Guglionesi

Guglionesi (Campobassan dialect: Uinìš) is a small town in Molise, Southern Italy, about 50 kilometers’ distance from Campobasso. The municipality of Guglionesi had a population of 5,272 inhabitants accordingly to the results of the recent national census. The town lies on Kmq. 100.73 and approximately 369 meters above sea level.

History

The historical origins of Guglionesi go back to the 4th century BC. In ancient times, the name was "Uscosium" or "Usconium" and together with Pescara, Ortona, Lanciano, Vasto and Larino was one of the most important centers of the Frentani, a region inhabited from allied Italic people of the Samnites.

Thanks to its strategic position along the "Via Frentana-Traiana", "Usconium" became, towards the end of the Republican Era, a Municipium, and according to historical documents, had nearly 25,000 inhabitants.

At the center of "Usconium", between "Monte Antico" and "Monte Capraro" there was "Pagus Of Collis Nisii" or "Collenisyus" (Hill of Bacchus) where the escaped from "Usconium" were sheltered after its destruction by the Goths.

In the 412 AD "Colleniso" became "New Usconium" and was encircled by protection walls in the period of Longobardo. After that, the most important fortification was raised in the Ninth Century, when Robert Guiscard took hold of the city. In that period eighteen watchtowers and two castles were erected. The first castle was located along "Via Capitano Verri", where its ruins can still be seen today. The second castle is in "Castellara". After the destruction of the second castle, upon what was left of the castle foundations, the Convent of the Cappuccini was constructed.

In the 801 AD Colleniso was submitted to the Duke of Spoleto, and endured various incursions from part of Saracen raiders. In the 1137 A.D. it endured the pillage from Emperor Lothair II. In the 1315 King Robert of Anjou gave Collenisio to his brother Peter, Count of Gravina, and at his death, his daughter Agnese inherited the city. In 1340 she founded the Certosa of Saint Giovanni Batiste, also known as "Porta Del Paradiso" ("The Heaven’s door") and as "The Heremo of Saint John". This was the time in which numerous invasions occurred to the city, and in the mean time the city’s name was changed from "Colleniso" to "Guillonisi".

In 1496 after the death of René of Anjou, his cousin Charles VIII of France descended to Italy with a large army and conquered Naples. The French entered "Guillonisi" and plundered the entire village, demolished the two castles and the towers and killed most of the people. Another particularly invasion occurred in the 16th century by the Turks, who set afire, among the other things, the church of "Saint Maria Maggiore", and consequently the relics of St. Adam housed in the church were destroyed and lost.

ister cities

ources

* [http://molise.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/cb/guglionesi/guglionesi.html Guglionesi]
* [http://www.enit.it/comuniris.asp?Lang=UK&ID=11683&Luogo=GUGLIONESI Towns, Provinces and Regions]

External links

* [http://www.guglionesi.com/ Guglionesi On The Web] (In Italian)