Puglia: History Flashcards
What are some of Puglia’s principal agricultural products?
- wine
- table grapes
- olive oils
- wheat tomatoes
Which region is known as the ‘wine reservoir’ of Europe? Why?
Puglia
The presence of fertile plains to grow high-yielding vines has facilitated the production of large volumes of bulk wine.
Apulian bulk wine, used to produce basic table wine without origin, was and still is shipped to all European markets.
In the past it was common for producers in the northern regions of Italy and Europe to blend Apulian wines with local wines that lacked colour, alcohol and body.
Which wine region is the largest wine producer, volumetrically, in all of central/southern Italy?
Puglia
Puglia competes with Veneto and Emilia-Romagna as Italy’s largest producer.
How long has the vine been growing in Puglia?
Most likely before the Greeks arrived.
The region was originally inhabited by Iapygian people.
What is the evidence of the strong Greek heritage in Puglia?
The widespread presence of alberello in the vineyards.
When did the Greeks arrive in Puglia?
Starting in the 8th century BC, the local tribes were in contact with and influenced by the Greek settlers who established colonies on the coasts of this region and in other parts of southern Italy.
When did the Romans arrive in Puglia?
Between 4th and 3rd centuries BC.
Viticulutre and winemaking further benefited this arrival.
The region benefited from economic prosperity under Roman rule thanks to the region’s strategic geographical position as a point of departure for the Middle East. The region became a very importtant centre of communication and trade for Rome.
How did Puglia fair after the fall of Rome in the late 5th century AD?
The region gradually fell into political and social decline.
The Lombards, Byzantines, Franks and Arabs (Saraceni) contended for this land until the 10th century.
How did viticulture in Puglia survive the Middle Ages?
Thanks to the monks.
What was the state of Puglia during the crusades of the 11th-13th centuries?
This region was a major point of departure for the Middle East. Wine trade and exports flourished and so did consumption as thousands of crusaders flowed into and departed from the port of Brindisi.
Which people were responsible for re-establishing political stability in Puglia with their arrival in the 11th century?
The Normans.
The region was included within the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (which included most of southern Italy).
In the 13th century, Norman rule was handed over to who?
The German House of Hohenstaufen (Svevi) which inherited the Kingdom.
How did Puglia fair upon the end of the Norman-Hohenstaufen dynasty?
This meant another period of decline. The region passed through multiple ruling hands that were uninterested in the economic development of the Apulian territory. They increased the tax burden, filled their coffers and impoverished the region.
Who established control of Puglia in the early 18th century?
The Spansh Bourbon dynasty. Politicaly stability was restored, infrastrucutre was rebuilt (new roads and bridges and an overall policy of economic reform began. Agriculture and viticulture flourished.
This lasted until the region was annexed to the newly-created Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
How did the phylloxera outbreak affect Puglia?
Initially, it greatly boosted vineyard acreage and wine production. French and northern Italian and European merchants began to buy large volumes of bulk wine from this region to compensate for the wine shortag in the regions devastated by the louse. In just a few years, the area under vine tripled.
In the 1920s, phylloxer arrived to the region with disastrous effects. After recovery, the region focused solely on the production of deeply coloured, alcoholic, full-bodied vini da taglio.
