La divisione del feudo di Locorotondo A.D. 1579

Locorotondo stands out for many beautiful things, but there is one thing that sets us apart: we are always divided in two. We have two patrons, Saint George and Saint Roch, two workers’ associations, two tourist information points, the Pro Loco and the infopoint, two bands, and we host two major festivals, Locus and Viva! Historically, we had two distinctly separate political groups, the Senussi and the Bedouins. Over the years, there have also been two football teams competing in the same league. Not too long ago, there was also a strong opposition between residents of the town center and those in the countryside. But why do we tend to split in two? The answer might lie in history.

Pro Loco Locorotondo with the amateur theater group “Metti Amore” from the association I Briganti will stage precisely this glimpse of our history on Thursday, July 24, at 8:00 PM. This event, part of “Living History,” is now in its fourth year thanks to the support of BCC Locorotondo.

After recounting the 1914 murder, the destruction of the castle, and the arrival of the relics of Saint Felicissima, we come to this curious episode that likely caused many difficulties for the local population.

In 1528, the Locorotondo fief belonged to the Carafa family under the rule of Charles V of Habsburg, whose territories included the Kingdom of Naples. In the War of the League of Cognac (1521-1526), opposing Charles V and the Republic of Venice, the Carafa family and the people of Locorotondo decided to side with the Venetians (could this be the origin of the name of the San Marco district?). After the war, King Charles V sought revenge. The fief was seized in 1528 and assigned to the baron of Carovigno, Giovan Gaspare di Loffredo. The transfer, however, needed to be finalized with the signature of King Charles V, who was then engaged in war. Giovan Gaspare died before the fief was confirmed, and his inheritance passed to his son Donato Antonio. He too, until 1531, remained without royal authorization. On January 16, 1534, the Spanish court assigned the fief of Locorotondo to Spaniard Fernando de Figueroa, distinguished in wars in Italy. Donato Antonio opposed this document. The court sought a solution through a compromise: dividing the fief in two.

There was a public ceremony on June 29, 1579, with a draw on the parvis of the Chiesa Madre: two urns containing, in one, the names of the two feudal lords, Scipione di Loffredo and Fernando II de Figueroa, and in the other, the division of the fief into two parts. The 1579 map perfectly describes the topography of Locorotondo. The division included, on one side, the castle and the church, and on the other, the baronial palace and the entire right part. Through a public draw conducted by Archpriest Don Domenico Pentassuglia, the left part of Locorotondo was assigned to Scipione di Loffredo and the right part to Gomez de Figueroa. Until January 14, 1602, the town had two administrations with their own officials. In 1602, the town was reunified by the Borrassa family.

Locorotondo (Bari)
Giuseppe Garibaldi Municipal Villa
Locorotondo
8:00 PM
free entry
recommended age for children: 4 years and up