Gioia del Colle
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Gioia del Colle

Gioia del Colle (pronounced [ˈdʒɔːja del ˈkɔlle]; Barese: Sciò) is a town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres (1,180 ft) above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

Gioia del Colle is on the top of a hill at 360 m a.s.l. It is located in the southern part of the Murge, in the "Sella di Gioia del Colle". It is between the North-West Murge and the South-West Murge and the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. The municipal area has an area of 206.48 km2 and it reaches a maximum altitude of 435 m a.s.l. and a minimum of 296 m a.s.l. Its area borders to the North-West with Acquaviva delle Fonti, to the North with Sammichele di Bari, to the North-East with Turi, to the East with Putignano and Noci, to the South-East with Mottola, to the South with Castellaneta, to the South-West with Laterza and to the West with Santeramo in Colle.

The landscape is characterized by large wooded areas, in which the Macedonian oaks dominate, more than the downy oak. In particular the Bosco Romanazzi and Serra Capece constitute the most conspicuous part of the wooded area of Gioia del Colle and they extend from Mount Sannace archaeological area to the provincial road that leads to Noci.

The western part of the area is part of the North-West Murge, with isoipse that exceed 400 m a.s.l. towards Santeramo and Laterza, while the Eastern one is part of the South-East Murge, with isoipse over 400 m a.s.l. towards Noci. In the middle, on the contrary, there is a depression (saddle) with an average altitude of 340 m a.s.l., interrupted only by the 360-meter hill on which the city lies.

Gioia del Colle's climate is mediterranean (Köppen Csa), but it has peaks of continentality due to the altitude and the distance from the sea. Temperature varies between −2 e +12 °C in winter, while it varies between +18 e +35 °C with a high percentage of humidity in summer. Annual rainfall is around 600 mm. It often snows, about once a year, especially if there is cold air of Balkan origin.

The current town of Gioia del Colle was born around Castello Normanno-Svevo, a castle of Byzantine origins.

Its name derives from Joha, a reduction of the surname Joannakis. It was a Byzantine family present in these places in the Middle Ages, but there are many opinions and even legends on the origin of the toponym. One of the most famous is that according to a noble woman traveling in the lost area of jewels including a beautiful and precious necklace. The name "Gioia del Colle" was given to the place where the necklace was found. The complex and original history of the city of Gioia del Colle is also illustrated in its particular heraldic coat of arms: a goblet-shaped cup full of jewels and bordered by agricultural motifs. Unlike the coats of arms of the neighboring countries, that of Gioia del Colle, dating back to 1934, is not linked to any symbol depicting families, marquisates or duchies. It tells the presence of a heterogeneous civilization ranging from poverty to wealth, from crafts to large estates . It is inspired by a sculpture made in 1480 by Joannes de Rocca, on a stone walled in the University of Gioia's seat. It depicts three coats of arms: that of Gioia with the inscription Universitas Joe, the Aragonese one with the royal crown and that of the Acquaviva counts of Conversano.

The inhabited area was rebuilt by the Norman Richard of Hauteville, only to be destroyed by William I of Sicily. It was re-founded in 1230 by Frederick II of Swabia on his return from the Crusade. It seems that the castle was a residence where he stopped during his hunting trips. It was then completed by the Angevins who opened windows on the curtain.

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