| Portocannone | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Molise | |
| Territory | Molise coast | |
| Altitude | 148 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 13.11 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 2.551 (2015) | |
| Name inhabitants | Portocannonesi (porkangiar) | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0875 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 86045 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Blessed Virgin of Constantinople (Pentecost Tuesday) | |
Position
| ||
| Institutional website | ||
Portocannone (Portkanuni in arbëreshë is a center of the Molise.
To know
It is one of the four countries of the Molise coast belonging to the Albanian ethnic and linguistic minority, together with Campomarino, Montecilfone is Ururi, which has maintained its language and culture for centuries arbëreshë that distinguishes them. The municipality is also part of the National Association of Oil Cities, which aims to promote extra virgin olive oil and the production areas.
Geographical notes
On the first reliefs of the Molise coast, the town is 6 km from Campomarino, 11 from Termoli, 20 from Larino.
Background
The town of Portocannone already existed in medieval times. In 1137 it was called Portocandesium and subsequently, as shown by the Angevin registers of 1320, its name was changed to Portocanduni. The Portocannone of the Latin period ended in 1456, when a violent earthquake almost entirely razed it to the ground and destroyed most of the houses. It was entirely rebuilt ten years later by a colony of Arbëreshë exiles, during the first Albanian emigration which took place in 1461, when King Ferdinand I of Aragon, to win the Angevin faction against which he was at war, obtained the help of the militias of Giorgio Castriota Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero who fought for the freedom of his people and his land. The death of the leader Arbëreshë led to the now certain invasion of the Ottoman Turks, so many Albanians crossed the Adriatic, certain of obtaining the protection of the kingdom of Naples by virtue of the benefits that Prince Skanderbeg had rendered to the crown of Aragon.
The villages destroyed by the earthquake were thus repopulated and the re-foundation of Portocannone began. The place, which was located a short distance from the old town inhabited by the Latins, (near the current cemetery) was given the same name as the town razed to the ground by the earthquake, Portocannone, and the new church was immediately built in honor of the Madonna of Constantinople. And in memory of this event every year, on the Monday following the day of Pentecost, the famous Carrese race takes place between April and May.
How to orient yourself
Portocannone: full screen map.How to get
By plane
- Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina Km 229.100 (102 km approximately), ☎ 39 085 4324201.
- Naples Capodichino Airport (NAP), Viale F. Ruffo di Calabria, 80144 Naples NA (187 km approximately), ☎ 39 081 7896111.
- Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Via dell 'Fiumicino Airport, 320, ☎ 39 06 65951.
By car
Toll booth of Termoli on the A14 Adriatic motorway; follow the direction Campobasso/Larino, take the SS 87 (Bifernina state road), turn onto the SP 84DIR in the direction of Portocannone.
A24 motorway Rome - L'Aquila, continue on the A25 motorway 
for Pescara, then take the A14 motorway for Bari, exit at Termoli, follow the direction Campobasso/Larino, take the SS 87 (Bifernina state road), turn onto the SP 84DIR in the direction of Portocannone.- From Campobasso take the SS 87, continue on the SS 647, turn onto the SP 84DIR in the direction of Portocannone.
- From Termoli take the State Road 87 (state road Bifernina), continue on the SP 84DIR in the direction of Portocannone.
Toll booth of 
A24 motorway 
for Pescara, then take the A14 motorway - Port of Termoli, Harbor Master's Office - Via Calata del Porto (About 8.5 km), ☎ 39 0875 706484, fax: 39 0875 707336. Links with Tremiti Islands is Croatia.
- Tourist port of Pescara (About 100 km).
- Port of Naples (About 192 km).
On the train
Railway station of Termoli (only about 12 km away).
Railway station of Connections to Portocannone by bus with the "Lariviera" bus lines.
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.
The main public transport companies operating in the Molise area are the following:How to get around
What see
- 1 City gate of Borgo Costantinopoli. Characteristic is the "Main Gate" of the town, adorned with paintings representing the Arberese customs. The round stone arch seems to lean on a tower with a square-plan clock. The tower at the top is decorated with hanging arches, and bears marble inscriptions along its height.
- 2 Baronial palace. The baronial palace built at the behest of Baron Cini in the eighteenth century, restored by the Tanasso family who currently owns it, stands out in the urban context. The building looks like a massive construction with a light shoe wall and tapered buttresses in the corners, and is equipped with warehouses on the ground floor and a patio in the center. Symmetrical and balanced in the furnishings; the facade is sectioned into three parts: the outermost windows surmounted by small lunettes, the innermost ones by a small pediment, and the central ones also by small lunettes. The first floor is the inhabited one and consists of numerous rooms with frescoes and period furniture, while on the top floor there is a protruding portico and on the eastern side a loggia with a overlooking garden. In front of the baronial palace there is the town square made entirely of stone and furnished with a central fountain.
- 3 Mother Church of Saints Peter and Paul. In the historic center of Borgo Costantinopoli there is the XVI century Mother Church of "Saints Peter and Paul". Inside you can admire: the picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary SS. of Constantinople dating back to the sixteenth century, the octagonal baptistery in carved oak ending in a cusp, the roof of the church representing the greatest passages of the Bible and the greatest Italian paintings, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. The atmosphere of the church is very suggestive.
- Church of the Madonna del Carmelo. Another church is the one dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo, present in the innermost part of the town. It dates back to the 17th century, and has a single nave.
Events and parties
- Chariot race.
Between April and May. Portocannone, like Ururi, is entirely involved in the ritual of the race of chariots pulled by oxen, followed by young people on horseback. The contest, in which citizens and enthusiasts are divided into three large factions nourished by folkloric rivalry: the "young" and "young" has up for grabs the coveted prize of the right to carry in procession the patron saint or the patron saint of the place. An unparalleled show of colors, passion and nature, in which thousands of tourists flock every year to assist you.
Between April and May. Portocannone, like What to do
Shopping
In its territory an excellent olive oil is produced; Portocannone is part of theNational Association City of oil.
- 1 Cooperative Oil Mill, Via Madonna Grande 52, ☎ 39 0875 59181.
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 Arcobaleno restaurant, via S.Allende 4, ☎ 39 0875 590025.
Where stay
Average prices
- 1 B&B Giulio, via Giuseppe Di Vittorio, 5, ☎ 39 338 348 0147.
Safety
Pharmacy
- 1 San Pio, via Papa Giovanni XXIII, ☎ 39 0875 59589.
How to keep in touch
Post office
- 2 Italian post, Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 1, ☎ 39 0875 59104.
Around
- 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.
- 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.
- Campomarino
- Guglionesi
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Portocannone
Commons contains images or other files on Portocannone
