Mezzogiorno is an Italian term for the south of the country meaning ‘midday’, as with the south of France which is called the ‘midi‘, when the summer sun is at its hottest, and the streets are usually deserted. The Mezzogiorno consists of four regions, namely Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. However, David Gleave MW (1989, p.132) says that ‘although northerners will tell you that it begins once you leave Rome, it is generally held to start when you cross a line that stretches from the Gulf of Gaeta in the [east] to the Gargano massif in the [west].’

Bibliography

David Gleave, The Wines of Italy (Salamander Books, London, 1989).