๐ฎ๐น Copertino, also known in English as Cupertino, is a town and comune in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.
History Following Charles of Anjou's successful campaign in 1266, the Hohenstaufen tower of Copertino was held first by the de Pratis family and then by Walter VI of Brienne, Duke of Athens, Count of Lecce and Grand Constable of France.
Copertino became the centre of a County under the Enghiens, who were sovereigns of the land of Galatone, Leverano and Veglie. With the marriage of Mary of Enghien, Countess of Lecce and Copertino (later Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary) to Raimondo del Balzo Orsini, the county became part of the principality of Taranto. The French knight Tristan Chiaromonte (de Clermont-Lodeve) led the development of the county capital, having assumed power over the territory on his marriage to Caterina, daughter of Mary of Enghien. Tristan's daughter Isabella of Clermont, heiress to the Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, married Ferdinand I of Naples. With the conquest of the Salento peninsula by the Aragonese dynasty, effected jointly by the Spanish army and knights from Albania, the county was gifted in 1498 to Alfonso Castriota Scanderbeg, in gratitude for military support.
The Princes of Belmonte gained the Castle through the Squarciafico Counts of Copertino, to whom the fief passed from 1557.
Copertino DOC The area around Copertino is permitted to make red and rosรฉ Italian DOC wine. The grapes are limited to a harvest of 14 tonnes/ha with the finished wines needing a minimum of 12% alcohol. The wines are predominantly Negroamaro with no more than a 30% blend component of Malvasia, Montepulciano and Sangiovese (which is further limited to a maximum of 15%). Wines labeled Riserva must be aged for a minimum of 2 years prior to release and have a minimum alcohol level of 12.5%.
Tourist Industry Copertino's castle โข Copertino Castle, built by architect Evangelista Menga in 1540 on a previous Norman and Angevin fortress, is one of the most massive fortifications in Apulia. โข Sanctuary of St. Joseph of Copertino โข Sanctuary and monastery of La Grottella.
Copertino has a population of over 24,110 people. Copertino also forms part of the wider Lecce Province which has a population of over 802,807 people. Copertino is situated 16 km south-west of Lecce.
Twin Towns, Sister Cities Copertino has links with:
๐บ๐ธ Cupertino, USA ๐ฎ๐น Osimo, Italy ๐ฎ๐น Poggiardo, Italy๐ช๐ธ Fuenlabrada 40.283
๐บ๐ธ Greensburg 40.283
๐ช๐ธ Arganda del Rey 40.301
๐บ๐ธ Doylestown 40.31
๐ธ๐ช Johanneshov 18.083
๐ญ๐ท Slavonski Brod 18.017
๐ต๐ฑ Koลcierzyna 17.983
๐ต๐ฑ Krapkowice 17.967
Locations Near: Copertino 18.0495,40.2733
๐ฎ๐น Lecce 18.174,40.355 d: 13.9
๐ฎ๐น Martano 18.3,40.2 d: 22.8
๐ฎ๐น Ostuni 17.583,40.733 d: 64.6
๐ฎ๐น Taranto 17.251,40.465 d: 71
๐ฆ๐ฑ Vlorรซ 19.483,40.467 d: 123.4
๐ฎ๐น Bari 16.867,41.117 d: 136.9
๐ฎ๐น Matera 16.6,40.667 d: 130.2
๐ฎ๐น Crotone 17.117,39.083 d: 154.5
๐ฆ๐ฑ Fier 19.55,40.717 d: 136.1
๐ฎ๐น Corigliano-Rossano 16.633,39.567 d: 144.1
Antipodal to: Copertino -161.951,-40.273
๐น๐ด Nuku'alofa -175.216,-21.136 d: 17544.5
๐ต๐ซ Papeete -149.566,-17.537 d: 17221.1
๐ฆ๐ธ Pago Pago -170.701,-14.279 d: 17002
๐ผ๐ธ Apia -171.76,-13.833 d: 16923.7
๐บ๐ธ Hilo -155.089,19.725 d: 13305.8
๐บ๐ธ Maui -156.446,20.72 d: 13209
๐บ๐ธ Maui County -156.617,20.868 d: 13194.1
๐บ๐ธ Wailuku -156.505,20.894 d: 13190.2