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Salento (; Salentino: Salentu; Griko language: ) is a Cultural area, historical, and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot". It encompasses the entire Local government area of the Province of Lecce, most of the Province of Brindisi (all of it except Fasano, Ostuni and Cisternino), and the south-eastern part of the Province of Taranto (like Grottaglie and Avetrana, but not Taranto itself).
In the fourth century BC, the Roman Empire built the Appian Way or Via Appia, connecting the capital Rome to Apulia. The Romans expelled the Greeks and took control of the region in 272 BC. Under Roman rule, the region of Salento was known as Calabria, and it developed a flourishing agricultural economy growing wheat, and producing olive oil. Around 7 BC, emperor Augustus divided Roman Italy into regions, one of them being Regio II Apulia et Calabria. Emperor Diocletian (284-305) reorganized Italian regions into provinces, and the newly created province of Apulia and Calabria was placed under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy. The Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD, but the province continued to function under the Ostrogothic rule.
Since 569, the invading Lombards tried to conquer the region, but were pushed back by the Byzantines. Responding to those threats, remaining Byzantine territories in Italy were regrouped into several regions, or eparchies in 580, one of them being Calabria, that was encompassing not only ancient Roman Calabria (Salento), but also Lucania and Bruttium, thus laying foundation for the expansion of the term. Already by 584, the entire Italian Prefecture was reorganized into the Exarchate of Ravenna, that was encompassing the enlarged Calabria, but in time much of southern Italy fell under the rule of Lombard Duchy of Benevento.
The Saracen occupied Bari, Ugento, and Taranto in 847 AD, but the Byzantines still remained in the un-occupied regions of Salento. Following this occupation, the Saracens in 870 AD destroyed Ugento, and deported all the inhabitants of Ugento to Africa, which after the destruction of Ugento, Taranto was also destroyed by the Saracens. Byzantines succeeded in recapturing Bari, and also much of Apulia from the Lombards, and thus by the 10th century created a new theme (province) of Langobardia, that was encompassing Apulia with Salento, while the theme of Calabria was encompassing ancient Bruttium, and thus from that time the term Calabria gained its modern meaning, detached from Salento.
In 1016, the Normans arrived in Southern Italy, landing in Salerno. Apulia became governed in 1059 by the Norman Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, and this was the beginning of a period of prosperity for the region of Salento. Apulia became a part of the Holy Roman Empire under Henri VI von Hohenstaufen, followed by his son, the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II. Between 1266-1442, the French Angevins came to power and Apulia became part of the Kingdom of Naples, taken from the Kingdom of Sicily. Following the merger with Naples, the Kingdom of Naples became a part of the Crown of Aragon until 1458.
In 1713, Austria was granted Salento in the Treaty of Utrecht, although the Venetians and Ottoman Turks continued to attack the region. Following Austria being granted access, in 1734, the Battle of Bitonto, Spain defeatee Austria and took control of Apulia once more. In 1806, the abolition of Feudalism within the Kingdom of Naples under the France, near the start of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples.
In 1861, during the Risorgimento, Apulia joined the new Kingdom of Italy, after which the Catholic Church was forced to sell the majority of its land by the Kingdom.
The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters which provides suitable conditions for the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits and palm trees. The generally flat topography and surrounding seas can make Salento prone to windy weather year round.
Winters are mild and rainy with temperatures generally hovering in the teens °C during the day. Occasional bora winds from the northeast can bring colder temperatures to the east of the Italian Peninsula. Snowfall has been recorded as recently as 2017 but is generally very rare in coastal Salento. In contrast, southerly sirocco winds can bring warm temperatures of 20°C+ even during the midwinter months. seaside]]Alongside much of southern Italy, summers are hot, dry and sunny. While the seas which surround Salento moderate it from the extreme heat seen in Foggia and Basilicata, summer temperatures are still high with temperatures occasionally reaching 40°C or higher during heatwaves. Sirocco winds from the south occasionally deposit dust and sand from the Sahara in the coastal towns of Salento during such heatwaves. Humidity levels can be high and summer thunderstorms are not unknown.
Its borders are:
| + !Provinces !Comunes | |
| Lecce | Acquarica del Capo, Alessano, Alezio, Alliste, Andrano, Aradeo, Arnesano, Bagnolo del Salento, Botrugno, Calimera, Campi Salentina, Cannole, Caprarica di Lecce, Carmiano, Carpignano Salentino, Casarano, Castri di Lecce, Castrignano de' Greci, Castrignano del Capo, Castro, Cavallino, Collepasso, Copertino, Corigliano d'Otranto, Corsano, Cursi, Cutrofiano, Diso, Gagliano del Capo, Galatina, Galatone, Gallipoli, Giuggianello, Giurdignano, Guagnano, Lecce, Lequile, Leverano, Lizzanello, Maglie, Martano, Martignano, Matino, Melendugno, Melissano, Melpignano, Miggiano, Minervino di Lecce, Monteroni di Lecce, Montesano Salentino, Morciano di Leuca, Muro Leccese, Nardò, Neviano, Nociglia, Novoli, Ortelle, Otranto, Palmariggi, Parabita, Patù, Poggiardo, Porto Cesareo, Presicce, Racale, Ruffano, Salice Salentino, Salve, San Cassiano, San Cesario di Lecce, San Donato di Lecce, San Pietro in Lama, Sanarica, Sannicola, Santa Cesarea Terme, Scorrano, Seclì, Sogliano Cavour, Soleto, Specchia, Spongano, Squinzano, Sternatia, Supersano, Surano, Surbo, Taurisano, Taviano, Tiggiano, Trepuzzi, Tricase, Tuglie, Ugento, Uggiano la Chiesa, Veglie, Vernole, Zollino. |
| Brindisi | Brindisi, Carovigno, Cellino San Marco, Erchie, Francavilla Fontana, Latiano, Mesagne, Oria, Ostuni, San Donaci, San Michele Salentino, San Pancrazio Salentino, San Pietro Vernotico, San Vito dei Normanni, Torchiarolo, Torre Santa Susanna, Villa Castelli. |
| Taranto | Avetrana, Carosino, Faggiano, Fragagnano, Grottaglie, Leporano, Lizzano, Manduria, Maruggio, Monteiasi, Monteparano, Pulsano, Roccaforzata, San Giorgio Ionico, San Marzano di San Giuseppe, Sava, Taranto, Torricella. |
A 2-lane freeway connects Salento to Bari. The main railway line ends at Lecce. Other locations are served by regional railroads.
Leisure ports are those of: Taranto, Brindisi, Campomarino di Maruggio's tourist and leisure Marina, Gallipoli, Santa Maria di Leuca, Otranto.
Salento is a major holiday destination for the Italian gay population, developing around the southern town of Gallipoli, the lidos at Baia Verde and nearby naturist beaches. Salento Pride is celebrated annually.
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