Galatina

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Galatina
coat of arms
Galatina (Italy)
Galatina
Country Italy
region Apulia
province Lecce  (LE)
Coordinates 40 ° 10 '  N , 18 ° 10'  E Coordinates: 40 ° 10 '26 "  N , 18 ° 10' 4"  E
surface 81 km²
Residents 26,458 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density 327 inhabitants / km²
Post Code 73013
prefix 0836
ISTAT number 075029
Popular name Galatinesi
Patron saint SS. Pietro e Paolo
Website Galatina
Galatina, view of the clock tower
Galatina, view of the clock tower

Galatina ( San Pietro in Galatina until 1861, As Pètro in Griko , San Pietru in the local dialect) is an Italian municipality in southern Italy .

geography

The city has 26,458 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019). It is located in the province of Lecce in the Italian region of Apulia, about 20 kilometers south of the provincial capital Lecce .

Name and coat of arms

The name is said to be derived from the ancient Greek Kalos Athina , "beautiful Athene " or Galactos Athina , "milk Athene".

The city coat of arms contains three main components: owl, key and crown. In the foreground the owl, an emblem of Athena, Roman : Minerva . Minerva, goddess of wisdom, was especially venerated in this region, as were several temple ruins, e.g. B. in Otranto or Leuca, testify. The keys of the Vicar of Christ with the words "Adversus hanc petram portae inferi non praevalebunt" are on Pope Urban VI. traced back. The crown indicates a royal distinction from 1484: Compared to the other cities, Galatina had best defied the king's enemies.

history

Ducal Castle of Galatina (detail of a painting from the 16th century)

The city name Galatina and its coat of arms are said to attest to the Greek origin. Today there are relatively few traces that provide clues to the Greeks. Therefore, the search for it forms the focus of historical research in this region. History is only well documented here from the 14th century.

Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria with rich fresco paintings and sheet mask capital

In 1485 Gjon Kastrioti II , son of Gjergj Kastrioti , called Skanderbeg, received from King Ferdinand I out of gratitude for his help in the reconquest of Gallipoli in Apulia (June 1480), in the salt war (1482–1484) against the Republic of Venice and in the defense of Vieste on the Gargano peninsula (1484) the title of nobility. In exchange for his fiefdoms, San Giovanni Rotondo and Monte Sant'Angelo , inherited from his father , he received Soleto and San Pietro in Galatina in Salento without the privileges granted to his father, which were exceptional. Gjon and his son Ferrante became the 1st Duke and 2nd Duke of Galatina.

Since 20 July 1793 thanks to a royal gala Tina has decree the city charter .

Infrastructure

Galatina train station is on the Lecce – Gallipoli railway line .

The converter station of the HVDC Italy-Greece , a submarine cable connection to Greece, is located near Galatina .

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Galatina  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.
  2. ^ Don Mauro Cassoni: Griko-Italiano, Vocabolario . Argo, Lecce 1999 (Italian).
  3. ↑ VV. AA .: Dizionario di toponomastica. Storia e significato dei nomi geografici italiani . Garzanti, Milan 1996, p. 293 (Italian).
  4. ^ Domenico De Filippis: I Castriota, signori di Monte Sant'Angelo e di San Giovanni Rotondo, fra mito e letteratura . Centro Grafico Srl, Foggia 1999, p. 14 (Italian). (accessed on December 14, 2016)