Montursi
Encyclopedia
Montursi is a frazione
or section of the comune
of Gioia del Colle
, in the Province of Bari
, Italy
. It has approximately 700 inhabitants.
The neighbouring settlements are Castellaneta
, Laterza
, Mottola
(all in the Province of Taranto
), Matera (in the Province of Matera
) and Santeramo in Colle
(in Bari).
plateau, in an area of steep slopes characterised by the presence of numerous hardwood trees (European oak
, Macedonian oak
, downy oak
) and pine woods; the chapel of Saint Joseph the Worker at Montursi is located in these woods. Since 1959 his festival has been celebrated there on 1 May.
In recent years the pine woods have been improved by the addition of a picnic area, a sports park and an exercise course. Also in the pine woods are buildings that formerly served as the local elementary school and post office, which are today used as places of assembly during the traditional festivities. There is also still an artesian well, used as a water source by farmers.
At an altitude of over 400 meters, Montursi constitutes the highest part of the comune of Gioia del Colle. The peculiarity of the location, between Alta Murgia National Park
and Ravines Park, is that it represents a synthesis characteristic of the interior acidic Murgia, in which, in contrast to the typical pseudo-steppe which distinguishes the hillsides in the acidic land, which are called Toppe, from the karst topography
(hollows, ravine
s and caves) and from wooded areas, the landscape has been affected by human activity on the part of farmers, who have made the acidic ground fertile by tilling and made the landscape hospitable by constructing the numerous farms, rural dwellings, and agricultural enterprises that have come to characterise the regional economy: Toppe di Montursi, Grottacaprara, Lamie Nuove, Murgia Faccia Rossa, Murgia FraGennaro, Purgatorio and Masseria del Porto. Emblematic of this is the pig-enclosure in the regional style (called a jazzo) in the pine wood at Grottacaprara, which is within easy reach of the evocative ravine called Gravina Del Porto.
(Falco naumanni) and the orchid. There are numerous foxes, and a rich and numerous variety of bird species.
, as is shown by the discovery of about thirty dolmen burials which can be dated to the 13th to the 12th centuries BCE, of the types: gallery dolmen tomb, dolmen tumulus with rectangular cell, and pseudo-dolmen cell. At Murgia San Francesco is La Castelluccia, a settlement of the Peucetii
dating back to the 6th century BCE; it flourished in the Hellenistic period
and declined in the Roman period.
The frazione was formally established by the Commune of Gioia del Colle in 1958, but in reality wealthy landowners had established farms there since the 18th century, and following the unification of Italy and the subsequent agrarian reform, this part of the countryside of Gioia had became densely populated, as is shown by the rural schools and the now disused Montursi post office, as well as the great farms, the so-called casini (country lodges), the dry stone
walls, the conical-roofed trulli
and casedde, and the stone church of Santa Maria at Masseria del Porto.
The wooded areas near Montursi were a hiding place and area of activity for Sergeant Romano, one of the participants in the brigandage in Southern Italy
.
On 12 October 1957, the Prefect Commissioner of Gioia del Colle decided to make a free grant of land owned by the comune for the construction of a parish church, parish house and parish infrastructure in Montursi. At that time approximately 3,000 people resided there and some parts of the area had become somewhat reforested. In February 1959, Prefect Commissioner Emanuele Loperfido assigned a contribution of ₤
300,000 for the erection of the church of Saint Joseph the Worker. On 22 June 1959, the final plans for the construction of the civil government building in Murgia were approved.
In the Montursi pine woods a monument has been placed in honour of the fallen citizens of Montursi who gave their lives in the First World War.
rearing
and on dairy farming
, supporting the cheese industry of Gioia del Colle in the production of its famous mozzarella
. Although cultivation is predominantly for forage
, cultivation of olives, almonds and cherries is typical. There is also tourism, especially in the summer season; there are numerous second homes, some bed and breakfasts and pizzerias.
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
or section of the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above sea level.- History :...
, in the Province of Bari
Province of Bari
The Province of Bari is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari.It has an area of 5,138 km², and a total population of 1,594,109 . There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Bari...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It has approximately 700 inhabitants.
The neighbouring settlements are Castellaneta
Castellaneta
Castellaneta is a city and comune in the province of Taranto, in the Puglia region of Southern Italy, about 40 km from Taranto. Located in a territory spanning from the Murgia to the Ionian Sea, characterized by numerous gravina ravines, it is part of the Comunità Montana della Murgia...
, Laterza
Laterza
Laterza is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, part of the Apulia region of southeast Italy....
, Mottola
Mottola
Mottola is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, in the Puglia region of southeast Italy.It is situated on a hill in the sub-region of Murgia. It is also called "The Ionian Spy" for its strategic geographical position...
(all in the Province of Taranto
Province of Taranto
The Province of Taranto is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto.It has an area of 2,437 km², and a total population of 580,588...
), Matera (in the Province of Matera
Province of Matera
The Province of Matera is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera.It has an area of 3,447 km², and a total population of 203,837 . There are 31 comunes in the province . The main comunes by population are:- External links :* **...
) and Santeramo in Colle
Santeramo in Colle
- External links :*...
(in Bari).
Location
Montursi is located on the provincial highway between Goia del Colle and Laterza, on the slopes of the MurgiaMurgia
Murgia is a sub-region of Apulia in southern Italy, corresponding to a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape, occupying the central area of the region. The name stems from the Latin murex, meaning "sharp stone"....
plateau, in an area of steep slopes characterised by the presence of numerous hardwood trees (European oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, Macedonian oak
Macedonian Oak
Quercus trojana, the Macedonian Oak is an oak in the turkey oak section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia, from southern Italy east across the southern Balkans to western Turkey, growing at low to moderate altitudes , in dry...
