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| Pacentro in Abruzzo Italy - Home of Madonna Ciccone |
Lapidarius L’Aquila
Pacentro is a comune of a little more than one thousand people in the province of L’Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is a quaint medieval village located in the central part of Italy several kilometers from the elegant city of Sulmona about 170km east of Rome.
Pacentro lies in the Apennine Mountain Range on a plateau below Mount Morrone and just above the Peligna Valley and the City of Sulmona. It is part of the Majella National Park (Parco Nazionale della Majella). The town is renowned for its fresh clean mountain water that comes from the snow of the Majella.
The town boasts a medieval castle dating back to the 7th centrury. Three of its four towers remain mostly intact. The castle was sold by the Cipriani-Avolio family to the town government in 1957. It is now being restored and will be opened as a tourist attraction. Through its history, the town was successively in the feudal domain of the Caldora’s, Orsini’s, the Baron De Sanctis, the Colonna’s, Princes Barberini, and lastly the Marchese Recupito di Raiano. The local nobility and gentry such as the powerful Rossi family controlled most local affairs while their masters generally remained in Rome or Naples.
Pacentro is known in history for its fine craftsmen and artisans. It was home to fine silk weavers, stone masons, cabinet makers, carpenters, tailors, potters, and artists. A few of these skills still survive in the town today. This area of Abruzzo was directly affected by some of the most severe fighting in World War II. On the other side of the Maiella mountains from Pacentro, was the famous German Gustav Line. Many of the towns near the German defenses were bombed or destroyed, but Pacentro’s geographic position of being tucked into a mountain pass preserved it from aerial bombardment. The population of the whole town was evacuated by the Germans just before Christmas 1943. This event was known as the sfollamento. The only major structural loss was the destruction of the historic mulino (town mill) by retreating German troops. When the Pacentrani returned however, found many of their crops ruined, animals slaughtered and personal property stolen. After the war, many of the men emigrated to other parts of Italy, the United States, South America or Australia to find work. This eventually led to the severe depopulation of the town by the 1970’s.
Pacentro is a remarkably well preserved Italian hill town that features some excellent examples of medieval, renaissance, and baroque architecture. The main church of Santa Maria della Misericordia dates from the 16th Century and contains great works of religious art, statuary, and stucco. The church has the second tallest bell tower in the area and is visible for miles. The church is the sanctuary of the relics of San Crescenzo, a Roman Legionary who converted to Christianity. It has a wonderful baroque carved wood pulpit and side altars commissioned by the local nobility. It is remarkably large and well ornamented for a village of this size.
Other churches include the 12th Century San Marcello Church, The 18th Century Church of the Madonna di Loreto, the small Church of San Marco Evangelista (originally the Rossi Family Chapel of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori)and the fantastic 16th Century Convent Church of SS. Concezione. The convent church contains a rare painting of the Immaculate Conception by the famous Flemish artist Bartholomeus Spranger, finely carved choir stalls and the side altars and crypts of the Di Lorenzo, Lucci and Granata families of Pacentro. For more details on the churches of Pacentro see the parish website: Parrocchia di S. Maria della Misercordia
In July is the “Festa del Ritorno”, an event organized by the “Cooperativa Agricola Rivera Pacentro” in honor of the people who emigrated in the past century from this town. In August is the Rievocazione Storica, a medieval festival celebrating the times of the Caldora lords featuring medieval coEdit HTMLstumes and parades at the castle. The Festa of the Madonna di Loreto is the first Sunday in September and is very popular with a procession and an exciting barefoot race (Corsa degli Zingari) from the Mountains to the Church.
The population of Pacentro peaked in 1911 with over 4000 inhabitants. Today it hosts only just under 1300. Many of the residents emigrated to the United States, Latin America and Australia. There are many clubs and cultural associations for Pacentrani and their descendants around the world. The Associazione Culturale Pacentrana is based in Pacentro and publishes a monthly magazine named “Un Mese in Pacentro” that features cultural and historical articles about Pacentro as well as current events and photos of Pacentrani around the world. There are Pacentro Clubs in Detroit, Youngstown, OH, Paterson, NJ and other cities.
Pacentro is a comune of 1279 inhabitants of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is a well preserved historic medieval village located in the central part of Italy, several kilometers from the City of Sulmona about 170 km east of Rome. Pacentro has recently been nominated as one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia" (the most beautiful villages in Italy).
Pacentro is also known for being the village of origin of the father of the entertainer Madonna. To the north of the town lies the Province of Teramo, also in Italy’s Abruzzo Region. Many people from this province have also emigrated to America. Perhaps the best know group came from the village of Valle San Giovannni and emigrated to Penns Grove, NJ.
