Serra is a "frazione

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...

" (i.e., suburb) of the Commune

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 Rocca Santa Maria

Rocca Santa Maria

Rocca Santa Maria is a town and comune in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo, eastern Italy. It is located in the nGran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.The municipal seat is in the frazione of Imposte....

 in the Province of Teramo

Province of Teramo

The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...

 in 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...

.

The village sits at an elevation of 3596 feet above sea level in the area of Monti della Laga

Monti della Laga

Monti della Laga is a mountain range in the central Apennines, Italy. Their ruggedness and inaccessibility makes them one of the lesser known areas of the Italian peninsula.-Geography:...

 within 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...

.

The village likely takes its name from the word sèrrə which in the local dialect means crest. The location of Serra is in fact on a high elevation overlooking the Vezzola river.


In previous times the village belonged to the Università (a medieval term typically referring to several small clusters of dwellings) of the village of Rocca Bisegna. Others areas sharing this distinction included Faiete-Cona Faiete, San Biagio, Pomarolo and Macchia Santa Cecilia. In a book published in 1804 by Luigi Ercole the village is listed as having 38 inhabitants. By 1841 this figure had swelled to 44. In 2007 Serra had but one sole remaining citizen.


The village has an elongated shape and the only remaining houses face the one road that runs through its center. Although they have not yet come to fruition, plans are underway to restore several of the old historic dwellings and perhaps build a resort hotel nearby.

Historical Notes

In 1124 the Totoneschi family were granted rights to landholdings in the area by the local Catholic Church.

In 1270 documents refer to the involvement of Giacomo di Serris in the renting of this land area.

In 1279 a land transaction occurred regarding the local Church of San Salvatore. One individual involved in this transaction was Tommaso di Berardo of Serra Stephanesca.

In 1813 Serra is listed as belonging to the università of Rocca di Bisegno

The Church of San Salvatore

Just before entering the town the Church of San Salvatore can be found a somewhat higher elevation. The church was renovated in the first half of the 19th century. It sits upon the ruins of a previous structure which bore the same name. In the past, a religious festival took place each year on the 9th of November. In days past another holiday celebration would take place in the month of May.

Traditions

During the [Feast of the Assumption] many people gather at Serra for a religious celebration. The participants gather on foot and form a procession to the San Salvatore Church. During this activity the marchers gather all of the snails that they encounter along the way as these are believed to contain the souls of the deceased remaining in Purgatory. The snails are then blessed by the priest, thereby absolving the spirits of their previously-committed earthly sins. After the religious ceremonies a great feast is enjoyed by all.

Project Borghi (Burgs)

Serra today is one of three villages (the other two being Martese

Martese

Martese is a "frazione" in the Commune of Rocca Santa Maria in the Province of Teramo. The village sits at an elevation of approximately 3270 feet above sea level. The distance by car to Rocca Santa Maria is less than one mile. The infrequently used road between these two towns is steep and...

 and Tavolero

Tavolero

Tavolero, is a "frazione" of the Communal town of Rocca Santa Maria in the Province of Teramo. It is located in the area known as Monti della Laga and sits within the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park...

 chosen by the Province of Teramo

Province of Teramo

The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...

as sites for future touristic development. As part of this large scale project data related to the architectural, environment, and touristic aspects of more than 50 nearby villages and locals were systematically gathered and painstakingly analyzed before deciding upon the exact locations to be developed. These three villages were chosen for their authenticity, representativeness, and overall potential with regard to the criteria that had been established by the provincial authorities.

External links

• Website dedicated to Serra (In Italian)
• Photos of Serra and the surrounding area (In Italian)