Bovino
Encyclopedia
Bovino is a comune
and hilltop town at the foot of the Irpinia mountains in the province of Foggia, in the region of Apulia/Puglia.
Bovino is currently a member of the Italy's Most Beautiful Villages Club.
killed the majority of the local population, and only 1,200 people survived. Today, Bovino remains a tranquil and peaceful little town.
Bovino was the seat of the diocese of Bovino
from the fifth century until 1986.
With a deeply Roman Catholic community, Bovino has several ancient churches. The oldest is St. Peter's (Italian San Pietro), which was built on the site of a temple to Hercules
. The gothic (rare for the south of Italy) Church of the Rosary
(Italian Chiesa del Rosario) has an elongated brick campanile. The Cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its interior varies in style according to age. The most ancient section is the chapel of San Marco in Ercana, housing the relics of this local patron saint.
Of particular interest is Bovino's claim to a Marian apparition in the twelfth century. Pope John Paul II
has had a particular connection with this. As Archbishop of Krakow
, he visited Bovino in 1965 together with eleven other Polish bishops. He then laid the foundation stone of what was to become the Santuario di Santa Maria di Valleverde. Situated part way up hill from the main SS90 trunk road to Bovino, the Santuario has become a popular pilgrimage site in the Puglia region. Karol Józef Wojtyła returned as Pope John Paul II
in the 1980s in order to officially ratify the apparitions and open the church.
Whilst Bovino has several big festivals, the largest is the "Feast of August 29th". Dating back to the time of the ruling Guevara family, Bovino has a fiera on that day. This is a legal recognition of Bovino's importance as a market town. In addition to visits by a large number of vendors, there is usually a holy procession featuring the statue of the Madonna of Valleverde. The day is also marked by an historic cavalcade
, particularly popular with the local community, given its agrarian economy.
variety. Bovino grows winter tomatoes in large greenhouses. Tomatoes are of the plum tomato
variety. Bovino also has its own varieties of Puglia cheeses, including mozzarella
, caciocavallo
, ricotta
and provolone
.
The main industrial area of Bovino is Bovino Scalo, situated 8 km downhill by the River Cervaro
. This zone marks a boundary for the Tavoliere d'Italia, a large fertile plain famous for producing high quality durum wheat for pasta. Nearby Foggia
claims several of the world's most famous pasta maufacturers, including Barilla and Buitoni.
Of increasing importance is tourism. As a member of theItaly's Most Beautiful Villages Club, Bovino is widely recognised for its natural beauty and archeological treasures. There are excellent restaurants which specialise in local food. However there are few places for visitors to stay, with no hotel within the village itself.
Fiat
has become an important local employer since the construction of the Punto
model began at Melfi
. There is a regular bus service to the factory for employees.
castle. It occupies a commanding view of the village. The courtyard is permanently open. The interior is currently undergoing restoration and is scheduled to become part of the museum. It contains many interesting treasures, the most intriguing of which is a claimed thorn from Jesus Christ's crown.
The church of San Pietro contains a painting of the crucifixion of St. Peter by the Master of Bovino of the Caravaggio
school.
The villa communale is a municipal park beloved of the locals. With ponds and fountains, it has an extensive arboretum lined with horse chestnut trees.
There are several panorama viewpoints. Most are next to remains of the original Roman wall.
The Roman aqueduct
is a reminder of the ancient past. It is likely that Hannibal camped on Monte Castro during his march to Rome.
Bovino is well known for its attractive arches and palaces, most of which are still in use. Several streets in the historic centre are still stepped and paved with cobbles.
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:...
and hilltop town at the foot of the Irpinia mountains in the province of Foggia, in the region of Apulia/Puglia.
Bovino is currently a member of the Italy's Most Beautiful Villages Club.
History
Bovino has more than two thousand years of history, and in 323 BC, participated in the Samnite wars, fighting against the Romans. The Romans then rebuild Bovino and call it "Vibinum". In 663, after being conquered by Lombards, Bovino was destroyed during the war with the Byzantines. In 876, the walls around Bovino were rebuilt, under the Byzantine Emperor Basil I (having been recaptured by the Byzantines), and the streets were laid out in their characteristic narrow design. In the 11th century, when the Normans arrived in Italy, Bovino was one of the final remaining Byzantine strongholds. In 1656, bubonic plagueBubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
killed the majority of the local population, and only 1,200 people survived. Today, Bovino remains a tranquil and peaceful little town.
Bovino was the seat of the diocese of Bovino
Diocese of Bovino
The Diocese of Bovino was a Roman Catholic diocese in Puglia, Italy. It was founded in the fifth century and in 1986 was merged into the Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino.-External links:*...
from the fifth century until 1986.
With a deeply Roman Catholic community, Bovino has several ancient churches. The oldest is St. Peter's (Italian San Pietro), which was built on the site of a temple to Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
. The gothic (rare for the south of Italy) Church of the Rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
(Italian Chiesa del Rosario) has an elongated brick campanile. The Cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its interior varies in style according to age. The most ancient section is the chapel of San Marco in Ercana, housing the relics of this local patron saint.
