Brindisi (ancient Brundisium), city in southern Italy, capital of the province of Brindisi, in the region of Apulia, a seaport on the Adriatic Sea. The city, an important trading center with the eastern Mediterranean, has factories producing chemicals and food products. Notable features in Brindisi include a castle built in the 13th century by Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire. During ancient times the city was the principal naval port of the Roman Empire in the Adriatic Sea. The Appian Way ended in Brindisi at a point marked by two columns, one of which still stands. The city declined with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Repeatedly sacked by the Saracens, it was rebuilt in the 11th century and served as a point of embarkation during the Crusades. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it became a port of call for ships traveling to and from eastern Asia. During World War I (1914-1918) Brindisi was an important naval station. Population (1997 estimate) 94,540.
