Santeramo in Colle (Santermano: ) is a town in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia, southern Italy.
Its current name comes from St Erasmus, martyr of the Diocletian era and patron saint of the city who, according to legend, is responsible for its founding.
Physical geography
By altitude, Santeramo in Colle is the highest municipality in the metropolitan city of Bari.
The countryside has the typical geomorphological features of the karst territory: a limestone substrate, with rocky out croups and the presence of lamas (Lamalunga, Lamadavruscio, Lamadispina, Lamasinara, Lamadilupo), jazzi (Iazzitello, Iazzo vecchio, Iazzo Sava, Iazzo De Laurentiis, Iazzo De Luca), Sinkhole e Ponor, courts (Corte Finocchio, Curtocarosino, Curtolevacche, Curtopasso, Curtolafica), parks (Parco Giovanni, Parco Lanzano, Parconuovo, Parco del Trullo, Parco Sava, Parco Caldara), lakes (Lago Travato, Lagolupino, Lagolaguardia, Lagopalumbo, Lacometana), mountains (Montefungale, Montefreddo), wells (Pozzo Leone, Pozzopoveriello), fountains (Fontana di tavola, Fontanarosa).
Morphology
Morphological and vegetative articulation allows to identify three distinct areas: the woods, the Murge, the matine.
Woods
The wooded area of the territory is the located area in the direction of Bari, so called because in ancient times it saw the presence of vast extensions of oak forest extensions, today almost completely extinct, which have given way to cultivated land and heavily man-made areas. Also on via Alessandriello there is the Denora wood, while on the way to Matera there is the Parata wood.
The Murge
The Murge are the element that most characterizes the territory of Santeramo and are mainly made up of limestone rocks, which cross from South to North from Serrone to Murgia Sgolgore. Particular are the Quite, on via Alessandriello, characterized by an orderly mesh of dry stone walls (i parate), trulletti (i casédde) and specchie.
The matine
The Matine, in the direction of Matera, are represented by a vast plain, once marshy, which constitutes the fertile area of the santermano territory and is characterized by extensive cereal cops and the presence of numerous rural settlements.
The caves
The territory is characterized by numerous karst cavities that create a dense network of underground tunnels.
Climate
The climate of Santeramo is a temperate continental climate, due to the altitude and the distance from the sea.
The temperature in winter is around +4 °C, while in summer it fluctuates around +21 °C with a high percentage of humidity.
Annual rainfall is around 600 mm. In winter, snow frequently falls, especially in the presence of cold air of Balkan origin, with sometimes considerable accumulations.
In the winter months, fog is frequent, especially in anticyclonic conditions or with southern humid currents, coming from the Ionian Sea.
Santeramo appears to be the coldest place among those falling in the metropolitan city of Bari.
The Italian climatic class is D, the degrees day are 1884.
Origins of the name
The toponym Santeramo has medieval origins.
Several hypotheses have been advanced on the city name, among which there is one that claims it may refer to a place of worship: Santo Luogo dell'Eremo, with the presence of an adjoining monastery, built after the XI secolo, to which it was probably introduced the adjective of "Santo". The first document, confirming this hypothesis, which refers to the toponym "Ad Sanctum Eramum" (Santo Eramo / Eramo Santo) appears for the first time in a document "Privilege of Costance", preserved, in original, in the Tabulario di Santa Maria la Nova, and is dated Palermo 1996 December, XVI Ind. Ad Sanctum Eramum probably referred to the role played by the Machaelic cult in the territory. The hermitage of Sant'Angelo.
Another, however, supports the reference to the Martyr Erasmian, a hypothesis also supported by many local scholars. There are paper references from the XII secolo (there is a charta dated to 1180). The cult of S.Erasm must have been widespread since before the XI century.
History
The Antica Lupatia
The history of pre-Roman Santeramo - the ancient city of Peuceta
The modern town of Santeramo, made up of curved walls, is set on an area of very ancient frequentation. The foundations of the ancient town are formed by three side by side alignments of shapeless limestone blocks, with a foundation thickness of 30–40 cm. Floor beaten in concotto and tuff.