Valenzano, Apulia
| Valenzano | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Valenzano | ||
| ||
  Valenzano Location of Valenzano in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 41°3′N 16°53′E / 41.050°N 16.883°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region |
 Apulia | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Bari (BA) | |
| Frazioni | San Lorenzo | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Antonio Lomoro | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 15 km2 (6 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 85 m (279 ft) | |
| Population (31 December 2010)[1] | ||
| • Total | 18,305 | |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Valenzanesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 70010 | |
| Dialing code | 080 | |
| Patron saint | St Roch, St Anthony of Padua | |
| Saint day |
15–16–17 August (St. Roch) 13 June (St. Anthony) | |
| Website | Official website | |
Valenzano is a town and comune in the province of Bari, in Apulia, Italy. It is home to several centers of scientific research, including Tecnopolis, one of the biggest of the Southern Italy in addition to The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB) part of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).
Sights include the All Saints' Church, a former 11th century abbey, and the late Renaissance church of St Roch. The baronial castle was reconstructed in 1870.
History
According to medieval historian Bonaventura da Lama, Valenzano was founded by a Greek man, named Valentinian or Valentian, who arrived in Apulia in the 8th-9th century escaping an invasion of Saracens. Historically, the area was inhabited in prehistoric and early historic times (up to 4th century BC) by the Peucetii, of Illyrian origins, as testified by funerary findings.