Castro, Apulia

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Castro
Comune di Castro
Castro vista da Marittima.JPG
Castro
Castro-Stemma.png
Location of Castro
Castro, Apulia
Italy provincial location map 2016.svg
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Castro
Location of Castro in Italy
Italy Apulia location map.svg
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Castro
Castro (Apulia)
Coordinates: 40°1′N18°24′E / 40.017°N 18.400°E / 40.017; 18.400
Country Italy
Region Apulia
Province Lecce (LE)
Frazioni Castro Marina
Government
  MayorLuigi Fersini
Area
[1]
  Total4.56 km2 (1.76 sq mi)
Elevation
100 m (300 ft)
Population
 (30 June 2017) [2]
  Total2,395
  Density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Demonym Castrensi or Castrioti
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
73030
Dialing code 0836
Patron saintMaria SS. Annunziata (principal) and Santa Dorotea
Saint day25 April and 6 February
Website Official website
Castro Marina. CastroMarina.JPG
Castro Marina.

Castro (Salentino: Casciu) is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy.

Contents

History

Castro derives its name from Castrum Minervae (Latin for "Athena's castle"), which was an ancient town of the Sallentini, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Hydruntum. Its ancient temple of Minerva was said to have been founded by Idomeneus, who formed the tribe of the Sallentini from a mixture of Cretans, Illyrians and Italian Locrians (Central Greek tribe). [3]

It is also said to have been the place where Aeneas first landed in Italy, the port of which he named Portus Veneris ("Port of Venus"). The temple had lost some of its importance in Strabo's day. [3]

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References

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. Population data from Istat
  3. 1 2 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Castrum Minervae"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 485.