Castro, Apulia
Castro | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Castro | |
 Castro | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Castro  | |
  Castro Location of Castro in Italy  Castro Castro (Apulia) | |
| Coordinates: 40°1′N 18°24′E / 40.017°N 18.400°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Apulia |
| Province | Lecce (LE) |
| Frazioni | Castro Marina |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Luigi Fersini |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.56 km2 (1.76 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 100 m (300 ft) |
| Population (30 June 2017)[2] | |
| • Total | 2,395 |
| • Density | 530/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 saint | Maria SS. Annunziata (principal) and Santa Dorotea |
| Saint day | 25 April and 6 February |
| Website | Official website |
Castro (Salentino: Casciu) is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy.
History
Castro derives its name from Castrum Minervae[3] (Latin for "Athena's castle"), which was an ancient town of the Sallentini, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Hydruntum.[3] 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").[3] The temple had lost some of its importance in Strabo's day.[3]
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Population data from Istat
- ^ a b c d e Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 485.
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External links
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
