History of Francavilla Fontana
History of the municipality of Francavilla Fontana, Italy / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The history of Francavilla Fontana, a town in the Province of Brindisi, begins with the appearance in the Neolithic period of a village inhabited mainly by shepherds. Later, with the settlement first of the Messapians and later of the Romans, a medium-sized center arose. The present town of Francavilla was officially founded in 1310 by Philip I of Anjou, prince of Taranto, after the discovery of a Byzantine icon depicting a Madonna and Child. Due to the extensive concessions granted by Philip, the village developed rapidly, was surrounded by walls, towers and, in the 15th century, was also provided with a castle. From the second half of the 16th century to the middle of the 18th Francavilla was ruled by the Imperiali, considered the best feudal lords the fiefdom had: thanks to their patronage, nobles and artists arrived who, in keeping with the times, gave the town a Baroque appearance.