Guardialfiera - Guardialfiera

Guardialfiera is a center of the Molise.

To know

Geographical notes

On the first Apennine reliefs of Central Molise, the town is located a short distance from the lake of the same name, born following the creation of a dam which thus produced the body of water, completely in the Molise area, the largest in the region. Guardialfiera is 20 km from Larino, 33 from Termoli, 32 from Trivento, 40 from Campobasso.

Background

Guardialfiera has been inhabited (at least) since the 11th century. In some documents a Roman tower is described which was visible on the western edge of the village until the 10th century.

The origin of the name is uncertain, although it is likely that it derives from "Guardie di Alfiero" or "Guardie di Adalferio", from the name of the Lombard ruler of Larino who in 1049 conquered the city. In 1053 it is likely that Pope Leo IX used Guardialfiera as a base to launch an attack against the Normans who had occupied the nearby city of Larino in 1050.

The bishopric of Guardialfiera was founded in 1061 by Pope Alexander II, probably in recognition of the role of the city in the events of 1053.

In 1130 it was conquered by the Norman king Roger II of Sicily. Later it was ruled by the Soliaco family until 1350, then by the Marzano family. In 1550 the town passed to the Di Capua family, then to De Blaiis and in 1636 to the Ferri, rulers of Lupara. In 1649 the last of the Ferri family died without heirs and Guardialfiera was donated to Serafino Biscardi. In 1688 the city was rebuilt after an earthquake. Costantino Lemaitre bought the land in 1793, in order to obtain the title of marquis. The Lemaitre were the last feudal lords of Guardialfiera until the feudal system was suppressed in 1806.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

Its municipal territory also includes the locality of Lago Di Liscione.

How to get

By plane

• Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina Km 229.100 (122 km approximately), ☎ 39 085 4324201. 
• Naples Capodichino Airport (NAP), Viale F. Ruffo di Calabria, 80144 Naples NA (154 km approximately), ☎ 39 081 7896111. 
• Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Via dell 'Fiumicino Airport, 320 (Approximately 265 km), ☎ 39 06 65951. 

By car

• Adriatic motorway A14, exit of Termoli, follow the direction Campobasso/Larino, take the SS 87 (state road Bifernina), continue on the SS 647, continue following the signs for Guardialfiera.
• Autostrada del Sole A1

• from the north exit at San Vittore, direction Campobasso, reach the SS 17 following the Campobasso sign, continue on the SS 647, take the SP 73DIR and follow the signs for Guardialfiera.
• from the south exit at Caianello, turn in the direction of Benevento, follow signs for Campobasso and then for Termoli, take the SS 647 and then take the SP 73DIR in the direction of Guardialfiera.

• From Termoli follow the direction for Campobasso taking the SS 87 (state road Bifernina) and the SS 647, take the SP 73DIR and follow the signs for Guardialfiera.
• From Campobasso take the State Road 87, continue on the SS 647, turn in the direction of Guardialfiera taking the SP 73DIR.

On boat

• Port of Termoli, Port Authority - Via Calata del Porto (About 35 km), ☎ 39 0875 706484, fax: 39 0875 707336. Connections with the Tremiti Islands and Croatia. 
• Tourist port of Pescara (120 km approximately). 

On the train

• The station of Casacalenda-Guardialfiera, placed along the line Campobasso–Termoli serving the municipalities of Casacalenda and Guardialfiera; it is located in the town of Casacalenda in the city center.

By bus

• The main public transport companies operating in the Molise area are the following:
• Autolinee C.L.P. S.p.A., ☎ 39 081 5311707, 39 081 5312424, @[email protected]. Direct connection from Naples to Campomarino and Termoli 
• Lariviera bus lines. 
• SATI bus lines. 
• Molise Trasporti bus lines. 

How to get around

What see

• 41.80166914.7933891 Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Cathedral). Of considerable interest, the church dates back to at least the 11th century. Many stones carved with Christian and pagan iconography dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries have been incorporated into the current structure. It is likely that these stones were part of a pagan temple that was originally present on the site where the church was built. It is not clear if the current structure existed at the time of Pope Leo IX's visit in 1053, but the diocesan records of the time clearly report that Santa Maria dell'Assunta was elevated to a Cathedral in 1061 and was the seat of a bishop named Peter. : On 7 April 1751 the relics of San Gaudenzio were transported by two Capuchin friars from the catacombs of Santa Priscilla in Rome to the Cathedral of Guardialfiera and donated to Msgr. Pasquale Zaini, the Bishop of Guardialfiera of the time, by Pope Benedict XIV. The remains are still visible today in Santa Maria dell'Assunta and are carried in procession on the occasion of the feast of San Gaudenzio (1 and 2 June), the patron saint of the city.

