Monte Sant'Angelo

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Monte Sant'Angelo as a town appeared only in the 11th century. Between 1081 and 1103 Monte Sant'Angelo was the capital of a large Norman dominion under the control of Count Henry, who was a vassal of the Byzantine Empire. The grotto which houses the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel where, according to legend, St. Michael appeared in 490, 492 and 493, has been the site of many famous pilgrimages, which started from Mont Saint-Michel. Pope John Paul II visited the sanctuary in 1987.

In the 17th century the city became part of the Kingdom of Naples, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in 1861.

File:"Monte Sant`Angelo, ein mystischer Ort im Herzen des Gargano" 03.jpg

File:"Monte Sant`Angelo, ein mystischer Ort im Herzen des Gargano" 10.jpg

File:"Friedrich II. nutzte das Castel als Wohnsitz für seine Geliebte." 06.jpg

The most important attraction of Monte Sant'Angelo is the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo, built in the 13th century by Charles I of Anjou.

On June 25, 2011 the World Heritage Committee added the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant'Angelo to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Sanctuary is one of the seven groups of historic buildings included in the World Heritage Site "Longobards in Italy. Places of the power (568-774 A.D.)".

Other sights in Monte Sant'Angelo include:

• The Castle, with bastions of different ages. The most ancient part, called Torre dei Giganti ("Giants' Tower") is a pentagonal tower {{convert|18|m|ft}} high, with walls {{convert|3.7|m|ft}} thick. Its first recorded historical mention dates to 979. Later it was the residence of Rainulf I of Aversa and the Robert Guiscard, who built the Norman Tower and the Treasure Hall. Emperor Frederick II restored the construction to use it as residence for his mistress Bianca Lancia, while under the Angevins it was used mainly as prison. Later, from 1464 to 1485, the fortress was the residence of the exiled Albanian condottiero Skanderbeg. The castle was largely rebuilt in the late 15th century by Ferdinand I. According to legend, the castle is home to the ghost of Bianca Lancia (popularly known as "Biancalancia"), whose sighs can be heard especially in the winter.[http://www.montesantangelo.com/category/itinerari/il-castello/ Monte Santangelo – Il castello]
• The Tomb of Rothari (Baptistry of San Giovanni in Tumba), a baptistery dating from the 12th century accessible from the 18th century church of St. Peter. The portal has notable reliefs depicting biblical events.
• The church of Santa Maria Maggiore (11th and 12th centuries). The façade has blind arcades and a baldachin portal with sculpted frames. The interior has a nave and two aisles, divided by columns with sculpted capitals. The walls have Byzantine-style frescoes.
• Pulsano Abbey, at {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} from the city. It was built in 591 over a Pagan temple and was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1646.

Monte Sant'Angelo's economy is still largely based on agriculture and livestock breeding.{{cn|date=December 2023}} A certain tourist importance is related to the presence of the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel.

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The majority of the working population own farmland, raise cattle, run bakeries, restaurants, or stores. Often stores and businesses are family owned.

The population of Monte Sant'Angelo remains relatively small due to lack of employment in town. Often, young people leave to find work elsewhere. Due to this the majority of the population is retired and elderly.

Monte Sant'Angelo can be reached by road through the Foggia-Monte Sant'Angelo SP.55 provincial road. The SP.89 provincial road passes through the frazione of Macchia.

{{Weather box

|location = Monte Sant'Angelo (1991–2020)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|collapsed = yes

|Jan high C = 6.6

|Feb high C = 7.0

|Mar high C = 10.0

|Apr high C = 13.3

|May high C = 18.4

|Jun high C = 23.3

|Jul high C = 25.9

|Aug high C = 26.5

|Sep high C = 20.9

|Oct high C = 16.7

|Nov high C = 11.6

|Dec high C = 7.7

|year high C = 15.7

|Jan mean C = 4.1

|Feb mean C = 4.1

|Mar mean C = 6.7

|Apr mean C = 9.8

|May mean C = 14.5

|Jun mean C = 19.1

|Jul mean C = 21.6

|Aug mean C = 22.1

|Sep mean C = 17.0

|Oct mean C = 13.4

|Nov mean C = 9.0

|Dec mean C = 5.3

|year mean C = 12.2

|Jan low C = 2.1

|Feb low C = 1.9

|Mar low C = 4.2

|Apr low C = 6.9

|May low C = 11.3

|Jun low C = 15.6

|Jul low C = 18.0

|Aug low C = 18.6

|Sep low C = 14.3

|Oct low C = 10.9

|Nov low C = 6.9

|Dec low C = 3.4

|year low C = 9.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 46.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 35.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 42.6

|Apr precipitation mm = 43.9

|May precipitation mm = 46.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 40.2

|Jul precipitation mm = 27.1

|Aug precipitation mm = 29.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 72.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 56.0

|Nov precipitation mm = 68.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 54.7

|year precipitation mm = 562.3

|unit precipitation days = 1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 7.6

|Feb precipitation days = 6.5

|Mar precipitation days = 7.0

|Apr precipitation days = 7.9

|May precipitation days = 5.7

|Jun precipitation days = 4.2

|Jul precipitation days = 3.7

|Aug precipitation days = 3.8

|Sep precipitation days = 6.7

|Oct precipitation days = 6.4

|Nov precipitation days = 8.3

|Dec precipitation days = 8.8

|year precipitation days = 76.5

|Jan humidity = 76.7

|Feb humidity = 73.2

|Mar humidity = 69.2

|Apr humidity = 65.8

|May humidity = 64.2

|Jun humidity = 59.8

|Jul humidity = 56.4

|Aug humidity = 57.3

|Sep humidity = 69.0

|Oct humidity = 72.3

|Nov humidity = 77.9

|Dec humidity = 77.8

|year humidity = 68.3

| Jan dew point C = 0.4

| Feb dew point C = -0.5

| Mar dew point C = 1.0

| Apr dew point C = 3.0

| May dew point C = 6.9

| Jun dew point C = 9.8

| Jul dew point C = 10.8

| Aug dew point C = 11.6

| Sep dew point C = 10.9

| Oct dew point C = 8.4

| Nov dew point C = 5.5

| Dec dew point C = 1.9

| year dew point C = 5.8

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230830045538/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/MonteSAngelo_16258.csv

| archive-date = 30 August 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/MonteSAngelo_16258.csv

| title = Monte Sant'Angelo Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 30 August 2023}}

}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}

Monte Sant'Angelo is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|ITA}} San Michele Salentino, Italy (since 2007)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Vallecorsa, Italy (since 2009)
• {{flagicon|FRA}} Mont Saint-Michel, France (since 2010)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy (since 2013)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Bari, Italy (since 2013)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Assisi, Italy (since 2013)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Andria, Italy (since 2013)
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Alberobello, Italy (since 2013)

• Monte Sant'Angelo Castle
• Pulsano Abbey

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Monte Sant'Angelo}}

• [http://www.montesantangelo.it Official website]
• [http://www.ilgiornaledimonte.it News Il giornale di monte]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060507083514/http://www.garganonline.net/montesangelo.html Gallery of images] {{in lang|it}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060513190117/http://www.stupormundi.it/Monte.html The Castle] {{in lang|it}}
• [http://www.globopix.net/fotografie/gargano_4.html image gallery] {{in lang|it}}
• [http://www.montesantangelo.com montesantangelo.com] – City guide of Monte Sant'Angelo

{{Province of Foggia}}

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Category:Cities and towns in Apulia

Category:Burial sites of the Harodingian dynasty

Category:Borghi più belli d'Italia