Volturara Appula

Volturara Appula is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Once a flourishing city, the comune now has a population of less than 500.[3]

Volturara Appula
Comune
Comune di Volturara Appula
Location of Volturara Appula
Volturara Appula
Location of Volturara Appula in Apulia
Volturara Appula
Volturara Appula (Apulia)
Coordinates: 41°30′N 15°3′E
CountryItaly
Region Apulia
ProvinceFoggia (FG)
Government
 • MayorVincenzo Zibisco
Area
[1]
 • Total51.88 km2 (20.03 sq mi)
Elevation
510 m (1,670 ft)
Population
 (30 November 2013)[2]
 • Total467
 • Density9.0/km2 (23/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Volturaresi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
71030
Dialing code0881
Patron saintSt. Luke
Saint day18 October
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The date of his foundation is not known; the first historical paper citing it, is a document of Pope Giovanni (John) XIII that, in 969 A.D., lists Volturara as a bishopric, depending from Benevento. Vulturaria, as it was previously called, was ruled in various times by its bishops, and by a number of noble families, including a branch of Caracciolos that built the so said 'Dukedom Palace'.[4]

Main sights

The Apulian Romanesque cathedral was built in the 13th century. It has a massive bell-tower with three bells of bronze with a noteworthy percentage of silver. Another church, the 16th-century Santuario di Maria SS. della Sanità (Shrine of Our Lady of Health) was reputedly built by Marquis Bartolomeo Caracciolo in thanksgiving for recovery from illness.[4]

Bishopric

Its bishopric, the Diocese of Vulturara, was united with that of Diocese of Montecorvino to form the Diocese of Vulturara e Montecorvino in 1433.[5] Giuseppe Cappelletti gives detailed information about most of its bishops.[5] In 1818, upon a reorganization of the dioceses within the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies,[6] the diocese ceased to exist as a residential see and its territory became part of the diocese of Lucera.[5] It is now included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[7]

Curiosity

Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Italy (2018-2021) was born in Volturara, but grew up in San Giovanni Rotondo.

References
  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  3. Comune di Volturara Appula
  4. Official website of Volturara Appula
  5. Giuseppe Cappelletti, Le Chiese d'Italia dalla loro origine sino ai nostri giorni, Venezia 1864, vol. XIX, pp. 293-303
  6. Bull De utiliori, in Bullarii romani continuatio, Tomus XV, Romae 1853, pp. 56-61
  7. Ánnuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 1010


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