Praetorum - Pretoro

Praetorus is a center ofAbruzzo.

To know

It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Background

In the vicinity of the town, prehistoric archaeological excavations testified to the presence of the place during prehistoric times. The origins of the town of Pretoro can be traced back to the Italic period (VI-V century BC). As far as the toponymy is concerned, the name "Pretoro" or "Preturo" derives from the name "Praetorium" and would characterize a point of surveillance of the passage from the valley in which there were some Peligna people and the Frentani family had their seat. old medieval village was built around 1600 after the destruction of the castle of Pretoro, perched on the edge of the rock and called "Castrum Pretorii de Theti", then constantly manned by a squire and 12 servants. It should be noted that, again in this period, the largest settlement was transferred from the valley upstream.

In the second Middle Ages there are also traces of the passage of the French: the Sanctuary of the Mazza, built by them and adorned with a 13th century portal, is a sure testimony; its facade is clearly facing north-west, that is towards the France. Pretoro in that period participated in the crusades (XII century) with some of his men.

The artisan activity of the Pretoresi had been very profitable and constituted the greatest source of wealth. If we analyze the typology of the pretorese economy between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, we should define it as mainly "agricultural-pastoral", where agriculture is essentially based on the olive tree and pastoralism is strong ten thousand head of cattle already in the first postwar period. Only after the end of the Second World War and the massive emigration did Pretoro see its economy upset and experienced a transformation of the original artisan fabric into industry.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

Its municipal territory also includes the villages of Colle Pagnotto, Passo Lanciano and Ponte.

How to get

By plane

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

By car

• Tollbooth of Manoppello on the A25 motorway Rome - Pescara
• It is crossed by the former state road, now provincial 539 by Manoppello.
• Near the town, joining the provincial road 539, the former state road 614 also arrives, now provincial road 220 of the Maielletta.

On the train

• Stations of Pescara Central or Chieti Scalo, from which you can continue with the ARPA regional buses [1].

By bus

• Bus lines managed by ARPA - Abruzzesi regional public bus lines [2]

How to get around

What see

• Church of Sant'Andrea apostolo. The main church of the town dates back to the 15th-16th century and is located on the highest part of the town. The interior has two naves with an irregular plan, as the floor is adapted to the rock. The style is neoclassical with baroque influences. 
• Church of San Nicola. The original layout is Romanesque, while the current one dates back to the 16th-17th century, an era in which the building was completely rebuilt as evidenced by the two single-lancet windows on the side facing downstream. In the church there is the cult of San Domenico, a saint for whom the re-enactment of "Lu Lope" and the serpari are celebrated. Inside there are a polychrome terracotta pieta from the seventeenth century and a wooden portal from 1630. 

• Church of the Madonna della Mazza. It dates back to the 13th-14th century. in some archaic maps it is mentioned as "Madonna del Monte". This is a hermitage founded by the Benedictine Cistercian monks and was dependent on the monastery of Santa Maria Arabona located at Manoppello Railway station. The image of the Madonna enthroned with child dates back to the 15th century. The name of Madonna della Mazza is due to the fact that she is depicted with a scepter (commonly called mazza). The church is popular with tourists on the first Sunday of July.

The oldest information about the building is for the ecclesiastical tithes of the two-year period 1324-25 during the Cistercian period. Another document anticipates the construction of the church to the thirteenth century, a fact proven by the religious life located at the foot of the Maiella in the same century. The church and the annexed hermitage have known various periods of abandonment and in 838 they were completely in ruins, but already in 1843 they were restored and reopened to the faithful. The interior has a single nave, of which the archivolt has been irretrievably lost. A walled secondary entrance is located on the upstream side, while on the downstream side there was a large arch that perhaps led into a side appendage probably used for residential purposes. The hermitage is on two levels with access on one side of the building itself and has been recently restored.

A legend tells that the image of the Madonna della Mazza, found near a tree but brought back to the village, was found on the place of departure; another reports of a snowfall during a July 2 phenomenon that prevented the procession, but the Madonna returned alone to the mountains, leaving footprints in the snow. 

