Orsara di Puglia
Let's Discover Orsara di Puglia Together
Hello everyone! Today I am talking about a charming town in Puglia, Orsara di Puglia, which has 2,485 inhabitants and is located in the province of Foggia.
Physical Geography
Orsara is located on a slope of the mountains of Daunia, at an altitude of 635 meters. The municipal territory is delimited by the Cervaro river to the east, which marks the border with Bovino, by the Sannoro stream to the north which divides it from Troia, by the mountains that lead towards Celle di San Vito to the west and by the mountains that lead towards Greci and Montaguto to the south.
Origins of the Name
It is not certain where the toponym Orsara derives from. It may derive from the presence of bears or from the dwelling of a character named Ursus.
History
Orsara has very ancient origins and, according to some archaeological findings, was inhabited by the Oscans and the Irpini. In Roman times it was the scene of the Second Punic War and the Trajan's Way passed along the Sannoro stream. In the 8th century a community of Basilian monks settled there, dedicated to the worship of Archangel Michael, who was venerated in the cave that now bears his name. In the Middle Ages, the settlement of Castrom Ursariae was equipped with walls to defend itself from foreign incursions. In the 13th century, the knights of the Calatrava Military Order, from Spain, settled there. In the post-unity period, the municipality (at that time Orsara Dauno-Irpina) was the capital of a district within the district of Ariano di Puglia.
Symbols
The coat of arms of the municipality of Orsara di Puglia was granted by decree of the President of the Republic on March 8, 2006. The banner is a green flag.
Monuments and Places of Interest
In Orsara di Puglia it is possible to admire many monuments and places of interest. The parish church of San Nicola, dating back to the 16th century, houses a wooden statue of the Madonna of the Snow, made in 1624 by the Neapolitan sculptor Aniello Stellato. The church of Santa Maria della Neve was built in the 17th century on an older building. The Abbey of Sant'Angelo de Ursaria, a former monastery of Saints Nicandro and Marciano, with the chapel of the Annunciation, was built between the 8th and 11th centuries in Byzantine style and became a national monument in 1906. The cave of Archangel Michael, dating back to the 8th century, is a destination for pilgrims. The Convent of San Domenico, built in the 11th century, is enchanting. The Fontane dell'Angelo and Nuova, respectively from the 16th and 18th centuries, are beautiful. The Baronial Palace, from the 13th century, has a tower with arched windows and was the residence of the knights of Calatrava and later of the Guevara family, lords of Orsara. Finally, the Guevara Tower, built in the second half of the 17th century by the Duke of Guevara of Bovino, was a hunting residence of Charles III of Spain in the 18th century.
Society
Demographic Evolution
The population of Orsara di Puglia has undergone continuous changes over the years, going from a maximum of 4,431 inhabitants in 1951 to 2,485 in 2021.
Languages and Dialects
The Orsarese dialect belongs to the Monti Dauni dialect group and presents transitional characteristics towards the Irpinian dialects spoken in the extreme inland of Campania. I hope that this summary has been useful for you to get to know Orsara di Puglia better, a wonderful gem in Puglia!
