Cassano delle Murge
Cassano delle Murge | |
---|---|
Comune di Cassano delle Murge | |
![]() Convent of Maria SS.ma degli Angeli | |
Coordinates:40°53′N16°46′E/ 40.883°N 16.767°E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | ![]() |
Metropolitan city | Bari(BA) |
Government | |
• Mayor | Mariapia Di Medio |
Area | |
• Total | 89 km2(34 sq mi) |
Elevation | 341 m (1,119 ft) |
Population (31 December 2008)[2] | |
• Total | 13,260 |
• Density | 150/km2(390/sq mi) |
Demonym | Cassanesi |
Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
Postal code | 70020 |
Dialing code | 080 |
Patron saint | Maria SS. degli Angeli |
Saint day | 2 August |
Website | Official website |
Cassano delle Murge(Barese:Casséne) is a town andcomunein theMetropolitan City of Bari,Apulia, southern Italy.
Origins of the name
[edit]It probably derives from the Latin name Cassius with the addition of the suffix-anus.
According to others, the name refers to the ancient worship forJanusto whom a small temple was dedicated, that is Jani's house. From this derives the toponym of the town "Casa Jani"
Actually this derivation, proposed by the historian Nicola Alessandrelli, is rather doubtful, as "house" in Latin corresponds todomus.
An alternative hypothesis is that the name derives from theCassia gens.
In the high imperial age the whole Puglia was object of centuriation by theRomans,so it could be Cassianum, that is property of the Cassia family.
Fromarcheological excavationscarried out, it seems that thecardomaximus (Via Sanges-Via Cavour axis) and theDecumanus Maximus(Via Gentile-Via Magg. Turitto axis) intersected in the currentPiazzetta delle Quattro Colonne.
Moreover, Cassano, stands on a link road between theTraiana wayand theAppian Wayand it seems that the town was a rest station and a Camino dei cavalli.
Recently, a Romanicmosaicwas discovered under the pavement of Miani Palace, which would prove the existence of aRoman villa,in compliance with the custom of building the most important buildings near the most important crossroads.
In Italy there are seven towns calledCassano,so in 1862 "delle Murge"was added to distinguish it from the others.
The specification refers to the well-known Apulian plateau.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Cassano_delle_Murge_%28vista_panoramica%29.jpg/220px-Cassano_delle_Murge_%28vista_panoramica%29.jpg)
History
[edit]Prehistoric Age
[edit]Hundreds of stone artifacts, paintings, various objects found in the caves around the town tell us about prehistoric settlements.
The recent discovery of a menhir, dating back to 2500–2000 BC., confirms the antiquity of the human presence in these districts.
Roman Age
[edit]The origins of Cassano seem to date back to the Roman Age, as confirmed by many archaeological finding, such as the recent discovery of a precious 5th centurymosaicfloor.
Also inlate antiquity,in a point of the territory called "Lake of Battaglia" a clash relating to the Greek-Gothic Wartook place between the army of theByzantine Empireand the troops of the GothicTotila,during which it would have distinguished itself, for courage, a Cassanese woman dressed as a warrior, distinguished herself, for courage and heroism.
To worship her memory, her companions erected a monument to her with a pile of stones, still known today as "Specchia di femina morta".
Due to the typical karstic conformation of the area, there are a lot of grottos. The biggest is located about 3 km from the urban built up area, the grotto called "di Cristo", was discovered in the 17th century. Two kilometers to the east we find the grave of "Pasciullo", 180 meters deep and still to be explored. Three kilometers to the south-east, a source called "Pozzo di Conetto" gushes.
Historical investigations have ascertained the existence of a temple dedicated toJanusin the place where the church of SS. Crucifix is.
Physical geography
[edit]Weather
[edit]The weather of Cassano delle Murge is a cool Mediterranean one, with not very cold winters and hot and dry summers. Rainfall is around 700 mm / year, therefore generally abundant in winter, autumn and spring and rare in summer, from July to September, although there are also thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow falls almost exclusively in January and February, during the cold air waves from the Balkans or from the North Europe. In winter the prevailing wind is the sirocco or libeccio.
Monuments and Places of interest
[edit]Religious architectures
[edit]- Convento di Maria Santissima degli Angeli
- Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta (chiesa matrice – sede parrocchiale)
- Chiesa della Madonna delle Grazie (sede parrocchiale)
- Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso
- Chiesa di San Giuseppe
- Chiesa di San Nicola
- Chiesa di San Rocco
- Cappella dell'Immacolata
- Cappella della Madonna di Costantinopoli
Civil architectures
[edit]- Miani Palace
Society
[edit]Demographic evolution
[edit]Inhabitants registered byIstituto Nazionale di Statistica.[3]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/43by1aewwzadcwnvkoy9aumxwi6wx8c.png)
Ethnicities and foreign minorities
[edit]The foreigners living in Cassano delle Murge are 553. In 2013, the most numerous groups were:[4]
Culture
[edit]Cinema
[edit]Cassano delle Murge has been transformed into a film set on several occasion.
