Guardiagrele
Encyclopedia
Guardiagrele is a town and comune
in the province of Chieti
, part of the Abruzzo
region of central Italy
. It is situated in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around 576 metres. Its population numbers about 10,000.
Captivated by the beauty of the panoramic views of the mountains and valleys of the Maiella visible from some points in the town, the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio
nicknamed Guardiagrele 'la terrazza d'Abruzzo ("Abruzzo's terrace").
Guardiagrele is the seat of the Maiella National Park, and was part of the club "Borghi più belli d'Italia" (Most beautiful burghs in Italy).
The biggest church in Guardiagrele is Santa Maria Maggiore of which it has been written:
In addition to Santa Maria Maggiore, there are several other churches and palazzi or mansions of various ages which are of architectural interest, including La chiesa di S. Nicola di Bari (Founded in the 4th Century), Il Convento dei Cappuccini (1599), Palazzo De Lucia (16th century), Palazzo Elisii (15th-18h century), Chiostro del Palazzo Comunale Piazza San Francesco (17th century) .and Palazzo Marini (1391)
Museums include:
Museo del Costume e della Tradizione della Nostra Gente (Costume and Folk Museum)Chiostro del Palazzo Comunale Piazza San Francesco.
Museo del Duomo ("Cathedral Museum"), in Santa Maria Maggiore.
Museo Archeologico ("Archaeological Museum").
for its wrought-iron craft, copper craft and gold-work, Guardiagrele was the home of the great goldsmith and sculptor Nicola da Guardiagrele, who was born there in the late 15th century.
The patron saints of Guardiagrele are Saint Donatus of Arezzo and Saint Emidius. Annually between the 6th and 8 August there is a festival celebrating these saints in which the effigy of Donatus is paraded around the streets of Guardiagrele. It is traditional to eat porchetta (oven or spit roasted suckling pig flavoured with pepper, rosemary, garlic and other seasonings) at this time.
In the 11th century Archimandrite
Saint Nicholas the Greek led a group of monks fleeing the Saracens who had occupied Calabria
. In 1338 his body was moved to Guardiagrele and interred in la Chiesa di San Francesco (14th century). His saint's day is celebrated on the third Sunday of May.
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:...
in the province of Chieti
Province of Chieti
The Province of Chieti is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Chieti.It has an area of 2,588 km², and a total population of 381,993...
, part of the 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...
region of central 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 situated in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around 576 metres. Its population numbers about 10,000.
Captivated by the beauty of the panoramic views of the mountains and valleys of the Maiella visible from some points in the town, the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Gabriele D'Annunzio or d'Annunzio was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist, and dramatist...
nicknamed Guardiagrele 'la terrazza d'Abruzzo ("Abruzzo's terrace").
Guardiagrele is the seat of the Maiella National Park, and was part of the club "Borghi più belli d'Italia" (Most beautiful burghs in Italy).
Main sights
The façade presents a splendid 14th-century gothic portal, among the most elegant in the Abruzzi Gothic style. The Coronation of the Virgin sculpture group in the portal lunette is also magnificent, attributed to the school of Nicola di Guardiagrele. Under the colonnaded portico, next to the lateral door, is the splendid fresco by Andrea De Litio (1473) portraying Saint Christopher. In the interior, completely rebuilt in the 18th century following an earthquake, crumbling stucco-work in the Baroque style and a shrine of the same period set off a 15th-century fresco representing the Madonna of the Milk.
In addition to Santa Maria Maggiore, there are several other churches and palazzi or mansions of various ages which are of architectural interest, including La chiesa di S. Nicola di Bari (Founded in the 4th Century), Il Convento dei Cappuccini (1599), Palazzo De Lucia (16th century), Palazzo Elisii (15th-18h century), Chiostro del Palazzo Comunale Piazza San Francesco (17th century) .and Palazzo Marini (1391)
Museums include:
Culture
Known throughout AbruzzoAbruzzo
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...
for its wrought-iron craft, copper craft and gold-work, Guardiagrele was the home of the great goldsmith and sculptor Nicola da Guardiagrele, who was born there in the late 15th century.
The patron saints of Guardiagrele are Saint Donatus of Arezzo and Saint Emidius. Annually between the 6th and 8 August there is a festival celebrating these saints in which the effigy of Donatus is paraded around the streets of Guardiagrele. It is traditional to eat porchetta (oven or spit roasted suckling pig flavoured with pepper, rosemary, garlic and other seasonings) at this time.
In the 11th century Archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
Saint Nicholas the Greek led a group of monks fleeing the Saracens who had occupied Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. In 1338 his body was moved to Guardiagrele and interred in la Chiesa di San Francesco (14th century). His saint's day is celebrated on the third Sunday of May.
Notable Guardiesi
- Morgan De SanctisMorgan De SanctisMorgan De Sanctis is an Italian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Serie A club Napoli and the Italian national team.-Club career:...
, Italian footballer - Modesto Della Porta, Poet