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Otranto |
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Otranto (ô`träntō), town (1991 pop. 5,114), in Apulia, extreme S Italy, on the Strait of Otranto, which links the Adriatic and Ionian seas. It is a small fishing port and a seaside resort. Originally a Greek settlement, Otranto became an important port under the Romans. Later ruled by the Byzantines and the Normans, it never recovered from its devastation (1480) by the Turks. Of note are an 11th-century cathedral (restored 17th–18th cent.), with a fine mosaic floor (12th cent.), and the ruins of an imposing Aragonese castle (15th cent.) that provided the setting of Horace Walpole's Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. Otranto a small port in SE Italy, in Apulia on the Strait of Otranto: the most easterly town in Italy; dates back to Greek times and was an important Roman port; its ruined castle was the setting of Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto. Pop.: 5282 (2001) How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Originating as a formal literary tradition first in Europe with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764, and consisting of such figures as castles and abbeys, tyrannical aristocrats, and damsels in distress, the genre's main purpose is to terrify, to reflect the threats and anxiety that individuals and societies often confront. Readers are treated to stories of an apocalyptic being that hides in a Ukrainian village; a horror that dwells in Jack the Ripper's pocket watch; a crossroads in which the Castle of Otranto connects with the Depression Era South, and more. In The Castle of Otranto, students may find in Bianca, a lady's maid, a narrative functionary who offers only low, contrapunctual comedy; in Mrs. |
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