Copertino (; historical ; ), also known in English as Cupertino, is a town and ''

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 of Lecce The province of Lecce (; Salentino: ) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. The province is called the "Heel of Italy". Located on the Salento peninsula, it is the second most-populous province in Ap ...

in the

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 ...

region of south-east

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

Following

Charles of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...

's successful campaign in 1266, the

Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...

tower of Copertino was held first by the de Pratis family and then by Walter VI of Brienne,

Duke of Athens The Duchy of Athens (Greek language, Greek: Δουκᾶτον Ἀθηνῶν, ''Doukaton Athinon''; Catalan language, Catalan: ''Ducat d'Atenes'') was one of the Crusader states set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during ...

, Count of Lecce and Grand Constable of France. Copertino became the centre of a County under the Enghiens, who were sovereigns of the land of Galatone, Leverano and Veglie. With the marriage of Mary of Enghien, Countess of Lecce and Copertino (later Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary) to Raimondo del Balzo Orsini, the county became part of the

principality of Taranto The Principality of Taranto () was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy o ...

. The French knight Tristan Chiaromonte (de Clermont-Lodeve) led the development of the county capital, having assumed power over the territory on his marriage to Caterina, daughter of Mary of Enghien. Tristan's daughter Isabella of Clermont, heiress to the Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, married

Ferdinand I of Naples Ferdinand I (2 June 1424 – 25 January 1494), also known as Ferrante, was king of Naples from 1458 to 1494. The only son, albeit illegitimate, of Alfonso the Magnanimous, he was one of the most influential and feared monarchs in Europe at the ...

. With the conquest of the

Salento Salento (; Salentino dialect, Salentino: ''Salentu''; Griko language, Salento Griko: ) is a Cultural area, cultural, List of historical states of Italy, historical, and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apuli ...

peninsula by the Aragonese dynasty, effected jointly by the Spanish army and knights from

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, the county was gifted in 1498 to Alfonso Castriota Scanderbeg, in gratitude for military support. The Princes of Belmonte gained the Castle through the Squarciafico Counts of Copertino, to whom the fief passed from 1557.

Copertino DOC

The area around Copertino is permitted to make red and ''

rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...

Italian DOC wine The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin'); * ''Indicazione ...

. The grapes are limited to a

harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...

of 14 tonnes/ha with the finished wines needing a minimum of 12%

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

. The wines are predominantly Negroamaro with no more than a 30% blend component of

Malvasia Malvasia (), also known as Malvazia, is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, ...

Montepulciano Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome ...

and Sangiovese (which is further limited to a maximum of 15%). Wines labeled '' Riserva'' must be aged for a minimum of 2 years prior to release and have a minimum alcohol level of 12.5%.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 154 Firefly Books 2004

Main sights

Copertino Castle image:Copertino.jpg, 250px, View of the bastions. The Copertino Castle () is a castle in Apulia, southern Italy. It is located in the eponymous city of Copertino, north of Gallipoli, Apulia, Gallipoli on the heel of Apulia, between Manduria and Ga ...

, built by architect

Evangelista Menga Evangelista Menga ( 1480 – 1571) was an Italians, Italian military engineer. He was from Francavilla Fontana. As the military architect of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Charles V, he designed the Copertino Castle, Castello di Copertino ...

in 1540 on a previous Norman and Angevin fortress, is one of the most massive fortifications in Apulia. *Sanctuary of St. Joseph of Copertino *Sanctuary and monastery of La Grottella

Twinnings

* Cupertino,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(named after St. Joseph of Copertino) * Osimo, Italy * Poggiardo, Italy

People

Joseph of Cupertino Joseph of Cupertino (Copertino), OFM Conv. (; 17 June 1603 – 18 September 1663) was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar who is honored as a Christian mystic and saint. According to traditional Franciscan accounts, he was "remarkably uncle ...

(1603–1663), Christian mystic and saint. * Cristina Conchiglia (1923-2013), trade unionist and politician, Mayor Emeritus of Copertino *

Giuliano Sangiorgi Giuliano Sangiorgi (born 24 January 1979) is an Italian singer, songwriter and composer, forming part of the rock band Negramaro. Career Solo career Giuliano is not only the writer and singer for Negramaro, but he is also a songwriter and c ...

(born 1979), singer of Negramaro. * Graziano Pellè (born 1985), footballer. * Adriano Pappalardo (born 1945), singer. * Beatrice Rana (born 1993), pianist.

References

{{authority control Cities and towns in Apulia Localities of Salento