History
Coming to "possible" things , presumably decisive for the birth of Rodi Garganico was the advent of the Lombards in Apulia and Gargano, after having defeated the Byzantines; in fact, historical data in our possession positively intertwined with the linguistic data mentioned above. In fact, the Lombards operated a deep restructuring of the Gargano area, and it is in this restructuring that we can glimpse the origins of Rodi Garganico. As S. Fulloni writes, "[...] the conquest of the Lombards had fundamental consequences for the territory, because now the Lombards counted on a strategic stronghold in the East from which they exercised control functions.
Moreover Grimoaldo I (615-661) granted Bishop Barbato of Benevento (602-683) the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Siponto, which was till now an independent Diocese. The entire Gargano then fell under the influence of the Lombards [...]" (See S. Fulloni, “L'Abbazia dimenticata: La Santissima Trinità sul Gargano tra Normanni e Svevi” ["The Lost Abbey: The Holy Trinity on the Gargano between Normans and Swabians"], Liguori, 2006: 41). The great difficulty in clearly identifying the site of Rodi Garganico shows that the location was just one of many "Vici" (villages) or "villas" which was scattered Gargano, and were located next to the small ports; just it is sufficient to recall that, still in the sixteenth century, the town was called "oppidulum Rode” [“ small fortified town of Rodi"].
The territorial structure of the Gargano in Lombard age has been well described by G. Volpe (“Contadini, pastori e mercanti nella Apulia Tardoantica” [“Farmers, Herders and Traders in Late Apulia "], Edipuglia, 1996: 192 et seq.), who stresses that “ attitude housing of the Gargano is largely unknown, but some 'vici' assumed some importance just in time by Lombard street development, which took in Gargano an acceleration for the birth of the Shrine of St. Michael, to which the Lombards were particularly devout, and that it became the subject of an ongoing pilgrimage of the faithful. Born therefore such as a " fortified vicus" in Lombard age, historical data confirmed that Rodi had then a strengthened under the dominion of the Normans, since in this period "were enlarged the castles of Manfredonia and Monte Sant'Angelo, and was 'built' the castles Celenza, Valfortore, Panni and Rodi Garganico” (See“La Puglia tra Medioevo ed età moderna” ["Puglia between Medieval and Early Modern Age"], Electa, 1971: 178).
From the Norman-Swabian period the information about the city are more certain. We know the vicissitudes of the city under Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250), when, such as an ally, it was destroyed by the Venetians, who at that time were also plying their trade in Apulia. After the Swabian domain, the city was ruled by the Aragonese, which should strengthen the ancient Norman-Swabian castle, which still constitutes a major point of attraction of the town, which, in this sector, has developed a lot, offering beautiful beaches with fine sand (the poet of the sixteenth century C. Pinto, in Latin verse, metaphorically called the town the "Formosa Rhodos nivea arenae" ["The beautiful Rodi with the sand as white as snow"]), a clean sea and an artistic heritage of great value.
Etymology
As regards the etymology, the issue, according to M. Manicone is as follows: "[...] The origins of Rodi Garganico, according to tradition, would be connected to the colonization of the Greek Rodians , while others (Sabatini) retain it a Lombard place name; and other that it coincide with the "Portus Garneae" that Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) mentions before the 'Lacus Pantanus' [...] "(See" Athenaeum ", 1992, vol. 79: 202, note 20). We find an "ironic" review of the many etymologies proposed for Rodi Garganico in M. Manicone, who writes: "[...] Paciucchelli (17th century) believe that Rodi was a colony of Siponto (...) Ambrogio Calepino (1440-1510) and Filippo Ferrari (17th century) believe that it is the ancient "Uria". Other believe that Rodi is so named because it was founded by the Rodians. Filippo Cluverio (1580-1622) believes that there were two cities, one called "Uriah" and other "Irio”, which was located where today there is Rodi (...) Alberti (1898-1962) believed that Rodi is derived from the term “Rore” (dew) (...) And the etymology of Rodi from “Rore” is really ridiculous (...) Several geographers also say that the ancient “Portus Garnae” is where today there is Rodi [...]" (See M. Manicone, "La Fisica Daunia", Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2005: 48-49).
Faced with a similar summary of proposals, certainly M. Manicone is not entirely wrong to write ironically about the value of etymologies. However, even in a situation really confused, we can do some appropriate considerations. Many scholars believe that Rodi Garganico is of Lombard origin. It 's true that the area around the city was inhabited even in prehistoric times, but the name "Rodi" has indeed a strong Lombard matrix. Linguistic studies, in this sense, offer a lot of material difficult to refute. Professor N. Francovich Onesti has made an important study on the lexicon in Lombard Italy, with very interesting results about the root "-Rod", which refers to a family name very common among the Lombards; in the sense of "fame" or "famous" “bold”, “valiant”:" [...] 'Hrod' ('fame') appears as 'Chrotha', 'Rode', Rodel, Rodi, Hrot, Chroth, Rhoda, Roth, Rod, Rot, Rop (...) and form the hypocoristic names Hrodo, Rotto (Lucca), Rodi (Benevento, Rieti) Rodulo-us (Lucca), Rodingo (Lucca) [in linguistics, the 'hypocoristic name' is a phonetic modification of a personal name, a 'shortening']; (...) Then "Hrode '(' bold ') forms some male names like Rachi, Rode, Rod, Rop [...]" (See N. Francovich Onesti, “Vestigia Longobarde in Italia (568-774). Lessico e Antroponimia” [Lombards Remains in Italy (568-774): Lexicon and Antroponimy [“Personal names”] " Artemide, 1999: 23 and 223).
So the linguistic studies confirm the hypothesis of Professor Sabatini, who believes "Rodi" a Lombard name (See F. Sabatini, “Riflessi Linguistici della dominazione Longobarda nell'Italia Mediana e Meridionale”, Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere 'La Colombaria', Firenze, XXVIII (1963-'64), pp. 125-149). However, the area of Rodi Garganico was inhabited since prehistory; A. Palma di Cesnola writes that "[...] Mount Gargano has revealed a rich industry of the ancient “Clatonian” (...) And the most important field is undoubtedly the mouth of the river "Romandato " (town of Rodi Garganico) [...]" (See A. Palma Cesnola, F. Mallegni, "Le Paléolithique Inférieure et moyen en Italie", Edition J. Millon, 1996 : p. 58). Turning now to the historical period, only "apparently" more accountable, some divulgers will almost for granted that the "Portus Garnae" of Pliny the Elder coincides with the submerged port of Rodi Garganico, a location that, according to the authoritative opinion of the great German historian Theodor Mommsen (1817-1903), coincided with the ancient town named "Uria Garganica”.
But there are many doubts in this regard by contemporary critics, "Maybe there was a 'Uria Garganica,’ observed Sirago and Volpe, but the interpretation is not so sure "(See V.A. Sirago, G. Volpe, “Puglia Romana”, Edipuglia, 1993: 11 footnote 27). As for the presence of the port, the uncertainties are even greater: “We can assume some even landing on the northern coast of the promontory, near the valley of Carpino, Lesina and Varano, where they were reported submerged structures, writes G. Volpe, but on those few items we have today. Finally, it is difficult to propose a location of ports known by the literary sources, such as the 'Portus Garnae' of Pliny the Elder,” all the more so as, we add, that the famous “Portus” we do not know if it was located in Rodi or Vieste, a problem still debated by scholars (See G. Volpe, "The Daunia in the Romanization Age", 1990: p. 100).