(brēnīdēzē)
, Latin Brundisium, city (1991 pop. 95,383), capital of Brindisi prov., in Apulia, S Italy. A modern port on the Adriatic Sea, it has been noted since ancient times for its traffic with Greece and the E Mediterranean. Manufactures include petrochemicals, plastics, and food products. Its excellent harbor was a Roman naval station, a chief embarkation point for the Crusaders (12th13th cent.), and an important Italian naval base in World War I. One of the two columns marking the terminus of the Appian Way still stands; Brindisi also has Romanesque churches, a fine cloister, and a castle built (13th cent.) by Emperor Frederick II.
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