Cerignola

Cerignola (Italian pronunciation: [tʃeriɲˈɲɔːla]) is a town and comune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast from the town of Foggia. It has the third-largest land area of any comune in Italy, at 593.71 square kilometres (229.23 sq mi), after Rome and Ravenna. History Cerignola occupies the site of Furfane, a station on the Via Traiana between Canusium and Herdoniae. It was a municipium during the Roman Empire and was rebuilt after a great earthquake in 1731, and has a considerable agricultural trade. In 1503 the Spaniards under Gonzalo de Córdoba defeated the French under Louis d'Armagnac (6th Duke of Nemours) below the town, a victory which ensured Spain the rule over the kingdom of Naples (see battle of Cerignola). It is the native town of philologist Nicola Zingarelli, founder of the Zingarelli Italian dictionary, and syndicalist Giuseppe Di Vittorio. Achille LaGuardia, father of Fiorello LaGuardia, Mayor of New York, originated from here. Rosso di Cerignola DOC The Italian wine DOC of Rosso di Cerignola is designated for red wine production only. Grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 14 tonnes/ha with the finished wine required to have at least 12% alcohol. The wine is a blend of at least 55% Uva di Troia, 15-30% Negroamaro, and up to 15% of an assortment of Sangiovese, Barbera, Montepulciano, Malbec and Trebbiano. If the wine is labeled as Riserva then the wine must have been aged at least two years in oak barrels/wood with a minimum alcohol level of 13%. Main sights The Cathedral. The Chiesa Madre of St. Francis of Assisi (11th-12th centuries). Torre Alemanna (13th century), in the frazione Borgo Libertà. Church of Beata Vergine del Monte Carmelo (16th century). Palazzo Cirillo-Farrusi. Piano delle Fosse del Grano. Transportation Cerignola has a station on the Pescara-Bari main railroad, served by regional trains. It has also a gate on the A14 Bologna-Taranto Motoryway and one on the A16 Napoli-Canosa Motorway. Provincial roads connect it to the main centre in the region as well. Public bus service in the town is provided by STUC company. International relations Twin towns — Sister cities Cerignola is twinned with: Vizzini, Italy Montilla, Spain Nemours, France References Sources This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. External links Official website (Italian)