Between 1930 and 1931, the milanese director Mauri made one of the last silent movies of the Italian cinema, but one of the first silent movies turned inApulia.Idillio infranto – Film folkloristico pugliese,this title had the female Mantovani protagonist Mantovani and a cast amateur actors, with Michele Silecchia and Filippo Ilbello. Shootings were carried out by the photographer Perugini and some scenes were filmed in the countryside of the Murgia, near Cassano delle Murge. The movie, in black and white, lasts 53 minutes.
Another movie isThree brothers(1981), a film byFrancesco RosiwithMichele Placido,Philippe Noiret,Vittorio Mezzogiorno,Charles Vanel.
In 2004 the Apulian directorSergio RubinifilmedLove Returns,withMargherita BuyandMariangela Melato.
Art
[edit]In 2016 the ApuliaLand artFestival was held by Massimo Nardi. Over 20 countries in the world, took part, almost 100 artists asked to take part, and 11 of them were invited for the final competition. Embassies of every culture, the artists of the recent edition of ALAF were characterized by extremely different, heterogeneous and, at the same time, complementary curricula. Harvard, Cambridge, University College of London, IED, Academy of Bulgaria and many others, are the institutions represented, making an urbi et orbi of art in the silvanico Bosco di Mesola, which, as expected by the festival's statements, becomes, for a week, one of the protagonists of the Italian contemporary art scenes.
Economy
[edit]Handicraft
[edit]Among the most traditional and renowned activities there arehandicrafts,which are distinguished by the production ofwickerandJuncus,used for the creation of furniture.[5]
List of mayors
[edit]Below there is a table relating to the successive administrations in this town.
Period | Office holder | Party | Title | Notes |
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12 maggio 1986 | 14 luglio 1990 | Armando Giorgio | Democrazia Cristiana | Sindaco | [6] |
14 luglio 1990 | 25 settembre 1991 | Paolo Nuzzaco | Democrazia Cristiana | Sindaco | [6] |
26 ottobre 1991 | 24 aprile 1995 | Giuseppe Leporale | Partito Repubblicano Italiano | Sindaco | [6] |
24 aprile 1995 | 14 giugno 1999 | Giuseppe Antonio Leporale | Centro-sinistra | Sindaco | [6] |
14 giugno 1999 | 14 giugno 2004 | Giuseppe Gentile | Centro-sinistra | Sindaco | [6] |
14 giugno 2004 | 8 giugno 2009 | Giuseppe Gentile | Lista civica | Sindaco | [6] |
9 giugno 2009 | 26 maggio 2014 | Maria Pia Di Medio | Lista civica | Sindaco | [6] |
26 maggio 2014 | 7 dicembre 2016 | Vito Domenico Lionetti | Lista civicaRinascita verso nuovi orizzonti | Sindaco | [6] |
9 dicembre 2016 | 12 giugno 2017 | Francesco Antonio Cappetta | - | Commissario prefettizio | [6][7] |
12 giugno 2017 | in carica | Maria Pia Di Medio | Lista civicaX te | Sindaco | [6][8] |
Sport
[edit]- ASD Atletico Cassano –Futsalamateur football club, member of the serie A2 championship.
- ASD Volley Cassano – Amateurvolleyballclub member of the youth sector and of the serie D championship.
- ASD Cassano skating – Amateur roller skating society that annually participates in regional and national championships.
Notable people
[edit]- Antonio Quatraro,European Commission official.
- Domenico Turitto,Italian officer during theFirst Italo-Ethiopian War
- Anna Rita Del Piano,Italian actress and theater director
References
[edit]- ^"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
- ^Population fromIstat
- ^"Statistiche I.Stat".Istituto Nazionale di Statistica.Archivedfrom the original on 19 July 2010.Retrieved28 December2012.
- ^"Bilancio Demografico e popolazione residente straniera al 31 dicembre 2013 per sesso e cittadinanza".Istituto Nazionale di Statistica.Archivedfrom the original on 5 July 2014.
- ^Atlante cartografico dell'artigianato.Vol. 3. Roma: A.C.I. 1985. p. 11.
- ^abcdefghij"Anagrafe degli amministratori locali e regionali".Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali.Retrieved16 March2024.
- ^"Nominato il Commissario Prefettizio del Comune di Cassano".
- ^"Maria Pia di Medio vince e torna ad essere Sindaco di Cassano".