Pacentro - Pacentro

Pacentro is a center ofAbruzzo.

To know

It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Background

In the eighth century it is mentioned for the first time when it was donated to the monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno by the Spoleto dukes; the castle was built in the 10th-11th centuries. When the neighbor Peligna Valley it was invaded by the raids of the Saracens and Normans, houses and churches were built all around the fortification, starting the housing and economic development of the village. In about 1170 the "Catalog of the Barons" of the Kingdom of Naples certifies that Pacentro is inhabited by 48 families. hot period, during which the Caldora family had power over the town, goes from about 1270 to 1464. When the struggle between the Angevins and the Aragonese for the struggle for the management of the Kingdom of Naples was reawakened, the town found itself at the center of fights, since the neighbor Sulmona supported the Aragonese. With Giacomo Caldora the town found a period of peace, but with the victory of the Angevins Antonio Caldora lost all the lands.

Pacentro thus became a possession of the Neapolitan branch of the Orsini family until in 1613 it passed to the captain Antonio Domenico De Sanctis. The fief was then broken up, and the village became a possession of the Colonna family until 1664 when it was sold by the Royal Court of Naples to Maffeo Barberini who was succeeded by the Marquises Recupito di Raiano who finally held it until the end of the feudal possessions.

After the unification of Italy, the whole area was hit by banditry. The twentieth century recorded various phases of emigration that gradually depopulated the country. From the 2000s the village began to become the object of frequent tourist visits from Italy and abroad due to the beauty of the ancient center and the castle.

Curiosity

• In the northeastern US state ofOhio exactly in the county of Mahoning there is a large community of immigrants, which still maintains the traditions of Abruzzo, which has also founded, between the towns of Poland (Ohio) and Struthers, the so-called Pacentrano Center.
• The famous singer Madonna has roots in the Abruzzo village: Gaetano and Michelina Ciccone, grandparents of the singer, emigrated from Pacentro to the United States in 1919.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

Its municipal territory also includes the hamlet of Passo San Leonardo.

How to get

By plane

• Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina km 229.100, ☎ 39 085 4324201. 

By car

• Highway A 25 Rome - Pescara, Sulmona motorway exit.

On the train

• Railway station a Sulmona on the Rome - Pescara line

By bus

• Bus line from Sulmona - ARPA bus lines - Abruzzesi regional public bus lines [1]

How to get around

What see

• 42.05151513.9952791 Caldora Castle. Located in the historic center of Pacentro, it is built on a trapezoidal base. In the corners there are square-based towers (today only three are visible) typical of the Abruzzo landscape of the Peligna Valley. For its majesty it is famous among the castles of Abruzzo such as the Piccolomini castle in Celano, the castle ofEagle, the castle of Balsorano, Rocca Calascio, the castle of Roccascalegna and the Aragonese castle of Ortona. It overlooks the square with the seventeenth-century facade in front of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The construction dates back to before the period between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, since the first restructuring was carried out in this period; some trace the construction back to between the 11th and 13th centuries, the period in which the severed north-east tower should have been built. A reinforcement including some enhancements took place in the second half of the 15th century when the Orsini added some circular towers. The construction of the trapezoidal-based walls is also to be ascribed to this period.

In the sixties of the last century the castle was restored again, but the massive use of reinforced concrete caused controversial aftermath; later further restorations restored the original appearance of the Peligna fortress. 

• Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The parish church consists of three naves divided by octagonal pillars, of a fifteenth-century structure, with later altars (from the 16th and 17th centuries); the facade, which dates back to the late sixteenth century while also retaining a fifteenth-century imprint, has three portals in the lower part, marked by large pilasters and a central elevation crowned by a tympanum, with curved connections. The bell tower is slender, with a pyramidal spire; the belfry is adorned with mullioned windows. 
• Church of the Immaculate Conception. 
• 42.05063713.9920372 Church of San Marcello. 
• Medieval city gate. 
• Baroque source of the square. 
• Houses of the medieval village. 
• Pacentro Nature Reserve in the Majella National Park. 

Events and parties

• Race of the Gypsies. first Sunday of September. Among the local traditions, this barefoot foot race stands out, held in honor of the Madonna of Loreto. The young people of the village climb the slopes of Colle Ardinghi, which is located in front of the village, and at the sudden sound of the bell of the church dedicated to the Virgin they throw themselves barefoot along the steep and rugged path that leads from the hill to the church, causing many injuries. Of very ancient origins, according to some dating back to Roman rites, legend has it that the Corsa was also used by the valiant leader Giacomo Caldora to select among the commoners valid elements for his mercenary army.

What is certain is that on a pagan basis, as for many religious occasions, the Christian cult of the Madonna of Loreto was then inserted. Beyond the legends, the Corsa is documented with certainty, by oral and documentary reconstruction, in the last 200 years and originates from the forest-pastoral traditions of the population. The winner of the race receives the coveted Palio as a prize, a cut of fabric that in the past was used to sew the good dress. At the end of the race, when the last competitor has arrived exhausted at the altar of the church, the doors of the sanctuary close to complete the rescue and wound dressing operations. They will reopen after a few minutes to make room for the winner's procession. The first three classified are carried on the shoulders by their companions through the streets of the town accompanied by the musical band. 

What to do

• San Leonardo Pass. It is an Apennine pass at 1282 meters above sea level located in the municipal area of ​​Pacentro, in the western part of the Maiella massif. It is crossed by the state road 487 and connects the town of Pacentro, in the Peligna Valley, with the town of Sant'Eufemia a Maiella, in the upper Orta Valley. It is also possible to reach the pass from the side of Field of Jupiter through the SP 54.

The pass is an excellent starting point for ascents; in particular, through the rava della Giumenta Bianca (the so-called "direttissima") it is possible to reach Monte Amaro (2795 m), the highest peak of the Maiella.

The resort is home to a small ski resort, with easy ski slopes and particularly suitable for beginners. There is also a cross-country ski ring. 

Shopping

How to have fun

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

• 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.
• Introduce water

Other projects

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

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