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Abruzzo freccina Province of Pescara freccina Civitaquana

Civitaquana

Province of Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy

Civitaquana rises in the valley of the Pescara river, on a hill where a Roman and later Launguebard settlement were recorded. The oldest part is medieval, and follows a defensive architecture, with the houses side by side in a half-circle.

arrowHistory

Historian Muzio Pansa says there were wide underground water collectors here in antiquity, and the name in the most ancient documents is recorded ad Civitaquana, Civitas Cana, Civitas Aquana. "Aquanus " means in latin "coming from the water, and may actually refer to the many acqueducts built in the area". Excavations have actually shown the presence of two large Roman "cisternae" below Colle Quinzio.

Archeological findings èpoint towards the existence in the area of an ancient Roman town, and there is a legend saying that this ancient town was called Altilia. In 883 it is mentioned in the Chronicon Casauriense as part of the diocesis of Pelle. In 1269 Civitaquana was granted as a feifdom by King Charles of Anjou to poet Sordello da Goito but he probably died immediately afterwards, since the king gave Civitaquana to Bonifacio di Galiberto. In 1458 king Ferrante d'Aragona granted the lordship to Laudadio De Lagmyniano, "Giustiziere" of Abruzzo, whose palace can still be seen in the main square. A Leognani descendant marriedthe sister of famous condottiere Ettore Fieramosca, and the surname of the wife was added to the family.

arrowSights & Excursions

  • Abbey of Santa Maria delle Grazie, built over a Roman construction, of whisc some parts were re-used, it is now in three aisles, in the Romanesque style, and with a typical Lombard architecture. The inside, lit by sparce windows, is very austere. There is still a fresco with San Martino.
  • Chapel devoted to San Rocco with a neoclasic façade.
  • Palazzo Leognani-Fieramosca, a very fine example of Renaissance architecture, in red bricks and with two elegant "logge" on both sides
  • Convento dei Carmelitani, outside Civitaquana
  • Church of S. Maria Assunta, XII cent.

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

arrowInfo

Altitude: 550 m a.s.l -- Distance from Pescara: 25 km -- Population: ca. 1400 inhabitants -- Zip code: 65010 -- Phone Area Code: 085 -- How to reach it: motorway: A25 uscita Alanno-Scafa; road: s.n. 602 from Pescara

arrowEvents & Festivities

  • Mid January: Feast of St. Antony Abbot
  • 31 august-2 September: Feast of Saint Egidio and Emidio

arrowHotels, Lodging, Restaurants

  • Ristorante Cesarone - 1 ctr. Sterpara - 65010 Civitaquana Tel: +39 085 848278

arrowGenealogy, News & Link

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