Monteiasi (
Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemble ...
: ;
Brindisino: ; locally ) 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 ...
'' in the
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 ...
province in the
Apulia
it, Pugliese
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region of southeast
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 ...
. Monteiasi was historically an
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
* Arbëreshë ...
settlement. After the inhabitants abandoned the
Albanian Greek Orthodox faith they assimilated into the local population.
Physical geography
Monteiasi is located in the Mediterranean landscape, characterized by olive trees and vineyards.
History
Around the 16th century, a large group of Albanian refugees coming from the Balkans during the conquest of the latter by the Ottoman Empire settled in Monteiasi. At the end of same century, it was forced to leave their houses, because the archbishops of Taranto abandoned the Greek rite.
Toponymy
There are different interpretations regarding the origin of the name, however, they do not have any documentary evidence, contrary to what local people supposed.
According to the most widespread opinion, the name "Monteiasi" derives from the ancient Greek compound 'monos tiasos' (literally 'sacred area'). Indeed various fragments of statuettes used for the worship of Dionysus were found in the countryside. Other interpretations claim that "Tiasì" means a series of dances performed by local farmers in honor of the god Bacchus, over time these dances were associated with the traditional taranta dance. From the standpoint of historians, the toponym derives from the devotion to Saint Blaise, 'mons Blasi' (Monte di Biagio). Further sources believe that the name is attributable to its geographical position: "inter montes" (among the mountains). Since it is located between the small hills whence Montemesola, Monteparano, and Grottaglie rise. Moreover, its origins may be traced back to the "Palummara" farm, located to the west of the town, which shows its story through the archaeological complex from the Neolithic to the Roman conquest.
Dialect
Monteiasi dialect is similar to
Salentino dialect, but it is also similar to
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 ...
.
References
Cities and towns in Apulia
Localities of Salento
Arbëresh settlements
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