After an earthquake in 1456 the cathedral was rebuilt and in 1460 it had the addition of the Holy Door: it is one of the few Holy Doors outside of Rome and is open once every year during the feast of San Gaudenzio but not during the jubilee years when the Holy Doors in Rome are open). In the same year a north-east wall was built by the bishop of the time Jacopo.

In 1975, a medieval crypt was discovered during the restoration of the cathedral. 

• Ponte di Sant'Antonio. When between 1976 and 1977 the waters of the Biferno flooded the land for the Liscione dam (Lake of Guardialfiera), the remains of an ancient bridge called Sant'Antonio bridge or bridge of Hannibal, where according to tradition Hannibal marched with his troops to go during the second Punic war in Puglia. There is no exact evidence that it dates back to the Roman period, it certainly dates back to the Angevin period around 1200; according to the Angevin records it is a bridge rebuilt in those years (1200 ca.) on an ancient Roman bridge damaged by a flood of the Biferno.

The bridge is visible in the summer months near Monte Peloso. 

Sites of environmental interest

• 41.81349114.8220922 Guardialfiera Lake - nature reserve (Lake of Liscione). It is an artificial reservoir formed in the sixties and seventies by the raising of a dam on the Biferno river in order to supply drinking water to the surrounding villages for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.

It is rich in native fish species such as chub, tench and pike; however, there are also endemic species worthy of particular protection because they are threatened with extinction, i.e. the Apennine bleak (Alburnus albidus) and the Tyrrhenian rudd (Scardinius scardafa) which are preyed upon by alien species, including: largemouth bass, carp, catfish and rainbow trout. This means that the lake is a popular destination for fishermen from all over, especially sports fishing, but fishing in the basin is allowed only to those with a regular license.

To build the lake and the dam an ancient Roman bridge was submerged by the waters; it is visible in summer, near Monte Peloso. 

Events and parties

• Patronal feast of San Gaudenzio. June 1st. 
• Easter Monday. January 5th. it is celebrated on the evening of January 5, when groups of people are organized for

streets and houses of the town to perform a religious song which is called “La Pasquetta”; a similar festival with the same name is celebrated on the same day in Santa Croce di Magliano. 

• Carnival. January 17. On January 17th the arrival of the Carnival is celebrated which is represented on a horse or a donkey followed by the procession of masks and players. 
• Feast of St. Joseph. March 19. 

What to do

Shopping

Guardialfiera is an important center for the production of extra virgin olive oil.

How to have fun

Where to eat

Average prices

• Miralago restaurant, Contrada Aia della Serra, ☎ 39 0874 840532, 39 338 1010619. 
• 41.80613314.7898911 Zifi restaurant, Via Insurgents of Hungary, ☎ 39 0874 840003. 
• La Cascina sul Lago restaurant, Contrada Fabbricata, ☎ 39 0874 840288. 

Where stay

Average prices

• Solelago hotels, Contrada defense of the chambers, ☎ 39 0874 049606, 39 320 3676332. 

Farmhouses

• Montepeloso, Montepeloso district, ☎ 39 0874 840459, 39 340 7004742. 
• The Casale di Clesilde, Contrada Colle Delle Forche, ☎ 39 0874 840243. 

B&B

• From Tina, Corso Umberto I, ☎ 39 0874 840228, 39 340 7632548. 
• The Belvedere, Location Piano dei Santi, ☎ 39 0874 840502 , 39 348 9621338. 
• 41.80010814.7958141 The Shelter, Contrada Pizzica, 1 (17 km from Civitacampomarano, just 2 km from the lake of the same name), ☎ 39 333 4799595, 39 347 6610936, @[email protected]. Single € 35.00 double € 55.00 triple € 70.00. Check in: 14:00-20:00, check-out: 10:00-11:00. 

Safety

Pharmacy

• Mountain, Corso Umberto I, 49, ☎ 39 0874 840111. 

How to keep in touch

• 41.80256414.7930861 Corso Umberto I, 21, ☎ 39 0874 840006. 

Around

• Larino - City with a remarkable past, it boasts a beautiful medieval village; its cathedral is among the best monuments of Molise. After Termoli is the most important center of attraction in the Molise coast.
• Termoli - It is the main town on the Molise coast and the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants. Its ancient core, with the cathedral and fortifications, stands on a promontory overlooking the sea.

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Guardialfiera
• Commons contains images or other files on Guardialfiera

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