Puglia

Regions \ Puglia

Apulia (Puglia in Italian) is sometimes referred to as “the heel of Italy”, in reference to the country’s boot-like shape.

Location

Apulia, a region in southeastern Italy, borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southern portion known as Salento, a peninsula, forms a high heel on the “boot” of Italy. The region comprises 19,345 km² (7,469 square miles), and its population is about 4 million. It is bordered by the other Italian regions of Molise to the north, Campania to the west, and Basilicata to the southwest. It neighbors Greece and Albania, across the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, respectively. The region extends as far north as Monte Gargano, and was the scene of the last stages in the Second Punic War.

Geography

% Lowland – % Mountain – % Hill

Situated at the south-eastern tip of the Italian peninsula, Apulia covers over 19,357 km2 in succession of broad plains and low-lying hills. The only mountainous areas, the Gargano promontory and the Monti Dauni, do not exceed 1,150 m and are to be found in the north of Apulia, which is the least mountainous region in Italy.

Apulia is a very dry region. Its few rivers are torrential and are to be found on the Tavoliere delle Puglie, a tableland at the foot of the Gargano promontory that is one of the largest and agriculturally most productive plains in Italy. Elsewhere, rainwater permeates the limestone bedrock to form underground watercourses that resurface near the coast. Groundwater is therefore abundant, and there are many caves and potholes. The caves at Castellana Grotte are particularly spectacular.

Climate

The climate is hot and dry in the summer, and what rain there is falls in the winter months and averages no more than 500 mm per year.

Major Cities

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Capitanata
Tavoliere delle Puglie
Gargano
Gravina in Puglia
Salento
Terra d’Otranto
Murgia
Trullo
Nard
Santa Maria al Bagno

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Tourism

There are a lot of things to see in Puglia: Trulli in Alberobello, Old town in Bari, Trani, beaches in Monopoli.
You can also see the Castellana Grotte, Castel del Monte, the castle of Federick II, Polignano, Conversano, Martina Franca and Ostuni, the “white city”.

Cuisine

The northern portion of Puglia uses copious amounts of garlic and onion. The region is known for its dried pasta made from durum wheat flour. Fresh vegetables include tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes, spinach, eggplants, cauliflower, fennel, Belgian endive, as well as legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans. Apulia is the largest producer of olive oil in Italy. The closeness to the sea brings fish and seafood to the table, especially oysters, and mussels. Goat and lamb are seen on the table here occasionally.

Specialties:

Orecchiette alle cime di rapa – Ear-like pasta with broccoli
Pancotto – is an ancient dish of Capitanata, poor but tasty, aa basis of stale bread and a wide variety of wild vegetables, accompanied by fennel seeds, oil of
Tavoliereand chilli peppers.
Tiella di verdure – casserole of baked vegetable topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil
Riso, patate e cozze – this specialty of Bari based on rice can be compared to the paella, but the manner of dress differs barese Whereas traditional ingredients working in the area of Bari
Purea di fave – broad bean puree
Zuppa di cozze alla Tarantina – mussels steamed with peperoncino, garlic, tomatoes, white wine and garlic
Ostriche arrosto – oysters broiled with parsley, garlic, oregano, breadcrumbs, olive oil and lemon juice
Muscisca – the bacon or boneless meat from sheep or goat (and in some cases young calf) is cut into long strips (20-30 cm) and thin (3-4 cm) and seasoned with salt, chilli and fennel seeds before to be put to dry in the sun, enough to get the drying
Torcinelli – involtini of offal linked with guts scented with parsley and cooked on the grill
Cartellate – a thin strip of puff pastry, made with flour, oil and white wine, together and wrapped on itself to form a sort of “pink” choreographed with cavities and openings, which is then fried in abundant oil. The typical recipe is one that sees impregnated “vincotto” lukewarm or honey.
Cacioricotta cheese – the cacioricotta is a cheese produced in product throughout the Apulia.
Burrata cheese – the burrata is a fresh cheese with spun dough, similar to mozzarella but by much softer consistency and filamentous, produced in Murgia Andria in particular to its place of invention and in various areas of Puglia. The burrata is worked by hand with a filling of cream and pieces of dough spun, and the stuffing is called stracciatella, because the pieces of dough are torn by hand, and is contained in an envelope (“bag”) is also formed by paste spun.
Caciocavallo podolico – Is particular variety of cheese products made exclusively with milk from cows Podolico

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Politics

The Politics of Puglia

Apulia is divided into six provinces (the of the 6th province (Barletta-Andria-Trani), was instituited in 2009).

Apulia is traditionally a right wing region; despite this at the 2005 regional elections a Communist, Nichi Vendola, was elected as the region’s President. At the April 2006 elections, Apulia gave about 51.54% of its votes to Silvio Berlusconi, and at the April 2008 election apulians gave about 47% of their votes to the People of Freedom-led coalition, eleven points more than to the Democratic Party-led coalition.

The Regional Council of Apulia (Consiglio Regionale della Puglia) is composed of 70 members. The Council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt vel simul cadent prevision (introduced in 1999), also the Council will be dissolved and there will be a fresh election.

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Piedmont Symbols

Regional flag, coat of arms and other symbols of Piedmont.

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