Capestrano
Encyclopedia
Capestrano is a comune
and small town with 965 inhabitants (2001), in the Province of L'Aquila
, Abruzzo
, Italy
. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
".
tribe, Naevius Pompuledius, executed by the sculptor Aninis. Now the statue is on display in the National Archaeological Museum of the Abruzzi in Chieti
.
(PE
), Bussi sul Tirino
(PE), Carapelle Calvisio
, Castelvecchio Calvisio
, Collepietro
, Corvara (PE), Navelli
, Ofena
, Pescosansonesco
(PE) and Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi
.
It counts 4 civil parishes (frazioni
): Capodacqua, Forca di Penne, Santa Pelagia and Scarafano.
The Benedictine
Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium is situated on the bank of Tirino river, six kilometres far from Capestrano. The church was built in 752 A.C. as part of the monastery of St Vincenzo al Volturno, by the Lombard
king Desiderius
. The religious building we can admire still today was edified in the 12th century. It is a church with a nave, two side aisles and a choir. There is only one entrance door with a lintel decorated with vegetal motif. Onto the romanic portal there are two marble relief with the figures of David and St. Vincent Deacon. The façade has a marble square inscription of the Sator Square in Latin. In the 15th century it was abandoned by the monks.
The first document of 1284, when King Charles I of Sicily
gave the castle to Riccardo d'Acquaviva, marquis of Capestrano. In 1462 the Castle passed on to Marquis Antonio I Todeschini Piccolomini d'Aragona (14? - 1493) nephew of Pope Pius II
, which enlarged the castle with new towers with battlements. In 1579 Marquis Costanza Piccolomini daughter of Innico, sold the castle to Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
. In 1743 the Castle passed on to Charles III of Spain
as Charles 3rd Borbon King of Naples and two Sicilies. In 1860 the Castle passed on to Savoia King of Italy.
s.
(Part of Budapest
, Hungary
) San Juan Capistrano
(California
, USA
)
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
and small town with 965 inhabitants (2001), in the Province of L'Aquila
Province of L'Aquila
thumb|left|200px|Map of the province.The Province of L'Aquila is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region...
, Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park in Italy, which was established in 1991. It has an area of 2,014 square kilometres...
".
Antiquity
In the necropolis the statue of the "Warrior of Capestrano" (4th century BCE) was found during the work in a field by a farmer. The 2,09 m (6.9 feet) tall statue depicts an early Italic warrior in full gear, the King of the VestiniVestini
Vestini is the Roman exonym for an ancient Italic tribe that occupied the area of the modern Abruzzo included between the Gran Sasso and the northern bank of the Aterno river...
tribe, Naevius Pompuledius, executed by the sculptor Aninis. Now the statue is on display in the National Archaeological Museum of the Abruzzi in Chieti
Chieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
.
Geography
Capestrano borders with the municipalities of BrittoliBrittoli
Brittoli is a comune and town in the Province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park"....
(PE
Province of Pescara
The Province of Pescara is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pescara.It has an area of 1,225 km², and a total population of 295,463 . There are 46 comunes in the province. At May 31, 2005, the main communes by population are:For a complete list, see Comunes of...
), Bussi sul Tirino
Bussi sul Tirino
Bussi sul Tirino is a comune and town in the Province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park"....
(PE), Carapelle Calvisio
Carapelle Calvisio
Carapelle Calvisio is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park" at 900 a.s.l.. It's mostly known as being one the smallest non-alpine comune in Italy, with only 90...
, Castelvecchio Calvisio
Castelvecchio Calvisio
Castelvecchio Calvisio is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park"....
, Collepietro
Collepietro
Collepietro is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy...
, Corvara (PE), Navelli
Navelli
Navelli is a comune and town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is renowned for the local saffron production....
, Ofena
Ofena
Ofena is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park"....
, Pescosansonesco
Pescosansonesco
Pescosansonesco is a comune and town in the province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located at 500 m above sea level in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park"....
(PE) and Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi
Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi
Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi is a little comune and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.-External links:**...
.
It counts 4 civil parishes (frazioni
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
): Capodacqua, Forca di Penne, Santa Pelagia and Scarafano.
Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium is situated on the bank of Tirino river, six kilometres far from Capestrano. The church was built in 752 A.C. as part of the monastery of St Vincenzo al Volturno, by the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
king Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
. The religious building we can admire still today was edified in the 12th century. It is a church with a nave, two side aisles and a choir. There is only one entrance door with a lintel decorated with vegetal motif. Onto the romanic portal there are two marble relief with the figures of David and St. Vincent Deacon. The façade has a marble square inscription of the Sator Square in Latin. In the 15th century it was abandoned by the monks.
Piccolomini or Mediceo Castle
The castle was built in the 13th century, on the hill next to the Tirino river and the Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium in a strategic position at 505 m on the sea level.The first document of 1284, when King Charles I of Sicily
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
gave the castle to Riccardo d'Acquaviva, marquis of Capestrano. In 1462 the Castle passed on to Marquis Antonio I Todeschini Piccolomini d'Aragona (14? - 1493) nephew of Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, which enlarged the castle with new towers with battlements. In 1579 Marquis Costanza Piccolomini daughter of Innico, sold the castle to Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :...
. In 1743 the Castle passed on to Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
as Charles 3rd Borbon King of Naples and two Sicilies. In 1860 the Castle passed on to Savoia King of Italy.
Lake of Capodacqua
In the frazione of Capodacqua is located the homonym little lake, locally famous for the presence of the ruins of submerged millMill
Mill may refer to:* Mill , an equipment for the grinding or pulverizing of grain and other raw materials using millstones* Milling machine, metalworking machine that operates by rotating a cutting bit while the workpiece is moved against the cutter on an XY table.* Mill ** Arithmetic logic unit,...
s.
Notable people
- Saint Giovanni da CapistranoGiovanni da CapistranoSaint John of Capistrano, O.F.M., was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest from Italy...
(John of Capistrano), an Italian friar, theologian and inquisitor was born here in 1386. - The Italian-born American composer Dalmazio SantiniDalmazio SantiniDalmazio Santini was an Italian-born U.S. composer.Born in Capestrano, in the Abruzzo province of Italy, Santini immigrated to the United States at the age of 14, where he attended public schools in White Plains, New York. He was inducted into the U.S...
(1923–2001) was born in Capestrano.
Twin Cities
BudaBuda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
(Part of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, California
San Juan Capistrano is a city in southern Orange County, California, located approximately southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census,...
(California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)