Villa Sant'Angelo
Encyclopedia
Villa Sant'Angelo is a comune
and town
in the province of L'Aquila
, in the Abruzzo
region of Italy
, which lies in the Aterno River valley near the convergence of the Sirente
and the Gran Sasso
mountain ranges. Many of the municipal functions are managed cooperatively with adjacent villages, comprising the Comunità Montana Amiternina.
The adjacent frazione
of Tussillo sits just west of the village on the base of Saint Peter's Mountain
, however archaeological excavations have revealed the presence of buildings dating from Roman
times. Ancient walls and portions of a necropolis
(including tombs, terracotta and 4th Century bronze and silver coins) have been discovered in a series of digs conducted between 1986 and 2005.
In the early 20th century, numerous residents of Villa Sant'Angelo emigrated to the United States
, beginning the decline of population from the peak of 1,027 recorded in the 1921 census. The communities of East Brady, Pennsylvania
and New Castle, Pennsylvania
absorbed much of these migrants.
At 3:32AM on the morning of April 6, 2009, a devastating earthquake
hit central Italy
, in particular Abruzzo. Approximately 90% of the buildings in Villa Sant'Angelo were destroyed and 17 people were killed.
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 town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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...
, 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
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...
, which lies in the Aterno River valley near the convergence of the Sirente
Monte Sirente
Monte Sirente is a mountain in Abruzzo, central Italy, the highest peak of a small chain extending for c. 13 km from the Altopiano delle Rocche, the Marsica and the Valle Subequana, ending to the Fucino plain...
and the Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso d'Italia is a mountain located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The Gran Sasso forms the centerpiece of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park which was established in 1993 and holds the highest mountains in continental Italy south of the Alps and is part of the...
mountain ranges. Many of the municipal functions are managed cooperatively with adjacent villages, comprising the Comunità Montana Amiternina.
The adjacent 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...
of Tussillo sits just west of the village on the base of Saint Peter's Mountain
History
Until recently, it was assumed that the origins of Villa Sant'Angelo dated back to the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, however archaeological excavations have revealed the presence of buildings dating from Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. Ancient walls and portions of a necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
(including tombs, terracotta and 4th Century bronze and silver coins) have been discovered in a series of digs conducted between 1986 and 2005.
In the early 20th century, numerous residents of Villa Sant'Angelo emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, beginning the decline of population from the peak of 1,027 recorded in the 1921 census. The communities of East Brady, Pennsylvania
East Brady, Pennsylvania
East Brady is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh DMA. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.-History:East Brady is named after Captain Samuel Brady, who fought with Native Americans at that location....
and New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
absorbed much of these migrants.
At 3:32AM on the morning of April 6, 2009, a devastating earthquake
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 3:32 local time on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together...
hit central Italy
Central Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
, in particular Abruzzo. Approximately 90% of the buildings in Villa Sant'Angelo were destroyed and 17 people were killed.
Notable residents
- Colombo Andreassi (1770-1799), lawyer executed for supporting the creation of the Parthenopaean RepublicParthenopaean RepublicThe Parthenopean Republic was a French-supported republic in the territory of the Kingdom of Naples, formed during the French Revolutionary Wars after King Ferdinand IV fled before advancing French troops...
. - Nicolas Tomei, author