• Cave of the Hermit. It is located 8 km from Pretoro and 900 m a.s.l. The hermitage is mentioned in a document of 1581, which speaks of an "Ecclesiam Sancti Angeli" in the church of Santa Maria del Monte or della Mazza. Given the existence of a spring and a dripping of water inside, the cave was a cult phenomenon of San Michele Arcangelo. Archaeological investigations inside have brought back flint tools, ceramic finds from the Bronze Age. On the entrance there is some evidence of the existence of hermits in the cave; the vault has been chiseled to be able to place the plaster, while underneath there are the remains of foundations of the hermitage, while the remains of manure and partial closure of the access prove that the cave was used by shepherds as a shelter for the flocks. The cave is the source of legends about hermits, which tell that the water of the Forum separated to let the hermit pass. The cave was also inhabited by evacuees from Pretoro during the Second World War. 
• Necropolis of the Crucifix (locality Crocifisso). Archaeological excavations managed by the Archeoclub of Pretoro have made it possible to find in the locality Crocifisso a Roman villa dating back to the 1st century AD. equipped with a floor with a geometric mosaic and a room in cocciopesto with a votive sketch; were also found some warehouses attached to the villa, the ruins of tourist houses, coins dating back to the time of Augustus, a sarcophagus in stone slabs and a double-sloping lid containing the skeleton of an Italic warrior dressed in a bronze helmet with bronze grave goods, the remains of a Neolithic hut in which a skeleton of the Maiella man was found and another pre-Roman tomb with a skeleton with funeral equipment buried under a pile of stones. 
• Valle del Foro regional reserve. It is a protected natural area of ​​Abruzzo established in 1991. It occupies an area of ​​472 ha along the Val di Foro. Among the tree species it hosts specimens of maple, rowan, mountain elm; In the undergrowth: Solid Corydalis, snowdrops, squill, trinity grass, ferns, mosses and lichens.

Among the fauna, for the birds of prey there are: buzzard, goshawk, eagle owl; for the birds: Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, He Green, Dalmatian or Lilford Woodpecker; for mammals: fox, marten, squirrel, roe deer. 

Events and parties

• Feast of Sant'Antonio (The Farchie). in January. It recalls the miracle of St. Anthony which drove away the French troops arriving in the town by setting fire to the farchie. 
• Feast of San Domenico and award ceremony of the serpari. first Sunday of May. In the morning in the main square there is an award ceremony for the largest snake specimens found by snakes in the surrounding area. Then the traditional sacred representation of the Miracle of San Domenico and the wolf ("Lu Lope"): it is the story of Saint Dominic who calms the wolf who has kidnapped the child and makes him return it to his parents. 
• Nights of San Lorenzo. 9-10-11 August. During the three nights of events in the historic center of the town, an antiques, handicraft and typical products market is held to rediscover traditions. Tastings are organized in the main squares. The medieval atmosphere is revived by costumed events. It also offers the opportunity to observe shooting stars from specially set up locations. 

What to do

• Passolanciano-Majelletta ski area. Located in the Maiella National Park and belonging to the municipalities of Pretoro and Rapino, the area is an area equipped for winter sports on the Maiella ridge, from which you can enjoy spectacular views. The slopes have excellent snow cover; the equipped area goes from 1306 meters of altitude of Passolanciano to 1995 meters of Maielletta.

A chairlift and eight ski lifts serve 16 downhill slopes. There are two stations in the ski area: Passo Lanciano[3] with tracks that run through a beech forest from 1300 to 1650 meters; there Maielletta[4] from 1650 meters to 1995 for cross-country skiing, carving, ski mountaineering, snow park. 

Shopping

How to have fun

Where to eat

Average prices

• Ristorante Pizzeria La Chiesetta (formerly of James), via Cona, ☎ 39 0871 898019. 
• La Campagnola Restaurant Pizzeria, contrada San Pietro, ☎ 39 0871 898194. 
• Maielletta Pizzeria Restaurant, via Cona, ☎ 39 0871 898204. 
• Ristorante Pizzeria I Rintocchi, via Roma, ☎ 39 0871 898285. 
• La Tana del Daù restaurant, Passolanciano, ☎ 39 0871 896106. 
• Locanda Milà restaurant, Via Piazzetta, ☎ 39 334 9925508. 
• Stella Azzurra restaurant and pizzeria, via Cerrani, ☎ 39 0871 898308. 
• Lo Chalet Restaurant, Source Tettoni, ☎ 39 0871 896127. 
• La Torre Restaurant, via Rua Di Livio, ☎ 39 0871 898400. 

Where stay

Average prices

• Mammarosa Hotel Restaurant, Source Tettoni, ☎ 39 0871 896142. 
• El Senor Hotel Restaurant, Madonna of the Mazza, ☎ 39 0871 898105. 
• La Majelletta Hotel Restaurant, Passolanciano, ☎ 39 0871 896164. 
• Panorama Hotel, Passolanciano, ☎ 39 0871 896194. 
• Paolucci Refuge, Passolanciano, ☎ 39 0871 896110. 

Bed and Breakfast

• La Casetta di Zì 'ndrè, locality San Pietro n. 6, ☎ 39 0871 77292. 
• Pretoro house, via Casere, ☎ 39 0871 898515. 
• Casa Milà, via Piazzetta, ☎ 39 334 9925508. 

Safety

How to keep in touch

Post office

• Italian post, via dei Mulini 3, ☎ 39 0871 898420, fax: 39 0871 898005. 

Around

• Guardiagrele - It has an important historical center, with churches and buildings of great interest. It is famous for craftsmanship in metalworking. It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
• Fara Filiorum Petri
• Manoppello

Other projects

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

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