Brindisi
From Free net encyclopedia
frazioni = Tuturano| telephone = 0831| postalcode = 72100| gentilic = Brindisini| saint = St. Lawrence of Brindisi and St. Thomas of Amasea| day = first Sunday of September | mayor = Domenico Mennitti (since june 14, 2004)| website = www.comune.brindisi.it |
}}Brindisi is an ancient city in the Italian region of Puglia, the capital of the province of Brindisi.
Contents |
History
Ancient age
Brindisi was probably an Illyrian settlement predating the Roman expansion. The Latin name Brundisium, through the Greek Brentesion, is a corruption of the Messapic Brention meaning "deer's head" and probably referring to the shape of the natural harbour. As a Messapic centre, Brindisi was in struggle against Taranto, but in 267 BC (245 BC, according to other sources) it was conquered by the Romans.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Brundisium (Brindisi) Puglia, Italy | work=Perseus Digital Library | url=http://icarus.umkc.edu/sandbox/perseus/pecs/page.823.a.php | accessdate=2006-04-19}}</ref>
Here the famous poet Vergil died in 19 BC, and the poet Pacuvius was born. Under the Romans Brundisium, with some 100,000 inhabitants, was an active port, the main sea connection with the eastern provinces to Rome, to which it was connected by the Via Appia and the Via Appia Traiana.
Middle Ages and modern times
Later Brindisi was conquered by Ostrogoths, and reconquered by the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. In 674 it was destroyed by the Lombards led by Romuald I of Benevento. In the 9th century a Saracen settlement existed in the neighourhood of the city, which had been stormed in 836 by pirates. Again a Byzantine possession, it was captured by the Normans in 1070, and subsequently part of the Kingdom of Naples under its various dynasties. Like other Pugliese ports, Brindisi for a short while was ruled by Venice, but was soon reconquered by Spain.
A plague and an earthquake struck the city, in 1348 and 1456, respectively.
Brindisi fell to Austrian rule in 1707-1734, and afterwards to the Bourbons. Between September 1943 and February 1944 the city functioned as the temporary capital of Italy. Image:Brindisi-colonna.jpg
Brindisi in the 21st century serves as the home base of the San Marco Regiment, a naval brigade originally known as the La Marina Regiment. It was renamed San Marco after its noted defense of Venice at the start of World War I.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Kosovo Force: San Marco | work=KFOR Chronicle | url=http://www.nato.int/kfor/chronicle/2002/chronicle_16b/10.htm | accessdate=2006-04-19}}</ref>
Transportation
Brindisi is home to the Papola-Casale Airport, located 6 km outside the city's center. Brindisi is also a major ferry port, with routes to Greece and elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Greek ferries to Greece and the Greek islands | work=Greek Ferries Club | url=http://www.greekferries.gr/ | accessdate=2006-04-19}}</ref>
References
<references />
Template:Italy-geo-stubcs:Brindisi
da:Brundisium
de:Brindisi
eo:Brindisi
fr:Brindisi
it:Brindisi
la:Brundisium
nl:Brindisi (stad)
ja:ブリンディジ
pl:Brindisi
pt:Brindisi
ro:Brindisi
ru:Бриндизи
sv:Brindisi