Carpignano Salentino
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Carpignano Salentino, a beautiful town in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. 3667 inhabitants live here, who can boast of living in an area characterized by Greek culture thanks to the Union of municipalities of Greek Salento. But despite this, the grico language has not been spoken in Carpignano since the 19th century.
Physical geography
The territory of the municipality of Carpignano Salentino covers an area of 48.04 km² and is located at 76 meters above sea level. But despite the small size of the town, the feudo is among the largest in the province. It is about 25 km from Lecce in the southeast direction and 13 km from the Adriatic Sea coast. Here you can find the wonderful resort of Torre Sant'Andrea, belonging to the municipality of Melendugno, and also Otranto, which is about 15 km away. To the east of the municipality is the beautiful town of Otranto, while to the south there are the municipalities of Cannole and Castrignano de' Greci. Finally, to the west there is the municipality of Martano and Calimera.
Climate
The climate of Carpignano Salentino is classified as Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot-humid summers. The average temperature of the coldest month, January, is around +14.5 °C, while that of the hottest month, August, is around +34.5 °C. Precipitation, frequent in autumn and winter, is around 626 mm of rainfall per year. Spring and summer are characterized by long periods of drought. The area is strongly influenced by the wind, which comes from the sea or the continent.
Origin of the name
It is said that the name of Carpignano Salentino derives from the name of the Roman centurion Carpinius, but scholars lean towards the theory of a Messapic derivation of the root ''karp'' ("stone", "rock"), so Carpignano would mean "place located on a hill".
History
The presence of man in Carpignano Salentino dates back to ancient times, as shown by the menhirs present in the area. In addition, a tomb dating back to several thousand years before Christ was recently discovered in the historic center.
Carpignano Salentino is therefore a town rich in history and tradition, set in an enchanting territory surrounded by the beauty of Salento. If you have never visited it, I recommend you do so as soon as possible!
