Conversano | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Conversano | |
 View of Conversano | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Conversano  | |
  Conversano Location of Conversano in Italy Show map of Italy Conversano Conversano (Apulia) Show map of Apulia | |
| Coordinates:40°58′N17°07′E / 40.967°N 17.117°E /40.967; 17.117 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Apulia |
| Metropolitan city | Bari (BA) |
| Frazioni | Castiglione, Triggianello |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pasquale Loiacono |
| Area | |
• Total | 128.42 km2 (49.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 219 m (719 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2017)[2] | |
• Total | 26,171 |
| • Density | 200/km2 (530/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Conversanesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 70014 |
| Dialing code | 080 |
| Patron saint | Saint Flavian |
| Saint day | November 24 |
| Website | Official website |
Conversano (Barese:Cunverséne) is an ancient town andcomune in theMetropolitan City of Bari,Apulia, south-easternItaly. It is 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast ofBari and 7 kilometres (4 mi) from theAdriatic coast, at 219 metres (719 ft) above sea level.
The counts of Conversano owned a stud that they used to breed blackNeapolitan stallions withBarb andAndalusian genetic backgrounds: these horses had strong ram-like heads, short backs, and broadhocks. One horse born in 1767, Conversano, became one of the principal stallions for establishing theLipizzan horses (Lipizzaner).
The town of Conversano was settled as early as the Iron Age, when theIapygians or thePeucetians foundedNorba. Later, as evidenced by the 6th-century BC necropolis, it became a flourishing trade town that was influenced by the nearbyGreek colonies. Norba was conquered by theRomans in 268 BC and seems to have been abandoned around the time of theVisigothic invasion of Italy in 410–411.
The toponym,Casale Cupersanem, is known from the 5th century AD and was a bishopric seat from the 7th century. This new town gained importance when, in 1054, theNorman lordGeoffrey, assumed the title of "Count of Conversano" and turned Conversano into the capital of a large county that extended toLecce andNardò. After the count's death in 1101, the county was inherited by his sons Robert andAlexander. In 1132, defeated byRoger II of Sicily, Alexander fled toDalmatia, and the county was assigned toRobert I of Basseville, who was succeeded by his sonRobert II. After a period of royal sovereignty, Conversano was a possession of Bernardino Gentile and of theBrienne, the Enghien, Luxembourg, Sanseverino, Barbiano,Orsini, Caldora and Orsini del Balzo families. In 1455,Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini died; the county was inherited by his daughter Catherine, whose husband,Giulio Antonio Acquaviva, started the long rule of theAcquaviva family, which lasted until the early 19th century.
In 1690 the town was struck by plague and decimated. Feudalism was abolished in 1806.
In 1921, a local socialist deputy, Giuseppe Di Vagno, was assassinated inMola di Bari by Fascist militia.
This list may not be complete.
| Year(s) | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1072–1100 | Geoffrey, Count of Conversano | first Count of Conversano |
| 1100–1132 | Alexander, Count of Conversano | son of Geoffrey; deprived of his territories in 1132 by KingRoger II of Sicily; died after 1142 |
| 1132–1138 | Robert I of Basseville | brother-in-law ofRoger II of Sicily |
| 1138–1182 | Robert II of Basseville | son of Robert I; also Count of Loritello as Robert III |
| 1182–1187 | Adelise of Loritello | wife of previous; also Countess of Loritello |
Conversano's main attraction is themedieval Castle, which dates from the period ofNorman-Hohenstaufen rule in theKingdom of Sicily. The castle is located on a hill overlooking the city, and probably dates from theGothic Wars (6th century), although it was rebuilt from the 11th century. It has a single round tower that was added byGiulio Antonio Acquaviva.
TheRomanesque cathedral is the see of thediocese of Conversano-Monopoli. It was built in the 11th century but received new decor in the 14th and, in Baroque style, in the 17th centuries. The exterior is in Romanesque style with a large 15th-centuryrose window and three portals, the middle one having sculpted decoration. The floor plan is T-shaped with two eastbound apses; the aisles are characterized bymatronea and, in the left one, a 15th-century fresco from the Pisan school. The church houses the icon of theMadonna della Fonte, protector of the city.
The Benedictine Monastery, founded, according to tradition, in the 6th century, was once one of the most powerful in Apulia. In 1266, the Benedictines were replaced by a group of Cistercian nuns from Greece. It was the only convent in western Europe that allowed nuns to wear male religious symbols, such as themitre. The church has maintained part of the 11th-century structure, while the decorated side entrance is from 1658. The interior has a nave and two aisles, with Baroque decor, and two canvasses byPaolo Finoglio. The crypt, dedicated to San Mauro, is from the 11th century. The bell tower rises higher than that of the cathedral, to symbolize the superior status of the nuns over the local bishop.
Other landmarks include the megalithic walls (6th century BC) erected by the Pelasgi, theBaroque church of SS. Cosma e Damiano, the church of St. Francis (1289), and, 1 km outside the city, the church of St. Catherine (c. 12th century). In the neighborhood are the church ofSanta Maria dell'Isola (1462, enlarged in 1530), the Castle of Marchione (an 18th-century country residence of the Acquaviva), and the ruins of Castiglione (13th-16th centuries).
The localhandball team won the national league in the 2002–03 2003–04 2005–06 2009–10 seasons.
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Bethlehem, Palestinian Authority, since 13 August 2009
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