Cantalupo nel Sannio
Encyclopedia
Cantalupo nel Sannio is a town and comune
in the province of Isernia
, in the Molise
region of southern Italy
.
The town was known simply as Cantalupo until February 4, 1864, when the denomination nel Sannio was added in order to differentiate it from other villages with the same name. The specification of nel Sannio is derived from the fact that the village is located in the ancient territory of Samnium
, which was inhabited by fierce Italic tribes known as the Samnites, famous for their resistance of Roman domination in the Samnite Wars
. The name Cantalupo is thought either to derive from the Greek "Kata-Lupon", "in the middle of the woods", or from the Bulgarian
"Kan-Teleped", meaning "chief residence". The latter explanation is favoured due to the well-established Bulgarian presence in the territory of Samnium going back at least to the 7th century.
Many Cantalupo's inhabitants emigrated to North America, Australia, South America, and other places following both the Great War and World War II. A substantial population of Cantalupesi settled in Montreal
, Canada
, where they founded and still maintain the Associazione di Sant'Anna di Cantalupo, named in honour of the village's patron saint, Saint Anne
, Christ's maternal grandmother. She became Cantalupo's patron following an earthquake on July 26, 1805 (which is the feast day of Saint Anne), that miraculously ended when the Saint's statue was taken out of the village church of San Salvatore. In 2005, the bicentenary of the miracle was celebrated on July 26, with the return of many expatriates from around the world, and a monument in the town square was dedicated to Cantalupo's sons and daughters in the worldwide Italian diaspora.
The town is also the birthplace of the cantaloupe
.
, Cantalupo in Sabina
, and Cantalupo di Bevagna
, as well as several frazioni (subdivisions) of that name.
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:...
in the province of Isernia
Province of Isernia
The Province of Isernia is a province in the Molise region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Isernia....
, in the Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
region of southern 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...
.
The town was known simply as Cantalupo until February 4, 1864, when the denomination nel Sannio was added in order to differentiate it from other villages with the same name. The specification of nel Sannio is derived from the fact that the village is located in the ancient territory of Samnium
Samnium
Samnium is a Latin exonym for a region of south or south and central Italy in Roman times. The name survives in Italian today, but today's territory comprising it is only a small portion of what it once was. The populations of Samnium were called Samnites by the Romans...
, which was inhabited by fierce Italic tribes known as the Samnites, famous for their resistance of Roman domination in the Samnite Wars
Samnite Wars
The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century, involving almost all the states of Italy, and ended in Roman domination of the Samnites...
. The name Cantalupo is thought either to derive from the Greek "Kata-Lupon", "in the middle of the woods", or from the Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
"Kan-Teleped", meaning "chief residence". The latter explanation is favoured due to the well-established Bulgarian presence in the territory of Samnium going back at least to the 7th century.
Many Cantalupo's inhabitants emigrated to North America, Australia, South America, and other places following both the Great War and World War II. A substantial population of Cantalupesi settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where they founded and still maintain the Associazione di Sant'Anna di Cantalupo, named in honour of the village's patron saint, Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
, Christ's maternal grandmother. She became Cantalupo's patron following an earthquake on July 26, 1805 (which is the feast day of Saint Anne), that miraculously ended when the Saint's statue was taken out of the village church of San Salvatore. In 2005, the bicentenary of the miracle was celebrated on July 26, with the return of many expatriates from around the world, and a monument in the town square was dedicated to Cantalupo's sons and daughters in the worldwide Italian diaspora.
The town is also the birthplace of the cantaloupe
Cantaloupe
"Rockmelon" redirects here, for the band see Rockmelons. See also Cantaloupe .Cantaloupe refers to a variety of Cucumis melo, a species in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes nearly all melons and squashes. Cantaloupes range in size from...
.
Other Towns Named Cantalupo
Cantalupo nel Sannio is not to be confused with other towns in Italy with similar names, including Cantalupo LigureCantalupo Ligure
Cantalupo Ligure is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 110 km southeast of Turin and about 40 km southeast of Alessandria...
, Cantalupo in Sabina
Cantalupo in Sabina
Cantalupo in Sabina is a town and comune in the province of Rieti, on the Sabine Hills of Lazio. It is famous as the reputed origin of the muskmelon called a cantaloupe melon....
, and Cantalupo di Bevagna
Cantalupo di Bevagna
Cantalupo is a frazione of Bevagna in the Italian region Umbria located at an elevation of 201 m on the Torrente Attone, a tributary of the Topino River...
, as well as several frazioni (subdivisions) of that name.