Ruvo di Puglia
Encyclopedia
Ruvo di Puglia is a town and comune
in the province of Bari
, Puglia, Italy
that is essentially devoted to agriculture, wine and olive growing. It is part of the Murge karst landscape
.
s, Olive
groves and sowable fields, and is one of the largest in the province of Bari
. Very interesting is its wooden area, with many downy oak
trees (Quercus pubescens) and a considerable underwood. Ruvo's territory is comprised in the Italian Alta Murgia National Park
and shows typical elements of the Apulia
n karst
landscape: sinkhole
s, karst valleys also known as "lame", among which we mention the upper course of Lama Balice and various cave
s. Two important caves to mention are the "Grave della Ferratella" (the deepest cave in the Apulia region), and the nearby "Abisso di Notarvincenzo" (the deepest in Ruvo). They are located near the wide and green Ferratella "Lama" (valley) which has to be considered as the Gate of the National Park af Alta Murgia.
. In the 3rd century BC it commerced with the Greater Greece, Etruria
and Greece
. Under the Roman Empire
it was first a military stronghold and later a municipum; then it was ruled by the Byzantines
, the Saracens and the Normans. Later it was part of the county of Conversano
.
After the Aragonese and French dominations it was a fief of the Carafa
family, until the abolition of feudalism in 1806.
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 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...
, Puglia, 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...
that is essentially devoted to agriculture, wine and olive growing. It is part of the Murge karst landscape
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...
.
Geography and territory
Ruvo's territory is known for its vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, Olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
groves and sowable fields, and is one of the largest 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...
. Very interesting is its wooden area, with many 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...
trees (Quercus pubescens) and a considerable underwood. Ruvo's territory is comprised in the Italian 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 shows typical elements 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 karst
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...
landscape: sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
s, karst valleys also known as "lame", among which we mention the upper course of Lama Balice and various cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s. Two important caves to mention are the "Grave della Ferratella" (the deepest cave in the Apulia region), and the nearby "Abisso di Notarvincenzo" (the deepest in Ruvo). They are located near the wide and green Ferratella "Lama" (valley) which has to be considered as the Gate of the National Park af Alta Murgia.
History
The most ancient archaeological findings from the area date to the 9th century BC9th century BC
The 9th century BC started the first day of 900 BC and ended the last day of 801 BC.- Overview :The 9th century BC was a period of great changes in civilizations. In Africa, Carthage is founded by the Phoenicians...
. In the 3rd century BC it commerced with the Greater Greece, Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Under the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
it was first a military stronghold and later a municipum; then it was ruled by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, the Saracens and the Normans. Later it was part of the county of Conversano
Conversano
Conversano is an ancient town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located 30 km south-east of Bari, 7 km from the Adriatic coast, at 219 m above sea-level....
.
After the Aragonese and French dominations it was a fief of the Carafa
Carafa
Carafa is the name of a noble Neapolitan family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts.* Cardinal Oliviero Carafa, , uncle of Paul IV...
family, until the abolition of feudalism in 1806.
Main sights
- The Co-Cathedral is an example of Apulian RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
architecture. The façade has three portals and numerous decorations, depicting Christian symbols as well as griffins and other fantastic figures. There are two rose windows. The interior has a nave and two aisles ending with a transeptTranseptFor the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. Among the numerous works of art, a wooden statue and the reliquiary of St. Blaise, a fresco portraying the Madonna and Child with St. Sebastian, a panel of the Virgin of Constantinople and a noteworthy wooden cross. Under the church are the remains of the palaeo-Christian church and Roman tombs. - Palazzo Jatta (19th century)
- Church of the Madonna di Calendano, in the ominous frazioneFrazioneA 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...
.