Castro, Apulia

Comune in Apulia, Italy

40°1′N 18°24′E / 40.017°N 18.400°E / 40.017; 18.400CountryItalyRegionApuliaProvinceLecce (LE)FrazioniCastro MarinaGovernment • MayorLuigi FersiniArea • Total4.56 km² (1.76 sq mi)Elevation100 m (300 ft)Population • Total2,395 • Density530/km² (1,400/sq mi)DemonymCastrensi or CastriotiTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeDialing code0836Patron saintMaria SS. Annunziata (principal) and Santa DoroteaSaint day25 April and 6 FebruaryWebsiteOfficial website

Castro (Salentino: Casciu) is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy.

History

Castro derives its name from Castrum Minervae (Latin for "Athena's castle"), which was an ancient town of the Sallentini, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Hydruntum. Its ancient temple of Minerva was said to have been founded by Idomeneus, who formed the tribe of the Sallentini from a mixture of Cretans, Illyrians and Italian Locrians (Central Greek tribe).^[3]

It is also said to have been the place where Aeneas first landed in Italy, the port of which he named Portus Veneris ("Port of Venus"). The temple had lost some of its importance in Strabo's day.^[3]

References