| Monte Sant'Angelo | |||||||||||||||||
| Official Name: | Comune di Monte Sant'Angelo | ||||||||||||||||
| Shield Alt: | Coat of arms of Monte Sant'Angelo | ||||||||||||||||
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom | ||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates: | 41.7°N 73°W | ||||||||||||||||
| Region: | Apulia | ||||||||||||||||
| Province: | Foggia (FG) | ||||||||||||||||
| Frazioni: | Marina di Monte Sant’Angelo (Macchia), Ruggiano | ||||||||||||||||
| Mayor: | Pierpaolo d'Arienzo | ||||||||||||||||
| Area Total Km2: | 242 | ||||||||||||||||
| Population Footnotes: | [1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Population Total: | 11160 | ||||||||||||||||
| Population As Of: | 31 March 2024 | ||||||||||||||||
| Population Demonym: | Montanari | ||||||||||||||||
| Elevation M: | 796 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saint: | St. Michael | ||||||||||||||||
| Day: | September 29 | ||||||||||||||||
| Postal Code: | 71037 | ||||||||||||||||
| Area Code: | 0884 | ||||||||||||||||
| Footnotes: |
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Monte Sant'Angelo (Foggiano: Neapolitan: Mónde) is a town and comune of Apulia, southern Italy, in the province of Foggia, on the southern slopes of Monte Gargano. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[2]
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.
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 of Monte Sant'Angelo include:
Monte Sant'Angelo's economy is still largely based on agriculture and livestock breeding. A certain tourist importance is related to the presence of the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel.
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 men 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.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy. Monte Sant'Angelo is twinned with:
San Michele Salentino, Italy (since 2007) Vallecorsa, Italy (since 2009)
Mont Saint-Michel, France (since 2010) San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy (since 2013) Bari, Italy (since 2013) Assisi, Italy (since 2013) Andria, Italy (since 2013) Alberobello, Italy (since 2013)