Cisternino

Cisternino
—  Comune  —
Comune di Cisternino
Coat of arms
Cisternino Location of Cisternino in Italy
Coordinates: 40°44′N 17°26′E / 40.733°N 17.433°E / 40.733; 17.433Coordinates: 40°44′N 17°26′E / 40.733°N 17.433°E / 40.733; 17.433
Country	Italy
Region	Apulia
Province	Brindisi (BR)
Frazioni	Caranna, Casalini, Marinelli, Sisto
Government
- Mayor	Mario Luigi Convertini
Area
- Total	54 km2 (20.8 sq mi)
Elevation	392 m (1,286 ft)
Population (December 31, 2004)[1]
- Total	12,052
- Density	223.2/km2 (578/sq mi)
Demonym	Cistranesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	72014
Dialing code	080
Patron saint	San Quirico
Saint day	July 15
Website	Official website

Cisternino is a comune in the province of Brindisi in Puglia, on the south-east Italy coast approximately 50 kilometers north-west of the city of Brindisi. Its main economic activities are tourism, the growing of olives and grapes and dairy farm products.

Cisternino sits in a historic zone of Itria Valley (in Italian: Valle d'Itria), known for its prehistoric conical, dry stone buildings, trulli (that are preserved under UNESCO legislation due to cultural significance), dry stone walls (muretti a secco) and its fertile soil making it home to the Salento wine region.

Main sights

The architecture is typical of the region with an old Centro Storico (Historical Centre) containing white washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches. The town also features several community squares, each of which are build on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular landscapes.

In Cisternino and the surrounding area there have been several Bronze Age finds, including different types of hand tools. Evidence would suggest that the region was also a seasonal home to ancient hunter gatherer humans.

Food

Broad bean purée with wild chicory (fave e cicorie selvatiche), orecchiette con braciole e polpette (a particular shape of pasta with tomato sauce, meatball and beef chop) and "bombette" (a type of roasted pork meatball) are three typical dishes of Cisternino cuisine.

Transport

Public transport in Cisternino is minimal, with a large proportion of the inhabitants relying on their own means of transport. However, there are buses to nearby Fasano which also houses the nearest major train station.

The nearest airports are in the cities of Bari and Brindisi which are both less than one hour’s drive from Cisternino.

Twin towns

• Kreuzlingen, Switzerland

References

1. ^ Population from ISTAT

External links

• Official website (Italian)
• Cisternino on www.Comuni-Italiani.it
• Cisternino Tourist Association (Italian)