The Gargano is a natural area located in the Province of Foggia (area of the Pouilles) in Italy. It corresponds primarily to solid mass mountainous called “spur of Italy” ( sperone of Italia ) which projects on 70 km in the Adriatic Sea, and delimits the gulf of Manfredonia. Towards the East, it extends until a course named the Testa del Gargano , while to the West it is attached to the solid mass of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, covering a total surface of almost 2000 km ². This area includes/understands the National park of Gargano.

The Gargano, only mountain entirely located in the area of Pouilles, was in the beginning a island, attached thereafter to the dry land by the progressive accumulation of alluvial deposits brought especially by the Torrent Candelaro. The septentrional, low and sandy band littoral, accommodates the coastal lake of Varano and the contiguous lake of Lesina. The solid mass, primarily made up of rocks Calcareous S, culminates to 1055 m of altitude to the Calvo mount (the “mount bald person”, with the significant name pointing out its stony and stripped slopes). It has an obvious morphology ic Karst, whose most interesting aspects are the many caves, inhabited since prehistory. In some of these caves, like in shelters - under - rock, one found objects manufactured going back to the Paléolithique. There are also burials of the age of Iron.

The internal part of the area, covered with thick forests, whose Foresta Umbra , is populated little. The inhabitants tend to gather in the coastal centers or with the foot of the mountains, tendency reinforced by the recent development of balneal tourism which was added to the traditional activities, the fishing and especially the Agriculture. A panoramic road follows practically all the perimeter of Gargano, concerning the majority of the important centers, like San Nicandro Garganico, Carpino, Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste, Mattinata and Manfredonia. Among the localities located in the interior of the solid mass, it is advisable to announce Monte Sant' Angelo, San Giovanni Rotondo and San Marco in Lamis, localities with the very attended sanctuaries which attest that Gargano always was, since the medieval time, the place of a great religious enthusiasm, grace also to re-elected Padre Pio.

Gargano, it is not only the sea, but also the culture and the traditions which are concretized at the time of big events such as:

• the Carnival Dauno di Manfredonia , with its famous processions of tanks and groups flokloric,
• in July, the cinematographic festival Vieste Film Fest ,
• in the first fortnight of August, the Carpino Folk Festival attracts each year of the thousands of tourists in the search of their own roots,
• after August 15th, Suoni in Undermined with Apricena, the jazz in the picturesque stone caves.

List communes of Gargano

See too

• Foggia
• National park of Gargano

External bonds

• National park of Gargano
• the Community of mountain of Gargano
• tourist Guide of Gargano
• Photograph gallery on Gargano
• Gargano - Pouilles- travels and tourism