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Capo d'Otranto
Encyclopedia
Cape Palascìa, commonly known as Capo d'Otranto, is Italy
's most easterly point. It is situated in the territory of the Apulia
n city of Otranto
, in the Province of Lecce
at 40° 7' northing and 18° 31' easting.
The lighthouse there, recently renovated, is one of five Mediterranean lighthouses protected by the European Commission
. It is often visited by tourists, especially at New Year
, since it stands at the point where the dawn of the new year may first be seen in Italy.
According to nautical conventions, Capo d'Otranto marks the point where the Ionian Sea
and the Adriatic Sea
meet.
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...
's most easterly point. It is situated in the territory of the Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
n city of Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
, in the Province of Lecce
Province of Lecce
The Province of Lecce is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. Totally included in the Salento peninsula, it is the second most populous province in Apulia and the twenty-first most populous in Italy....
at 40° 7' northing and 18° 31' easting.
The lighthouse there, recently renovated, is one of five Mediterranean lighthouses protected by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. It is often visited by tourists, especially at New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
, since it stands at the point where the dawn of the new year may first be seen in Italy.
According to nautical conventions, Capo d'Otranto marks the point where the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
and the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
meet.