CUTROFIANO
A locality situated on the
Salentina peninsular, not too far from the Ionic Coast, and
immersed in a territory mainly cultivated with olives and
grains.
Although the territory of Cutrofiano has been inhabited since
ancient times and in the Roman era there was also a settlement
where Badia is situated; the foundation of the centre came
about in the Byzantine era during the High Medieval period.
The choice of its positioning was connected to the immense
presence of clay and water necessary for the fabrication of
handcrafted vases. These objects were so important that they
gave the centre its name (in Greek Kutra, meaning vase).
During the 12th Century, under Norman rule, the village was
encircled by defensive walls, but during the siege of Otranto
by the Turks, Cutrofiano was besieged the same (1180).
Over the centuries, Cutrofiano has changed, losing its defensive
walls and many of its small churches, which collapsed with
time.
Things to visit in the City: Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Building),
a 17th century work deriving from the previous Medieval castle,
which gives a distinctive mark to Cutrofiano’s city
planning.
The Matrix Church is dedicated to the Madonna della Neve (Snow
Virgin) and was built in the 19th Century on a pre-existing
church; in turn built on the site of the first kind of Medieval
church of Cutrofiano.
It’s worth visiting the Ceramic Museum, which houses
fine art which characterises the economy of Cutrofiano.
Just outside the City, one can admire the frescoes in the
Cripta di San Giovanni (Crypt of Saint John).
Uccio Aloisi was born in Cutrofiano. He was one of the main
interpreters of Salentina music.
|
