| Castrovalva | ||
.jpg/250px-Castrovalva_2009_(RaBoe).jpg) | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Abruzzo | |
| Territory | Peligna-Alto Sangro Valley | |
| Altitude | 865 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 56 (2001 census) | |
| Name inhabitants | Castresi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0864 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 67030 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Archangel Michael | |
Position
| ||
Castrovalva is a center ofAbruzzo.
To know
Only fraction of Anversa degli Abruzzi.
Geographical notes
It rises in a spectacular position on a rocky spur that rises from the Cresta di Sant'Angelo, 820 meters above sea level.
Background
The inhabitants who founded it came from five villas. The church of San Cesidio was owned by Monte Cassino. Before the year 1000 it was owned by the Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno. However, the first document that mentions Castrovalva is the Catalog of the Barons when, in 1079, it mentions the place as "Castro di Valva" which in 1173 belonged to Simone Count of Sangro, while in 1187 it was owned by Simone di Teodino count of Castel di Sangro. In the 13th century the castrum de Valva was mentioned in the Statute for the repair of the Swabian imperial castles.
Throughout the course of the sixteenth century Castrovalva is a fief of the Di Sangro family, it passes by marriage to the d'Avalos-d'Aquino family of Spanish origin, and is then sold to the family of the Paschale di Bugnara barons, in the person of the notary Annibale Paschale of Bugnara (also called Annibale de Pascale). After the death of Baron Annibale Paschale, it passes to his son, Lorenzo Paschale. During the seventeenth century, the fiefdom of Castrovalva passed from the hands of many barons: to the Di Salvo di Scanno, the Marchesano barons, the De Rosa barons of Naples, to pass to the baron Giovan Battista Roberti of Lucera, treasurer of Chieti, who raised the barony of Castrovalva to a marquisate. From the Roberti of Lucera it finally passed to the Pomarici of Matera, which still retain the title of Marquis of Castrovalva today.
In 1817 Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, promulgating a reform of the state, definitively united Castrovalva to Antwerp, but since 1927 an administrative commission of five members has been elected every four years by the citizens of Castrovalva.
Maurits Cornelis Escher in 1929 made a lithograph on Castrovalva. The municipal authorities have decided to dedicate the last bend before entering the town to the Dutch artist. From the so-called Escher circle it is possible, in fact, to observe Castrovalva from the same perspective portrayed in the lithograph.
How to orient yourself
Castrovalva: full screen map.The old buildings of this tiny village, perched on a rocky outcrop, are therefore compared to a eagle's nest, are gradually arranged by the descendants of the old inhabitants to allow a tourist use of the accommodations in this quiet corner of the world.
How to get
By plane
- Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina Km 229.100, ☎ 39 085 4324201.
By car
Tollbooth of By bus
Bus lines managed by ARPA - Abruzzesi regional public bus lines [1]
Bus lines managed by ARPA - Abruzzesi regional public bus lines How to get around
What see
- Fortified village. The ancient fortified village dominated the upper Sagittario valley and had the function of controlling one of the entrances to the Peligna Valley; it has the characteristics of a settlement on a ridge where the use of stone prevails. In some cases the buildings are in a state of semi-neglect, however traditional architecture can be recognized. The building located at the end of the rocky spur seems to be, at first sight, the residence of the feudal lord but there are no studies to prove this.
- Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
- 1 Church of Santa Maria della Neve (XVI century).
- Church of San Michele Arcangelo (XII century).
Sites of environmental interest
- Botanical garden of the Cavuto springs. The springs of Cavuto enter directly into Sagittarius. The botanical garden represents the last offshoot of the Guided Natural Reserve of the Sagittario Gorges near Antwerp. It is accessed via a descent from the same town which is also the managing body together with the WWF and the province ofthe Eagle.
- The botanical garden park was established in 1996 with L.R. 35/97 and hosts 380 plant species of which 45 are registered on the red list of extinction and conservation cries.
- The garden has a nursery irrigated by the Sagittarius and the Cavuto springs. The latter also feed a power plant. In the past, before the construction of the power plant, the famous ceramics of Anversa degli Abruzzi were produced.
- The park is divided into the following areas:
- inhabited rock garden (by the park keeper);
- aquatic plant area;
- visitor center of the reserve;
- springs of Cavuto;
- controlled water fishing area (park managers check that the maximum limit of fish that can be fished is not exceeded);
- riparian forest.
Archaeological areas
- Necropolis of Coccitelle. It is a necropolis located in the hamlet of Castrovalva of Anversa degli Abruzzi; is traced back to the IV-III century BC.
- This archaeological site consists of some caves of modest cultural interest and is located a few hundred meters from the road that goes from Anversa degli Abruzzi to Bugnara, Introduce water is Sulmona. These are the remains of 50 slab tombs most likely referable to pre-Roman peoples who, after the social war, were most likely subjected to Rome.
- The name Coccitelle probably derives from how the peasants call the slabs of the tombs. Many of the richest burials were of women; female skeletons with jewels and trinkets have been unearthed.
- Nearby are the Necropolis of Cava della Rena and San Carlo - Fonte Curato
- Necropolis of Cava della Rena and San Carlo-Fonte Curato. These two necropolises are near the Necropolis of Coccitelle.
- The Necropolis of Cava della Rena dates back to the III-I century BC. and is mainly composed of chamber tombs, inside which ceramics, bronzes and iron materials have been found.
- In the adjacent Necropolis of San Carlo-Fonte Curato tombs covered with slabs have been found, as in the other necropolis of Anversana Coccitelle, but dating back to the 4th-1st century BC.
- These excavations were brought to light by chance in 1996: like the necropolis of Coccitelle, it could be a pre-Roman population subjected to Rome during the social war.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Average prices
- 1 Agriturismo Locanda Nido d'Aquila, Via Della Fonte, ☎ 39 0864 49141.
Safety
Pharmacy
- 1 Zitella Pharmacy, Via A. Diaz snc (in the capital Anversa degli Abruzzi), ☎ 39 0864 49423.
How to keep in touch
Around
- Anversa degli Abruzzi
- Abruzzo National Park
- Guided Natural Reserve of the Sagittario Gorges - Site of environmental interest.
- Scanno
- Sulmona - City of Peligni, Municipium Roman, homeland of the Latin poet Ovid (Sulmo mihi patria est), capital ofAbruzzo in the thirteenth century, Sulmona is the reference city of Peligna-Alto Sangro Valley; it boasts an important monumental center and also links its name to the production of sugared almonds, already flourishing and renowned in the past.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Castrovalva
Commons contains images or other files on Castrovalva