, downy oak
Downy Oak
Quercus pubescens, the Downy Oak or Pubescent Oak, is an oak in the white oak section of the genus, Quercus sect. Quercus. It is native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain east to the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is also found in France and parts of central...
) and pine woods; the chapel of Saint Joseph the Worker at Montursi is located in these woods. Since 1959 his festival has been celebrated there on 1 May.
In recent years the pine woods have been improved by the addition of a picnic area, a sports park and an exercise course. Also in the pine woods are buildings that formerly served as the local elementary school and post office, which are today used as places of assembly during the traditional festivities. There is also still an artesian well, used as a water source by farmers.
At an altitude of over 400 meters, Montursi constitutes the highest part of the comune of Gioia del Colle. The peculiarity of the location, between Alta Murgia National Park
Alta Murgia National Park
The Parco Nazionale dell'Alta Murgia is a national park in Apulia, southern Italy. It lies in the Murgia geographical area. It was instituted in 2004, with an area of 677.39 km². The seat is in Gravina in Puglia.-External links:***...
and Ravines Park, is that it represents a synthesis characteristic of the interior acidic Murgia, in which, in contrast to the typical pseudo-steppe which distinguishes the hillsides in the acidic land, which are called Toppe, from the karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
(hollows, ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s and caves) and from wooded areas, the landscape has been affected by human activity on the part of farmers, who have made the acidic ground fertile by tilling and made the landscape hospitable by constructing the numerous farms, rural dwellings, and agricultural enterprises that have come to characterise the regional economy: Toppe di Montursi, Grottacaprara, Lamie Nuove, Murgia Faccia Rossa, Murgia FraGennaro, Purgatorio and Masseria del Porto. Emblematic of this is the pig-enclosure in the regional style (called a jazzo) in the pine wood at Grottacaprara, which is within easy reach of the evocative ravine called Gravina Del Porto.
Flora and fauna
Protected species include the Lesser KestrelLesser Kestrel
The Lesser Kestrel is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European...
(Falco naumanni) and the orchid. There are numerous foxes, and a rich and numerous variety of bird species.
History
The area has been inhabited since the PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
, as is shown by the discovery of about thirty dolmen burials which can be dated to the 13th to the 12th centuries BCE, of the types: gallery dolmen tomb, dolmen tumulus with rectangular cell, and pseudo-dolmen cell. At Murgia San Francesco is La Castelluccia, a settlement of the Peucetii
Peucetii
The Peucetii were a tribe who were living in Apulia, southern Italy, in the country behind Barion...
dating back to the 6th century BCE; it flourished in the Hellenistic period
Hellenistic period
The Hellenistic period or Hellenistic era describes the time which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great. It was so named by the historian J. G. Droysen. During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia...
and declined in the Roman period.
The frazione was formally established by the Commune of Gioia del Colle in 1958, but in reality wealthy landowners had established farms there since the 18th century, and following the unification of Italy and the subsequent agrarian reform, this part of the countryside of Gioia had became densely populated, as is shown by the rural schools and the now disused Montursi post office, as well as the great farms, the so-called casini (country lodges), the dry stone
Dry stone
Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking...
walls, the conical-roofed trulli
Trullo
A trullo is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small...
and casedde, and the stone church of Santa Maria at Masseria del Porto.
The wooded areas near Montursi were a hiding place and area of activity for Sergeant Romano, one of the participants in the brigandage in Southern Italy
Brigandage in the Two Sicilies
Brigandage in the Two Sicilies had existed in some form since ancient times, however its origins as outlaws targeting random travellers would evolve vastly later on in the form of the political resistance movement form of brigandage in the Two Sicilies...
.
On 12 October 1957, the Prefect Commissioner of Gioia del Colle decided to make a free grant of land owned by the comune for the construction of a parish church, parish house and parish infrastructure in Montursi. At that time approximately 3,000 people resided there and some parts of the area had become somewhat reforested. In February 1959, Prefect Commissioner Emanuele Loperfido assigned a contribution of ₤
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
300,000 for the erection of the church of Saint Joseph the Worker. On 22 June 1959, the final plans for the construction of the civil government building in Murgia were approved.
In the Montursi pine woods a monument has been placed in honour of the fallen citizens of Montursi who gave their lives in the First World War.
Economy
The economy is still primarily based on cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
rearing
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
and on dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, supporting the cheese industry of Gioia del Colle in the production of its famous mozzarella
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is an Italian Traditional Speciality Guaranteed food product. The term is used for several kinds of Italian cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting :...
. Although cultivation is predominantly for forage
Forage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
, cultivation of olives, almonds and cherries is typical. There is also tourism, especially in the summer season; there are numerous second homes, some bed and breakfasts and pizzerias.
Festivals and feast days
- 1 May — Feast of St. Joseph the Worker: attended every year by thousands of people who enjoy the fresh air in the pine woods, the celebration in honour of the saint has come to inaugurate the summer season. Although its roots go back to time immemorial, the event was instituted in 1959, coinciding with the construction of the church, to counterbalance the secular celebration of May DayMay DayMay Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
on the same day in the Piazza XX Settembre in Gioia del Colle.
- August — Feast of the Pupo Fritto: a festival celebrating the typical Apulian fried pancake, sponsored in recent years by the local council and which has become an event not to be missed.