Grecìa Salentina
Region in Apulia, Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grecìa Salentina (Griko for "Salentine Greece") is an area in the peninsula of Salento in southern Italy, near the town of Lecce which is inhabited by the Griko people, an ethnic Greek minority[1] in southern Italy who speak Griko, a variant of Greek.
Greek: Γκρίκο
Grecìa Salentina
| |
|---|---|
Grico cultural group of Salento, Puglia | |
  Grecìa Salentina Location within Italy | |
| Coordinates: 40°21′N 18°10′E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Apulia |
| Geographic region | Salento |
| Population | 54,278 (2005) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Union of the Towns of Grecìa Salentina |
| • President | Casaluci Roberto |
| • Vice President | Tarantino Fabio |
| Demonym(s) | Italian: Griko Greek: Γκρίκο |
| Time zone | UTC+1 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 |
| Postal codes | 73001-73100, 72012-72015, 72017-72018, 72020-72027, 72029, 74100 |
| Website | www |
Overview
The Union of the Towns of Grecìa Salentina (Unione dei Comuni della Grecìa Salentina) consists of eleven towns and forms part of the province of Lecce in the administrative area of Apulia (Puglia), and was founded by the Griko population in 1966. The purpose of this union was to promote the knowledge of Griko and preserve its culture, by organizing research at the university, teaching the language at schools and publishing books and poetry in the endangered dialect.[2]
The following towns are members of the Union: Calimera, Martano, Castrignano dei Greci, Corigliano d'Otranto, Melpignano, Soleto, Sternatia, Zollino, Martignano, Carpignano Salentino and Cutrofiano.[3] Carpignano Salentino and Cutrofiano joined the Union in 2007, though the inhabitants of these two towns have not spoken Griko for two centuries.[4]
Demographics
| Town | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Martano | 9,588 |
| Carpignano Salentino | 3,868 |
| Castrignano de' Greci | 4,164 |
| Corigliano d'Otranto | 5,762 |
| Cutrofiano | 9,250 |
| Calimera | 7,351 |
| Martignano | 1,784 |
| Melpignano | 2,234 |
| Soleto | 5,551 |
| Sternatia | 2,583 |
| Zollino | 2,143 |
| Total | 54,278 |
Source:[5]
Sports
Since 2020, the Grecia Salentina Marathon has been organized every year and the route starts in Piazza del Sole, in the heart of Calimera, while passing through 9 more municipalities of Grecia Salentina.[6] In 2023, the football team AEK CROTONE (formerly Real Fondo Gesù) was founded in Crotone. The name and colors of the team refer to AEK of Athens.[7] In 2014, the football club HELLAS TARANTO was founded in Taranto.[8]