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Villa Casale.. .
Pacentro lies in the Apennine Mountain Range on a plateau below Mount Morrone and just above the Peligna Valley and the City of Sulmona. It is part of the Majella National Park (Parco Nazionale della Majella). The town is renowned for its fresh clean mountain water that comes from the snow of the Majella.
The town boasts a medieval castle dating back to the 7th centrury. Three of its four towers remain mostly intact. The castle was sold by the Cipriani-Avolio family to the town government in 1957. It is now being restored and will be opened as a tourist attraction. Through its history, the town was successively in the feudal domain of the Caldora’s, Orsini’s, the Baron De Sanctis, the Colonna’s, Princes Barberini, and lastly the Marchese Recupito di Raiano. The local nobility and gentry such as the powerful Rossi family controlled most local affairs while their masters generally remained in Rome or Naples.
Pacentro is known in history for its fine craftsmen and artisans. It was home to fine silk weavers, stone masons, cabinet makers, carpenters, tailors, potters, and artists. A few of these skills still survive in the town today. This area of Abruzzo was directly affected by some of the most severe fighting in World War II. On the other side of the Maiella mountains from Pacentro, was the famous German Gustav Line. Many of the towns near the German defenses were bombed or destroyed, but Pacentro’s geographic position of being tucked into a mountain pass preserved it from aerial bombardment. The population of the whole town was evacuated by the Germans just before Christmas 1943. This event was known as the sfollamento. The only major structural loss was the destruction of the historic mulino (town mill) by retreating German troops. When the Pacentrani returned however, found many of their crops ruined, animals slaughtered and personal property stolen. After the war, many of the men emigrated to other parts of Italy, the United States, South America or Australia to find work. This eventually led to the severe depopulation of the town by the 1970’s.
Pacentro is a remarkably well preserved Italian hill town that features some excellent examples of medieval, renaissance, and baroque architecture. The main church of Santa Maria della Misericordia dates from the 16th Century and contains great works of religious art, statuary, and stucco. The church has the second tallest bell tower in the area and is visible for miles. The church is the sanctuary of the relics of San Crescenzo, a Roman Legionary who converted to Christianity. It has a wonderful baroque carved wood pulpit and side altars commissioned by the local nobility. It is remarkably large and well ornamented for a village of this size.
Other churches include the 12th Century San Marcello Church, The 18th Century Church of the Madonna di Loreto, the small Church of San Marco Evangelista (originally the Rossi Family Chapel of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori)and the fantastic 16th Century Convent Church of SS. Concezione. The convent church contains a rare painting of the Immaculate Conception by the famous Flemish artist Bartholomeus Spranger, finely carved choir stalls and the side altars and crypts of the Di Lorenzo, Lucci and Granata families of Pacentro. For more details on the churches of Pacentro see the parish website: Parrocchia di S. Maria della Misercordia
In July is the “Festa del Ritorno”, an event organized by the “Cooperativa Agricola Rivera Pacentro” in honor of the people who emigrated in the past century from this town. In August is the Rievocazione Storica, a medieval festival celebrating the times of the Caldora lords featuring medieval coEdit HTMLstumes and parades at the castle. The Festa of the Madonna di Loreto is the first Sunday in September and is very popular with a procession and an exciting barefoot race (Corsa degli Zingari) from the Mountains to the Church.
The population of Pacentro peaked in 1911 with over 4000 inhabitants. Today it hosts only just under 1300. Many of the residents emigrated to the United States, Latin America and Australia. There are many clubs and cultural associations for Pacentrani and their descendants around the world. The Associazione Culturale Pacentrana is based in Pacentro and publishes a monthly magazine named “Un Mese in Pacentro” that features cultural and historical articles about Pacentro as well as current events and photos of Pacentrani around the world. There are Pacentro Clubs in Detroit, Youngstown, OH, Paterson, NJ and other cities.
Pacentro is a comune of 1279 inhabitants of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is a well preserved historic medieval village located in the central part of Italy, several kilometers from the City of Sulmona about 170 km east of Rome. Pacentro has recently been nominated as one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia" (the most beautiful villages in Italy).
Pacentro is also known for being the village of origin of the father of the entertainer Madonna. To the north of the town lies the Province of Teramo, also in Italy’s Abruzzo Region. Many people from this province have also emigrated to America. Perhaps the best know group came from the village of Valle San Giovannni and emigrated to Penns Grove, NJ.
.
Villa Casale.. .
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