Tavoliere delle Puglie

TheTavoliere delle Puglie(Italian:[tavoˈljɛːredelleˈpuʎʎe];lit. 'Table of the Apulias') is aplainin northernApulia,southern Italy, occupying nearly a half of theCapitanatatraditional region. It covers a surface of c. 3,000 km²,once constituting a sea bottom: it is bounded by theDaunian Pre-Apennineson the West, theGargano Promontoryand theAdriatic Seaon the East, by theFortoreriver on the north, and theOfantoriver on the south. It is the largest Italian plain after thePo Valley.

The Tavoliere seen from theGarganopromontory.

The nameTavolierederives from theMedieval LatintermTabularium,a table on whichTransumanzaofficials classified the areas devoted to sheep farming.

In winter the plain is sometimes subject tofloodsby the Ofanto and the Fortore, while in summerdroughtis frequent.

The main centres, from north to south, areSan Severo,Lucera,FoggiaandCerignola.

History

Neolithic farmers living in Tavoliere over 7000 years ago practicedritual defleshing of the dead.Light cut marks on the bones suggest the bones were defleshed up to a year after death. They deposited the bones inScaloria Cave.The human bones were mixed with animal bones, broken pottery and stone tools.

During theMiddle Agesthe old practices of agriculture and fluvial regulation were lost, the plain being mostly devoted to sheep farming which, using apposite cattle-tracks, reached the Apennines' pasture lands through the Tavoliere. The lands was most marshy and unhealthy.

After extensive works of drainage, the plain is now highly cultivated. Crops includewheat,beet,tomato,especially in the area ofFoggia,while also spread are cultivations ofolivesandgrapes,which produce quality oils and wines.

Communes

Thecomuniin the Tavoliere delle Puglie are:

Alberona,Apricena,Ascoli Satriano,Biccari;Bovino,Candela,Carapelle,Casalvecchio di Puglia,Castelluccio dei Sauri,Castelnuovo della Daunia,Cerignola,Chieuti,Deliceto,Foggia,Lucera,Manfredonia,Margherita di Savoia,Ordona(Herdonia[1]),Orta Nova,Poggio Imperiale,San Ferdinando di Puglia,San Paolo di Civitate,San Severo,Serracapriola,Stornara,Stornarella,Torremaggiore,Trinitapoli,Troia,Volturino,Zapponeta.