| Villalago | ||
_2009_004_(RaBoe).jpg/250px-Villalago_2009_(RaBoe)_2009_004_(RaBoe).jpg) | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Abruzzo | |
| Territory | Peligna-Alto Sangro Valley | |
| Altitude | 930 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 33.2 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 593 (2011) | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0864 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 67030 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | San Domenico Abate (22 August) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Villalago is a center ofAbruzzo.
To know
The town is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Geographical notes
It is in a dominant position with respect to the Gorges of Sagittarius under the mountain group of Monte Genzana; makes it one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
How to orient yourself
Villalago: full screen map.Neighborhoods
Its municipal territory also includes the town of Villalago Riviera with some tourist settlements on the banks of the Lake of Scanno.
How to get
How to get around
What see
The fortress of Villalago
- Medieval fortress (in the historic center). It is probably of Lombard origin. Built in a strategic position on a hill overlooking the Sagittario Valley, it had the function of defense and sighting. Currently, some of the interiors of the fortress house the Villalago Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions.
- Structurally it consisted of defensive walls and a cylindrical tower-keep, 10-12 meters high and equipped with battlements, built in Romanesque style.
- The defensive walls have been partially replaced by civilian houses, today the keep-tower remains in a good state of conservation. The fortress was also used as a prison.
- The Museum of Crafts
- It was opened in 2003 in the halls of the Baronial palace. It consists of some rooms in which information panels and faithful reproductions of the ancient crafts of the place are exhibited. In particular, the works of the shepherd and the journeys through the Abruzzese sheep tracks are described. The trades of the fisherman and the miller are also listed later.
- Baronial palace
- It represents the main body of the fortress, built in the Middle Ages. Today it houses the Museum of crafts. The structure is rectangular but irregularly, divided into two levels by a cornice. The windows are rectangular.
- Medieval tower and Oratory of the Addolorata
- The Lombard tower is the oldest part of the entire fortress. It has a circular structure with a gabled roof (similar to a pagoda), and has small windows for lookout. At the base remain the ruins of a second tower which have been transformed into a belvedere area for tourism. However, the cylindrical tower can also be visited.
- At the tower there are also the remains of a medieval noble chapel, which matches the Baronial palace. The oratory of the Madonna Addolorata is built around the fourteenth century and has traces of frescoes.
Hermitage of San Domenico
- Hermitage of San Domenico. It was built at the lake of San Domenico in the 11th century, as a votive chapel near a natural cave considered sacred. The current little gabled church has an eighteenth-century appearance; It is accessed by an eighteenth-century grotesque portal, with panels of the saint's miracle against the wolf, the work of Alfredo Gentile. The interior is fluctuating between the Baroque and the Neo-Gothic, with a wooden statue of San Domenico, and at the base of the altar the stucco frontal of 1761. From an access behind the altar you enter the cave where the saint lived.
- Parish church of the Madonna di Loreto. It dates back to the 14th century; it was later modified in the interior in the 17th century. The façade is in late Romanesque with the round-arched portal decorated with splayings and a fresco on the lunette. In the internal nave there are statues of San Michele Arcangelo and the Madonna del Rosario. A piece of his wooden bed is preserved in the altar dedicated to St. Dominic.
Old town hall
- Church of Our Lady of Sorrows. Once a private chapel of Palazzo Lupi, it was consecrated around 1652. The interior has a square plan in Baroque marbled stucco.
- Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Important historical church built in the 11th century by the Lombards in Romanesque style; above the rectangular portal there is a lunette with Christ Pantocrator reading the "Book of Life".
- Church of the Madonna delle Grazie. Small 19th century church on the outskirts of the center, in a classic country style, with a single nave.
- Old town hall. It was built in the 19th century over the church of San Giovanni, as can be seen from the main tower, obtained from the bell tower. The interior alternates between baroque and twentieth-century styles. In 2003, when the new town hall was built, the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Villalago was inaugurated in the old one. The structure has a rectangular plan with the soaring clock tower.
- Water mill with adjoining Gualchiera. Peasant house with bas-reliefs of mules with loads on their backs, located in Fontevecchia. Inside is a historic fulling mill, used for wool manufacturing.
Lakes
- 1 Lake of Scanno.
- 2 Lake of San Domenico.
- 3 Pio Lake.
Events and parties
- Le Fanoglie.
January 21-22. Fires are lit in the various districts of the town. - Feast of Sant'Antonio and Madonna delle Grazie. Second weekend of July.
- Re-enactment of an ancient Villalago wedding. August 21. Local traditions related to the celebration of marriage are evoked in period costumes.
- Pilgrimage in honor of San Domenico. August 21. Pilgrims coming on foot from Fornelli, in the province of Isernia, conclude the 80 km pilgrimage route here.
- Patronal feast of San Domenico. 21 and 22 August.
- Villalago Pedagogy Award. First week of September. Conference on pedagogy.
- Feast of the Addolorata. Second week of September. End with a night torchlight procession and distribution of donuts and wine.
- Underwater nativity scene. December 26 (date not fixed). In the Lake of San Domenico.
January 21-22. Fires are lit in the various districts of the town.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 La Fontanella Bar Restaurant, Celestino Lupi Square, ☎ 39 347 6853360.
- 2 The Chalet Restaurant, Via Nicola Casciano, ☎ 39 0864 740618, 39 349 3579364.
- 3 Da Michele Restaurant, Via Don Giovanni Bosco, 35, ☎ 39 0864 740400.
Where stay
- 1 B&B La Maga del Lago, via Circumlacuale (near the lake of Scanno), ☎ 39 338 7857625.
- 2 [link previously not working]Campsite I Lupi, Riviera location (near the lake), ☎ 39 0864 740625.
- 3 Villalago hotels, location Pio lake (on Lake Pio).
Safety
Pharmacy
- 1 Allegrini, Celestino Lupi Square, ☎ 39 0864 740363.
How to keep in touch
Post office
- 2 Italian post, Way Of Defense 1, ☎ 39 0864 740136.