Of particular interest is Bovino's claim to a Marian apparition in the twelfth century. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
has had a particular connection with this. As Archbishop of Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, he visited Bovino in 1965 together with eleven other Polish bishops. He then laid the foundation stone of what was to become the Santuario di Santa Maria di Valleverde. Situated part way up hill from the main SS90 trunk road to Bovino, the Santuario has become a popular pilgrimage site in the Puglia region. Karol Józef Wojtyła returned as Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in the 1980s in order to officially ratify the apparitions and open the church.
Whilst Bovino has several big festivals, the largest is the "Feast of August 29th". Dating back to the time of the ruling Guevara family, Bovino has a fiera on that day. This is a legal recognition of Bovino's importance as a market town. In addition to visits by a large number of vendors, there is usually a holy procession featuring the statue of the Madonna of Valleverde. The day is also marked by an historic cavalcade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
, particularly popular with the local community, given its agrarian economy.
Economy
Bovino's economy is principally agrarian. Main crops are olive oil, sunflower oil, wine and tomatoes. Family small holdings have increasingly given way to co-operatives, allowing farmers to gain access to larger markets. Grape vines are generally of the sangioveseSangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
variety. Bovino grows winter tomatoes in large greenhouses. Tomatoes are of the plum tomato
Plum tomato
A plum tomato, also known as a processing tomato or paste tomato, is a type of tomato bred for sauce and packing purposes. They are generally oval or cylindrical in shape, with significantly fewer seed compartments than standard round tomatoes and a generally higher solid content, making them more...
variety. Bovino also has its own varieties of Puglia cheeses, including 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 :...
, caciocavallo
Caciocavallo
Caciocavallo is a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout Southern Italy, especially mostly on the Apennine Mountains...
, ricotta
Ricotta
Ricotta is an Italian dairy product made from sheep milk whey left over from the production of cheese. Although typically referred to as ricotta cheese, ricotta is not properly a cheese because it is not produced by coagulation of casein...
and provolone
Provolone
Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan...
.
The main industrial area of Bovino is Bovino Scalo, situated 8 km downhill by the River Cervaro
Cervaro
Cervaro is a town and comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio. It is located in the Liri valley, about 130 km southeast of Rome and about 50 km southeast of Frosinone....
. This zone marks a boundary for the Tavoliere d'Italia, a large fertile plain famous for producing high quality durum wheat for pasta. Nearby Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
claims several of the world's most famous pasta maufacturers, including Barilla and Buitoni.
Of increasing importance is tourism. As a member of theItaly's Most Beautiful Villages Club, Bovino is widely recognised for its natural beauty and archeological treasures. There are excellent restaurants which specialise in local food. However there are few places for visitors to stay, with no hotel within the village itself.
Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
has become an important local employer since the construction of the Punto
Fiat Punto
The Fiat Punto is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer, Fiat, since 1993.-1st generation :Internally codenamed Project 176, the Punto was announced in September 1993 and launched in late 1993 as a replacement for the ageing Fiat Uno. The Fiat Punto was voted European Car of the Year...
model began at Melfi
Melfi
Melfi is a town and comune in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.-Geography:On a hill at the foot of Mount Vulture, Melfi is the most important town in Basilicata's Vulture, both as a tourist resort and economic centre.-Early history:Inhabited...
. There is a regular bus service to the factory for employees.
Attractions
The largest single edifice is the NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle. It occupies a commanding view of the village. The courtyard is permanently open. The interior is currently undergoing restoration and is scheduled to become part of the museum. It contains many interesting treasures, the most intriguing of which is a claimed thorn from Jesus Christ's crown.
The church of San Pietro contains a painting of the crucifixion of St. Peter by the Master of Bovino of the Caravaggio
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
school.
The villa communale is a municipal park beloved of the locals. With ponds and fountains, it has an extensive arboretum lined with horse chestnut trees.
There are several panorama viewpoints. Most are next to remains of the original Roman wall.
The Roman aqueduct
Roman aqueduct
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to serve any large city in their empire, as well as many small towns and industrial sites. The city of Rome had the largest concentration of aqueducts, with water being supplied by eleven aqueducts constructed over a period of about 500 years...
is a reminder of the ancient past. It is likely that Hannibal camped on Monte Castro during his march to Rome.
Bovino is well known for its attractive arches and palaces, most of which are still in use. Several streets in the historic centre are still stepped and paved with cobbles.
External links
- http://www.ciaobovino.com/
- http://www.prolocobovino.it/
- http://www.bovinonline.it/
- http://www.comunebovino.it/
- http://www.orchideedibovino.it/
- http://www.museum.com/jb/museum?id=12547
- http://www.borghitalia.it/html/borgo_en.php?codice_borgo=348&codice=elenco&page=1