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Accadia
—  Comune  —
Comune di Accadia
Accadia Location of Accadia in Italy
Coordinates: 41°10′N 15°20′E / 41.167°N 15.333°E / 41.167; 15.333Coordinates: 41°10′N 15°20′E / 41.167°N 15.333°E / 41.167; 15.333
Country	Italy
Region	Puglia
Province	Foggia (FG)
Frazioni	Agata delle Noci
Area
- Total	30.48 km2 (11.8 sq mi)
Elevation	650 m (2,133 ft)
Population (31 December 2003)[1]
- Total	2,666
- Density	87.5/km2 (226.5/sq mi)
- Demonym	Accadiesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	71021
Dialing code	0881
Patron saint	Saint Sebastian
Saint day	20 January
Website	Official website

Accadia is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Sixty years ago the borders of this province were adjusted. Until then it was just within the eastern frontier of the region of Campania in the Province of Avellino.

Archeologists believe that it began its existence as a cult center for the agricultural goddess Acca Larentia, and it is well attested on maps from the Roman period, making it one of the oldest continuously settled places in the region. Interestingly it is possible to spell the name of the town in Greek with the letters HDA.

Today it is a town with a small population in winter and a much larger population in summer (roughly three thousand and fifteen thousand, respectively) when many of its migrant labour force return home to take up temporary residence and visit family.

It is not far from Foggia on the rich agricultural plains of the Tavoliere delle Puglie in the east, nor from Naples to the west and occupies a hilltop at 600 metres of elevation.

In the past it had a much larger population than it does today. A Neapolitan army sacked it during the Bourbon period. They also took the gates of the town as booty, and these are still to be seen in the civic museum in Naples to this day. These events are recorded on an interesting frieze on the clock tower on the main square in the centre of the town. There is also one remaining Roman arch at a former entrance to the town.

In addition there is extensive redevelopment of the formerly inhabited old quarter of town, which was abandoned after an earthquake in the 1930s. This was when a large portion of the towns population emigrated and established a colony in Buffalo, in upstate New York. The Accadians are also well represented in many other parts of the world including Munster in Germany, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Toronto, Canada and Miami, Florida.

References

From Wikitravel

Accadia [1] is a city in the province of Foggia in the region of Apulia (Puglia), Italy.