The province of Foggia (, ; Foggiano: ) is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

in the

Italian region The regions of Italy () are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which are autonomous regions with special status. Under the Con ...

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

. This province is also known as Daunia, after the Daunians, an Iapygian pre-Roman tribe living in Tavoliere plain, and as Capitanata, derived from ''Catapanata'', since the area was governed by a catepan as part of the Catepanate of Italy during the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...

. Its capital is the

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Foggia Foggia (, ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere delle Puglie, Tavoliere, also know ...

History

Geography

The province of Foggia can be divided in three parts: one centered on its capital called '' Tavoliere'', another along the

Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...

named '' Daunian Mountains'' and the third on the spur of the boot-shaped Italian

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

called '' Gargano''. The ''Tavoliere'' is an important agricultural area:

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The flesh of the fruit is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark red. Grapefru ...

, olives,

durum wheat 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 repres ...

and

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

are the chief products. It is called "the granary of Italy" because of its significant wheat production. ''Daunian Mountains'' lie along the border with

Molise Molise ( , ; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Ital ...

and

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

. Scattered with small villages, the mountains are covered by forests and pastures, with the main produce being hams and caciocavallo cheese. Faetar, a language descended from

Franco-Provençal Franco-Provençal (also Francoprovençal, Patois or Arpitan) is a Gallo-Romance languages, Gallo-Romance language that originated and is spoken in eastern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy. Franco-Provençal has several di ...

, is spoken in two villages: Faeto and Celle di San Vito. The ''Gargano'' peninsula is partially mountainous and partially forested, '' Foresta Umbra'' with

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...

typical of

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

, the only part of the ancient black forest remaining in Italy. Its name comes from the word ''ombra'' (shadow) because of its density that prevents light from entering. The

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

of ''Gargano'' has many

beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

and tourist facilities. In the north are two major

salt lakes A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

Lesina and Varano. It produces

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s, olive oil and typical mountain and seafood items.

Population

It has an area of and a total population of 627,102 (2012). There are currently 61 ''

comuni A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (singular: ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'') in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Foggia.

Population centers

Main centers in the province are: *

, the capital and hometown of

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Umberto Giordano Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano (28 August 186712 November 1948) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. His best-known work in that genre was Andrea Chénier (1896). He was born in Foggia in Apulia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Se ...

. Favourite residence in Apulia of Frederick II at the beginning of the 13th century. During his reign it was the most important town of the province and to alternate periods of the Empire. *

San Severo San Severo (; formerly spelled Sansevero and previously known as San Severino; ; ) is a (municipality) of inhabitants in the province of Foggia, Apulia, Southern Italy. Rising on the foot of the spur of Gargano, San Severo adjoins the communes ...

, the former capital, and hometown of comics artist Andrea Pazienza. * San Giovanni Rotondo, home of Padre Pio and place of the church devoted to him. *

Manfredonia Manfredonia () is a town and Comune, 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 of Manf ...

and

Vieste Vieste (; ) 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 waters from the Foundation fo ...

, archiepiscopal see of Apulia. *

, Mattinata and Peschici, notable seaside resorts. *

Lucera Lucera (Neapolitan language, Lucerino: ) is an Italian city of 34,243 inhabitants in the province of Foggia in the region of Apulia, and the seat of the Diocese of Lucera-Troia. Located upon a flat knoll in the Tavoliere delle Puglie, Tavoliere ...

, one of the residences of Frederick II. Other centers of interest are: * Cerignola, hometown of philologist Nicola Zingarelli, founder of the Zingarelli Italian dictionary and syndicalist Giuseppe Di Vittorio * Torremaggiore, hometown of Nicola Sacco * Troia, site of a 10th-century cathedral, refounded by Byzantine Katepan Basil Boioannes in the early 11th Century. * Celle di San Vito and Faeto, two towns where an extremely rare daughter language of the Franco-Provençal language has been spoken since the 14th century. The dialect, Faetar-Cigliàje, is only spoken by less than 1,400 people in the world.

Economy

Although less important today, the agricultural sector remains the mainstay of Foggia's economy; it is nicknamed the "granary of Italy". The few industries present are mostly devoted to food processing. Most peeled tomatoes in Europe come from Foggia. Every year, two million tons of tomatoes are produced but farmers receive only eight cents per kilo. To survive in the free market, most tomato farmers recruit illegal immigrants. Angelo van Schaik
"Bureau Buitenland: de Italiaanse tomaat,"
''Villa VPRO'' Radio1 (26 August 2010).

Tourism

Foggia receives many Catholic pilgrims each year to locations such as the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel in Monte Sant'Angelo, which was visited by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in 1987, and to nearby San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina from 1916 until his death in 1968. As the number of pilgrims to San Giovanni Rotondo kept increasing over the years, in 2004 a new shrine near the church was built. The sanctuary has a capacity of around 6,000 people and its parvis has a 30,000 people capacity.

References

External links

Official website (in Italian)

Foggia web portal

Foggia news

Centro Studi Naturalistici

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