Vieste
Vieste[3] (Italian: [ˈvjɛste, viˈɛste];[4][5] Viestano: Vìst) is a town, comune and former Catholic bishopric in the province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. A marine resort in Gargano, Vieste has received Blue Flags for the purity of its waters from the Foundation for Environmental Education. The area covered by the comune is included in the Gargano National Park.
Vieste
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|---|---|
| Comune di Vieste | |
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 Coat of arms | |
Location of Vieste  | |
  Vieste Location of Vieste in Italy  Vieste Vieste (Apulia) | |
| Coordinates: 41°53′N 16°10′E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Apulia |
| Province | Foggia (FG) |
| Frazioni | Pugnochiuso, Baia di Campi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Giuseppe Nobiletti |
| Area | |
| • Total | 167.52 km2 (64.68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Population (28 February 2017)[2] | |
| • Total | 13,931 |
| • Density | 83/km2 (220/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Viestani |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 71019 |
| Dialing code | 0884 |
| Patron saint | Santa Maria di Merino, Saint George |
| Saint day | 9 May and 23 April |
| Website | Official website |
History
In medieval times, the port was frequently attacked by pirates, Saracens and other enemies of the Kingdom of Naples.
In 1554 around 7,000 inhabitants were enslaved by the Turks, with those being deemed too elderly or infirm to merit transportation into slavery executed.[3] This event is commemorated annually in a ceremony.
Geography
The town is bordered by Mattinata, Monte Sant'Angelo, Peschici and Vico del Gargano. The coast is interesting from a geological point of view, the cliffs being composed of a chalk-like white limestone, sparsely banded with thin layers of flint. Next to the town there are two large, straight beaches. The rest of the coast is made up of gulfs and small, hidden sandy beaches. Erosion by water and wind has shaped the calcareous rock into grottoes and arches. Since the coast is steep, some of the finest sights can be reached only by sea.
Pizzomunno and its legend
Vieste's best-known landform is Pizzomunno, a tall sea stack standing 26.6 m (87 ft) in height and situated on the Spiaggia del Castello ("Castle Beach").
"One night I was in Vieste, between the sea and the rocks of Gargano. But, while others lay peacefully asleep, I could find no repose: a voice that seemed to sob oppressed my heart with anguish". Thus begins "The Legend of Pizzomunno" which tells of the love between Cristalda and Pizzomunno. The couple were attracted to these whitest of rocks by the song of a hundred mermaids who, gripped by envy for so great a love, transformed the young fisherman into a mammoth sea-stack and shackled the ankles of his Cristalda with a chain, dragging her to the bottom of the sea. Every hundred years, for just a single day, the mermaids allow the unhappy girl to see her beloved again. Ever since, the echo of Pizzomunno's lament has been heard at the spot on the seashore where the tragedy was played out. The fable, the work of an English traveler of the 1800s, was inspired by the majestic Pizzomunno stack (Viestan dialect for 'tip of the world') which rises to 26.6 meters and measures 20x12 meters, with a minimum distance of 25 meters from the cliff. Erosion phenomena combined with the destructive power of the sea have detached and progressively separated the stack from the cliff, helping to shape it over time into its present form.[6]
Economy
Until a few decades ago, Vieste's main resources were fishing and agriculture. Now tourism, with hotels, resorts and camping facilities, has transformed the town's appearance, economy and lifestyle.
Notable buildings
- a castle, with a triangular shape and bastions at its vertexes.
- the Vieste Co-cathedral in Apulian Romanesque style. It has a basilica plan with a nave and two aisles. Its bell tower was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 18th century after the previous one collapsed.
- Vieste Lighthouse, built in 1867
See also
References
- "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
- Syed, Muzaffar Husain; Akhtar, Syed Saud; Usmani, B. D. (2011-09-14). Concise History of Islam. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789382573470.
- Luciano Canepari. "Vieste". DiPI Online (in Italian). Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- "Vieste". Dizionario d'Ortografia e di Pronunzia (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- Municipal public information board on the shoreward side of the Pizzomunno sea stack, Vieste.
