Monticelli
Encyclopedia
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...
of the comune
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:...
of Teramo
Teramo
Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines and the Adriatic coast...
in 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 Italy. It has previously been called Monticulo and Monticello.
History
The origins of Monticelli date back to at least the 10th century. In 1062 Carbone di Solfio gave his holdings in the castle at Monticello, a small local church, and land in an area called Tricagli, to Pietro, bishop of Teramo. A castle in the Monticelli area is also mentioned in 13th century documents. Between the 12th and the 16th centuries a convent was present as well as churches dedicated to Saint PaulPaul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
. These are no longer in existence and their exact location is unknown.
On 30 April 1351, Queen Joanna I of Naples and her husband Louis of Taranto
Louis of Taranto
Louis I of Naples , of the House of Anjou, was the Prince of Taranto from 1346 and King of Naples from 1352. He was a son of Philip I of Taranto and Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea. His paternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary...
had Monticello, along with the neighboring communities of Ponzano, Varano and Tofo Sant'Eleuterio
Tofo Sant'Eleuterio
Tofo-Sant'Eleuterio is a small village in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Teramo. The inhabitants are known as Tofesi.-Geography:...
, incorporated into territory (at that time referred to as a Università) of Teramo. In 1368 the nearby Campora was added to this list. Norman feudal records show Monticello and nearby Nepezzano under the tutelage of the Melatinos, a powerful family who dominated the area around Teramo, up until the 15th century.
A market was once held on Saturdays, the same day as the current Teramo market. In past times Monticelli probably served as a way station for vendors bringing their goods from the Vibrata Valley to sell in Teramo.