Castel del Monte (Abruzzo)

Infobox CityIT
official_name = Comune di Castel del Monte
img_coa = Castel del Monte-Stemma.png img_coa_small =


image_caption =
region = RegioneIT|sigla=ABR
province = ProvinciaIT (short form)|sigla=AQ (AQ)
mayor =
mayor_party =
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 1345
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 58.02
population_footnotes =
population_as_of = 01-01-2007 "(ISTAT)"
population_total = 480
pop_density_footnotes =
population_density_km2 = 8,27
coordinates = coord|42|22|0|N|13|43|44|E|region:IT_type:city(480)
gentilic = Castellani
telephone = 0862
postalcode = 67023
frazioni =
saint = San Donato
day = 7 August
mapx = #expr:42 + 22 / 60.0
mapy = #expr:13 + 43 / 60.0
locator_position =
native_name = Castel del Monte
name = Castel del Monte
website =

Castel del Monte is a comune in the Province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. Located in the heart of Italy's Gran Sasso, the medieval hill town is set into a steep hillside nestled beneath mountain peaks near the high plain of Campo Imperatore. Castel del Monte sits opposite the ancient mountaintop fortress of Rocca Calascio and faces Monte Sirente in the distance. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park".

History

The name "Castel del Monte" is from the Latin "Castellum de Montis" or fortress down from the mountains. The first evidence of human settlement are artifacts from the 11th century B.C.discovered in the valley beneath Castel del Monte and believed to be from an ancient necropolis. In the 4th century BC, Romans conquered the area and established "Città delle Tre Corone", the name meaning "fortified town behind three walls". This town was later abandoned because of the Goth Migrations or Barbarian Invasions and replaced by the fortified town of Ricetto in what is now the oldest part of Castel del Monte.The first recorded mention of Castellum Del Monte came in 1223 in a papal bull by Pope Honorius III. In 1298, the Counts of Aquaviva took possession of the town. In 1474, it passed to Alessandro Sforza and a short time later to the Piccolominis. In 1501, forces loyal to Spain plundered Castel del Monte because of the town's allegiance to France.

In 1579, the Piccolominis ceded the village as part of the Baronage of Carapelle to Francesco dei Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Medicis, who governed the baronage for over a century-and-a-half, left their imprint on Castel del Monte. in Chiesa Madonna del Suffragio by Benardino di Lorenzo (circa 1585) commissioned by Francesco dei Medici, and the diminutive Chiesa di San Rocco built in 1656.

The town’s massive defensive walls, largely formed by "wall houses", and its great gates, were also completed under this period of Medici rule.

In 1743, the baronage passed to Carlo di Borbone, then king of Naples and Sicily (later King Charles III of Spain). Castel del Monte remained under Spanish rule until the unification of Italy in 1861.

Castel del Monte's most notable resident in the 20th century was the shepherd, poet, diarist and sculptor, Francesco Giuliani (1888-1969). [Monti D'Italia l'Appennino centrale,fotografie Italo Zannier, text in ItalianVerona (1972) at p.7.]

Population and Economy

According to the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (the Italian Statistical Institute), Castel del Monte's resident population on December 31, 2006 was just 480, [ [http://demo.istat.it/bil2006/index_e.html ISTAT population data base] ] well below the town’s population in earlier centuries. Until recent times, Castel del Monte’s economic wellbeing has been tied to sheep farming. Between the 12th century and 16th century, the area was one of the most prolific wool producers in Europe. This prosperity continued until the end of the Transhumance, an annual sheep drive south to Apulia, which ceased in the 1850s. Though Castel del Monte continued to produce wool, pecorino cheese and lamb, the economy never recovered to its pre-1850s level and the town’s population steadily declined. This population decline accelerated in the second half of the 20th century when significant numbers of Castel Del Monte’s residents migrated to French-speaking southern Belgium or "Wallonia", many to work in its coal mines. Others migrated to France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In recent years, former residents who emigrated to French-speaking countries and their children have been returning to Castel del Monte with more frequency for vacations and, in some cases, to retire.

Tourism is central to Castel del Monte’s economic hopes. The absence of economic development in the 20th century meant there was little new construction in Castel del Monte within the past 100 years. As a result, most structures in Castel del Monte are several centuries old, and many are little changed from the Middle Ages or Renaissance. The creation of Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga in 1993, which Castel del Monte lies entirely within, assures that the land surrounding the town will remain forever wild, thus preserving Castel del Monte in a near pristine state. Castel del Monte's biggest tourist event is "La Notte delle Streghe" or "The Night of the Witches", an annual event for which the town is well-known. Held in mid-August, thousands visit the town for the late-night spectacle where the entire historic district serves as a stage for residents who play the roles of townspeople and witches in a folk drama in the local dialect known as "Castellano".

In 2006, Castel del Monte was named one of "I Borghi Piu belli D’Italia", the most beautiful villages of Italy. In return for this honor, the town agreed to promote historic preservation and environmental protection.

Photo Gallery

Notes

External links

* [http://www.borghitalia.it/html/borgo_it.php?codice_borgo=351&codice=elenco&page=1, I Borghi Piu belli D’Italia]
* [http://www.lanottedellestreghe.org/ "The Night of the Witches" festival, "La Notte delle Streghe"]