipality in Apulia. Unlik ...

, in 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 ...

. It is sometimes classified as a pair of dialects of Franco-Provençal, Faetar and Cellese. The

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 ...

dialect of the

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...

has been spoken by a small community since refugees settled there in the 16thcentury.

Sports

Apulia is home to several national football,

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

, volleyball, basketball and tennis clubs. Across the top 3 levels of

Italian football Football ( it, calcio ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team is considered to be one of the best national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing only ...

, the clubs in Apulia include: *

U.S. Lecce Unione Sportiva Lecce, commonly referred to as Lecce (), is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia. The club play in Serie A in the 2022–23 season, the top level of the Italian football pyramid, having been promoted from Serie B. ...

playing in

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...

S.S.C. Bari Società Sportiva Calcio Bari, commonly referred to as Bari, is an Italian football club based in Bari, Apulia. Bari currently plays in the . The team finished the 2021–22 season in first place in Serie C and earned promotion to Serie B for ...

playing in

Serie B The Serie B (), currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been ...

Calcio Foggia 1920 Calcio Foggia 1920, commonly referred to as Foggia, is an Italian football club based in Foggia, Apulia. It currently plays in Serie C, having last been in the top level Serie A in 1995. The team gained nationwide popularity as Foggia Calcio in ...

playing in

Serie C The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C. The unification of the Lega Pro ...

S.S. Audace Cerignola S.S. Audace Cerignola, commonly known as Audace Cerignola or simply Cerignola, is an Italian association football club from Cerignola, Apulia. They play in the . History The club was originally founded in 1912 as ''Gruppo Sportivo Cerignola' ...

playing in

* Fidelis Andria 2018 playing in

S.S. Monopoli 1966 Società Sportiva Monopoli 1966 is an Italian association football club located in Monopoli, Apulia. They currently play in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football. Predecessor A.C. Monopoli The origins of football in Monopoli go back ...

playing in

Virtus Francavilla Calcio Virtus Francavilla Calcio, commonly known as Virtus Francavilla, is an Italian football club based in Francavilla Fontana, Apulia. They currently play in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football. History The historic Francavilla Calcio Th ...

playing in

Taranto F.C. 1927 Taranto Football Club 1927, commonly referred to as Taranto, is a professional Italian football club, based in Taranto, Apulia. Originally founded in 1927 by the union of two pioneering clubs that created the first city squad, Taranto currently ...

playing in

Explanatory notes

References

External links

Official website

Accademia Apulia

Environmental League Puglia

All About Puglia

The Big Gay Podcast from Puglia
{{Authority control Coloniae (Roman) NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union Regions of Italy Wine regions of Italy

Geography

History

Economy

Unemployment

Fishing and aquaculture

Agriculture

Viticulture

Oliviculture

''Xylella fastidiosa'' disease

Transport

Demographics

Government and politics

Culture

Cuisine

Language

Sports

See also

Explanatory notes

References

Further reading

External links