Rosso Barletta DOC

Rosso Barletta is a red Italian wine produced in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) region of Barletta, located in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani of north-central Apulia. The DOC is permitted to produce red wine only, made primarily from Uva di Troia, and is one of the few wine regions in Italy where Malbec is grown and permitted in a DOC wine. The DOC covers over 60 hectares (150 acres) that are planted to Uva di Troia, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Malbec. Rosso Barletta is noted in history for being the spark for a jousting skirmish, now known as the Challenge of Barletta, involving thirteen local Italian knights against thirteen French knights, following an evening of drinking too much Barletta wine. According to the Italian Trade Commission, when the wine region was officially recognised it retained the name Rosso Barletta in commemoration of the historic connection between the region's wine and the event.

The Challenge of Barletta

The prelude to the Challenge of Barletta occurred when the French knight Charles de Touques, Monsigneur de La Motte was having dinner at an inn in Barletta. He was served the red wine from the area, and according to reports by Prospero Colonna, grand captain of the army stationed at Barletta, La Motte overindulged in the wine and became uncivil, insulting nearby Italian knights. To defend their honour, the Italians challenged the Frenchmen to a joust, to be held on 13 February 1503. The French knights were defeated by the Italians and the French then left the area.

Rosso

Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The Arabic name is Al-Quwarib.

History

Rosso was once the capital of the Emirate of Trarza, a Precolonial Sahrawi dominated state.

Under French colonial rule Senegal and Mauritania were administered as a single entity. When independence came, the new frontier was drawn along the Senegal River, thus splitting the small town of Rosso in two. This article refers to Mauritanian Rosso, on the northern bank of the river.

Originally a staging-post for the gum arabic trade, Rosso has grown rapidly since independence. From a population of a mere 2 300 in 1960 it has now overtaken Kaédi to become the 3rd largest city in the country with 48 922 inhabitants (2000 census).

Languages

South-western Mauritania is predominantly a Wolof -speaking area but many members of Mauritania's other ethnic groups have moved to the town to escape the severe problems of desertification further north.

Rosso (bus company)

Rosso is the trading name of Rossendale Transport Ltd, a bus operator providing services in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire. It is owned by Rossendale Borough Council.

History

Rosso can trace its history back to 1907 when both Rawtenstall and Haslingden Corporations (both independently) ran a motor bus within their boroughs. Both undertakings merged in 1968 to form Rossendale Joint Transport Committee and later in 1974 with the local government reorganisation the boroughs were merged, along with Bacup (which was already served by Rossendale buses; Bacup Borough not having its own bus company) and Whitworth to form the present Borough of Rossendale.

To comply with the Transport Act 1985, in 1986 the assets were transferred to a new legal entity.

It expanded over the following 20 years and now operates buses throughout Rossendale, Bury and Rochdale as well as operating into Burnley, Blackburn, Bolton and Todmorden.

In August 2013, the Rossendale Transport bus network was rebranded (with a new livery design of red, orange, yellow and white) as Rosso.

Rosso (disambiguation)

Rosso, Italian for red, can also mean several things

See also

Barletta

Barletta  listen  is a city and comune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population is around 94,000.

Barletta is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor (perhaps Theodosius II). This statue, called "Eraclio" by the inhabitants of Barletta, about 4 meters tall, is the biggest statue from the late Roman Empire (i.e. the Roman Empire after Constantine). According to a local folk story, Eraclio saved the city from a Saracen attack. Seeing the Saracen ships approaching Barletta's coast, Eraclio waited for them on the sea shore. Here Eraclio acted as if he was crying so the Saracens asked him why he was sad and Eraclio answered that he was sad because he was the smallest among Barletta's inhabitants and so everybody made fun of him. The Saracens thought that Barletta's inhabitants were all giants so left the coast, fearing to face them.

In 1503 Barletta was the location of the disfida di Barletta ("Joust of Barletta"), a battle during which 13 Italian knights commanded by Ettore Fieramosca challenged and defeated an equal number of French knights who were at the time prisoners of war, in a joust held near Andria. This episode was documented in 1833 by Massimo d'Azeglio, who wrote the novel "Ettore Fieramosca o la Disfida di Barletta". In the book the author regards this episode as one of the earliest manifestations of Italian national pride.

Barletta (disambiguation)

Barletta is a town and former Metropolitan see in Apulia in south-eastern Italy.

Barletta can also refer to: