Pacentro

Infobox CityIT
img_coa = Pacentro-Stemma.png official_name = Pacentro
region = Abruzzo
province = L'Aquila (AQ)
elevation_m = 650
area_total_km2 = 71
population_as_of = December 2001
population_total = 1279
population_density_km2 = 18
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|42|03|N|14|03|E
frazioni = Passo San Leonardo
telephone = 0864
postalcode = 67030
gentilic = Pacentrani
saint = San Marco, Madonna della Misericordia
day = April 25, May 8
mayor = Fernando Caparso
website =

Pacentro is a comune of 1279 inhabitants of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is a well preserved historic medieval village located in the central part of Italy, several kilometers from the City of Sulmona about 170km east of Rome. Pacentro has recently been nominated as one of the [http://www.borghitalia.it/html/borgo_en.php?codice_borgo=234&codice=elenco&page=1 "Borghi più belli d'Italia"] (the most beautiful villages in Italy).

Geography, history, and architecture

Geography

Pacentro lies in the Apennine Mountain Range on a plateau 2133 feet or 650 meters above sea level. It sits below Mount Morrone and just above the Peligna Valley and the City of Sulmona. It is part of the Majella National Park (Parco Nazionale della Majella). The town is renowned for its springs and fresh mountain water that comes from the snow of the Majella.

History

The village has documented origins back to the 9th or 10th Century, but the area was known as a mountain retreat since Roman times. Nearby Sulmona was the home of the famous Roman poet Ovid. Pacentro is one of several towns in the area with a medieval castle due to its position at the entrance of the strategic San Leonardo mountain pass to Pescara. The castle dates from the 14th Century and was built by the Cantelmo lords. It is partially ruined but is still remarkably preserved with three of the four towers mostly intact. The castle was sold by the Cipriani-Avolio family to the town government in 1957. It is now being restored and will be opened as a tourist attraction. Through its history, the town was successively in the feudal domain of the Caldora's, Orsini's, the Baron De Sanctis, the Colonna's, Princes Barberini, and lastly the Marchese Recupito di Raiano, who lost his feudal rights with the abolition of feudalism by King Joseph Bonaparte in 1806. The local nobility and gentry often controlled most local affairs while their masters generally remained in Rome, Naples or L'Aquila. An example of this is the 17th Century nobleman, Don Orazio Rossi, who was Luogotente (or Lieutenant) of the Orsini family in Pacentro. Pacentro was also united politically with the nearby towns of Cansano and Campo di Giove for much of the 18th and early 19th Century due to their common ownership by the same Feudal Lord.

Pacentro was also known in history for its fine craftsmen and artisans. It was home to fine silk weavers, stone masons, cabinet makers, carpenters, tailors, potters, and artists. A few of these skills still survive in the town today.

20th Century history

The town reached its peak of growth and prosperity just prior to World War I. Not more than 20 years later, this area of Abruzzo was directly affected by some of the most severe fighting in World War II. On the other side of the Maiella mountains from Pacentro, was the famous German Gustav Line. Many of the towns near the German defenses were bombed or destroyed, but Pacentro's geographic position of being tucked into a mountain pass preserved it from aerial bombardment. After the Italian Government's surrender in September 1943, Nazi armies marched south to occupy most of Italy. The German Wehrmacht occupied the town for the next few weeks. Allied raids induced the Germans to evacuate he population of the whole town just before Christmas 1943. Thousands of the town's inhabitants were evicted from their homes and forced to endure significant hardships. This event was known as the sfollamento. The only major structural loss from the war was the destruction of the historic Mulino or town mill by the retreating German troops. When the Pacentrani returned however, they found their crops ruined, animals slaughtered and personal property stolen. Pacentro was finally liberated by British Troops and Italian Partisans on 9 June 1944. After the war, many of the men had to emigrate to other parts of Italy, the United States, South America or Australia to find work. This eventually led to the severe depopulation of the town by the 1970s.

Architecture

Pacentro is a remarkably well preserved Italian hill town that features some excellent examples of medieval, renaissance, and baroque architecture. The most ancient part of the town is the area in the vicinity of the Castle. The town then expanded to the area of the Piazza del Popolo which was originally named Piazza Botteghe (a bottega is a shop or stand) since it was the market square. The medieval town walls ended at what is today the Piazza Umberto I or historically known as Piazza Jaringhi. The name Jaringhi or Arringhi was derived from a Germanic Lombard word meaning assembly (or meeting ring) because this is where the Lombard Lords would convene just outside the walls for tribal assemblies. During the Renaissance era, the Piazza Jaringhi was surrounded by a fountain and grand new noble palazzi. As the town grew in the 18th and 19th Centuries, the town expanded further up the Via San Marco leading to the old Church of San Marco (demolished in the early 20th Century) and down the Via San Francesco (or Via Convento) leading to the old Franciscan Convent of SS. Concezione. As part of the decree of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th Century, for health reasons the town cemetery was moved away from the crypt under the main church in the center of town to a site outside of town near the Convent where it remains today.

"Churches & The Convent"

Located on the Piazza del Popolo, the main church (or Chiesa Madre) of Santa Maria della Misericordia dates from the 16th Century and contains great works of religious art, statuary, and stucco. The church has the second tallest bell tower in the area after the SS. Annunziata in Sulmona and is visible for miles. The church is the sanctuary of the relics of San Crescenzo, a Roman Legionary who converted to Christianity. It has a wonderful baroque carved wood pulpit and side altars commissioned by the local nobility. It is remarkably large and well ornamented for a village of this size. Other churches include the 12th Century San Marcello Church, The 18th Century Church of the Madonna di Loreto, the small Church of San Marco Evangelista (originally the Rossi Family Chapel of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori) and the fine baroque 16th Century Convent Church of SS. Concezione.

The Convent (a generic name for a monastic house in Italy) of SS. Concezione (Immaculate Conception) is a fairly large complex on the south end of the town that was founded by the Franciscan Order of Friars in 1589. The convent consists of the church, the cloister, and the dormitory. The convent church is in the baroque style and is single aisled with a long barrel vault. Above the High Altar is a rare painting of the Immaculate Conception by the famous Flemish artist Bartholomeus Spranger. The choir of the church has finely carved stalls and an early 19th century marble High Altar. Along the side walls of the nave are the side altars and crypts of the Di Lorenzo, Lucci and Granata families of Pacentro. These side altars were given to local prominent or noble citizens, who were patrons of the convent, as the family "cappella gentilizia" or noble chapel and burial crypt (In England these were known as a Chantry Chapel). Above the side altars were a collection of paintings including a particularly fine image of the crucifixion above the Di Lorenzo altar. The cloister also contains fine late 16th, early 17th century frescos of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Today the dormitory part of the building has been converted to be used as a Retirement home and Youth Hostel. For more details on the churches of Pacentro see the parish website: [http://www.parrocchie.it/pacentro/ Parrocchia di S. Maria della Misercordia]

"Town Houses and Palazzi"

The town also contains many fine 16th-19th Century palaces and houses of the local nobility. Among these are the Palazzi La Rocca (currently the Municipio or City Hall), Cipriani-Avolio, Giacchesio, Cercone, Lisio, Massa, Trasmondi-Abate, Granata, Pelini, Simone, Pitassi-Rossi (now Ristorante Taverna Caldora) and Borsilli. The town has two main squares: Piazza del Popolo by the Main Church with its fine 17th Century fountain and Piazza Umberto I (also known as Piazza Jaringhi) with its historic houses.

Festas, holy days, and special events

The feast of San Marco Evangelista, the original town patron saint, is on April 25th.
Corpus Christi (or Corpus Domini) falls a month or so after Easter and features a magnificent procession with several altars erected throughout the village
In July is the [http://www.riverapacentro.it/en/festadelritorno.htm "Festa del Ritorno"] , an event organized by the [http://www.riverapacentro.it "Cooperativa Agricola Rivera Pacentro"] in honor of the people who emigrated in the past century from this town.
In August is the Rievocazione Storica, a medieval festival celebrating the times of the Caldora lords featuring medieval costumes and parades at the castle.
The Festa of the Madonna di Loreto is the first Sunday in September and is very popular with a procession and an exciting barefoot race (Corsa degli Zingari) from the Mountains to the Church.
In October is the feast of the Madonna del SS. Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary) and in November is the Feast of San Carlo Borromeo with a procession and the inflating of a giant hot air balloon in the Piazza Jaringhi.
The town has several ancient religious organizations known as Confraternities. There are four still in existence: San Carlo, SS. Rosario, Madonna di Loreto and Santa Croce. The Confraternities are each responsible, along with the Pastor, for the coordination of the various festas.

Restaurants and hotels

There are several fine restaurants in town including the "Taverna de li Caldora" in the Palazzo Pitassi, Ristorante Zio Carlo, Ristorante Furnacella and Bar De Martinis. In the Passo San Leonardo, a ski resort above Pacentro, is another fine restaurant named Celidonio. Several of the restaurants mentioned also have rooms available for visitors. There are also rooms in other private houses for rent. There are some larger hotels in the nearby city of Sulmona.
* [http://www.inside-abruzzo.com/en Inside Abruzzo: Insider Tips Uncovered]

Population, emigration, and family history

The population peaked in 1911 with over 4000 inhabitants. Today with the population just under 1300, most of the population emigrated after World War II. Many went to the United States, Latin America and Australia. There are many clubs and cultural associations for Pacentrani and their descendants around the world. The Associazione Culturale Pacentrana is based in Pacentro and publishes a monthly magazine named [http://pacentro.jeffsmobile.ca/pacentro/Links/Pacentrana.htm "Un Mese in Pacentro"] that features cultural and historical articles about Pacentro as well as current events and photos of Pacentrani around the world. Subscriptions can be obtained by clicking on the previous link. The magazine is sent all over the world. You can read some articles from "Un Mese in Pacentro" online on the [http://pacentro.net/wordpress/ Pacentro Weblog] In Detroit, Michigan there is the [http://www.ClubPacentro-Detroit.com Club Pacentro of Detroit] . There are similar clubs in Youngstown, OH, Paterson, NJ and other cities.

Pacentro is also known for being the village of origin of the paternal grandparents of the entertainer Madonna.

For a list of common surnames from the Comune of Pacentro today and in 1755 see the [http://www.abruzzo2000.com/genealogy/surnames/aq/pacentro.htm Abruzzo 2000 website] For surnames of people who have emigrated from Pacentro see the [http://www.avitrees.com/town_info.jsp?town=Pacentro&province=L'Aquila&region=Abruzzo Avitrees website]

Municipal contact information

Mayor: Fernando Caparso
Address: Municipio, Via S. Maria Maggiore,
67030 Pacentro (AQ), Italy
Email: [e-mail]