Sava
Comune
Comune di Sava
Town square at Sava
Coat of arms
Location of Sava
Sava Location of Sava in Italy Show map of Italy Sava Sava (Apulia) Show map of Apulia
Coordinates: 40°24′N 17°34′E / 40.400°N 17.567°E / 40.400; 17.567
Country	Italy
Region	Apulia
Province	Taranto (TA)
Frazioni	Pasàno, Archignàno, Torre
Government
• Mayor	Dario Iaia
Area [1]
• Total	44.57 km2 (17.21 sq mi)
Elevation	108 m (354 ft)
Population  (31 December 2012)[2]
• Total	16,490
• Density	370/km2 (960/sq mi)
Demonym	Savesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	74028
Dialing code	099
Patron saint	San Giovanni Battista
Saint day	23 and 24 June
Website	Official website

Sava is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, Apulia, southeast Italy. With its 19000^[3] inhabitants, is one of the biggest town in the province.

It is a center of production of olive oil and of the wine Primitivo.

The nearby comuni are Maruggio, Torricella, Lizzano, Fragagnano, San Marzano di San Giuseppe, Francavilla Fontana and Manduria.

The main monuments of the city are the Mother Church, the Palazzo Baronale, the Mater Domini's Church, the Monastery's Church, the San Cosimo's Church and San Luigi's Church.

History

Some of the finds of the district of Agliano, dating from around 300 BC, attest to the Greek presence in the present territory of Sava. It was probably the last outpost towards the southern Salento, populated by Messapi. At the end of the 7th century AD, with the division of the Apulia region between Byzantines and Lombards, a wall built in dry limestone of modest size was built here. This limes ran from the Adriatic coast south of Brindisi up to the Ionian coast.

Although there are no documents proving the origins of the village of Sava, the majority of local historians agree that its foundation dates from the 15th century.

Sava, as the neighboring municipalities, has been characterized for most of the 20th century by emigration to northern Italy and, to a lesser extent, toward northern Europe.

On 19 August 1976 a powerful tornado struck the city of Sava and the surrounding countryside, until exhausting near Manduria; its passage led to intense rainfall and strong winds that caused extensive damage.