Gessopalena and Abruzzo
The Abruzzo region is situated along the Adriatic Coast, extending 129 km. from the Tronto River in the north to the Trigno River in the south. Inland, the Region is mainly mountainous covering a territory of 10.947 sq. km.
Although there are no plains in the coastal area, a few can be found inland, such as the “Piana del Fucino” (Fucino Plain) which was obtained through the draining of a lake bearing the same name.
The Province of L’Aquila is a mountainous area, while hills prevail in the Province of Chieti. Pescara and Teramo instead are characterized by both mountains and hills.
Because of the geomorphological features man has been present in Abruzzo for more than 700,000 years- (Paleolithic Period) and the people of Abruzzo were hunters/harvesters dwelling in the valleys that opened up towards the Adriatic Sea.
6500 years ago( Neolithic Period), Abruzzi economy started to transfer to more of an agricultural region, which was present in small villages throughout the region.
By the Metal Age, sheep farming developed and as more people arrived to the area, agricultural and pastoral farming provided the basis for the Italic civilization.
Archaeology: Gessopalena
There is no denying the early inhabitants of Abruzzo and the discoveries of pre-Roman (Samnites) and Roman artifacts in the Gessopalena area. I have included below 2 excerpts from the Museo del Territorio and these illustrate the inhabitants of Gessopalena at that time. These areas in the paragraphs below pertain to Gessopalena and are very close to where the town was constructed in the 9th century.
SANT'AGATA location: a burial site used by the Carricini, the sannitica people living in the zone before the Romans arrived, has been found. Several tombs in the necropolis were destroyed because a marl cave was opened. The objects inside the tombs may be dated 5th century BC.. Several discoveries prove there were inhabited locations and religious areas during the roman age. In COLLE DEI PINCIANESI, COCCIOLI, SANTA CROCE, SCRIMA, LA MORGIA, MORGE DELLA PENNA locations, roman country villas remains were located, while in CALDERAI location still are traces of a temple whose position, just along the tratturo (country path used by shepherds with migrating herds), opens the hypothesis that it was a building dedicated to Hercules worship, god protecting the shepherd's paths in the italic Abruzzo. Other isolated findings (an Hercules votive statuette at CALLOMERO, a stone sphinx in ISOLINA district (contrada Isolina), republican age coins at LA MORGIA, a tombstone currently embedded in an old farm at CERRO, a votive ditch (stipe votiva) with little bronzes at a not specified location) confirm the importance and widespread presence of Romans in the zone. Near the calcareous rock in Morgia, the inhabited place of PESCORUSTICI or PESCOROTTICO was built in the high Middle Ages, then deserted because of the pestilence in 1349. A settlement was also built on the COLLE DEI CALDERAI (hill of Calderai) over the tratturo and near the famous GROTTA DEL DIAVOLO (Devil’s Cave). In CALDERAI the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria dei Calderai was built, and according oral tradition, it was destroyed by farmers of the area as a retaliation for the monks’ oppression.
Monte San Giuliano Location- megalithic walls and Italic necropolis: In the southern zone, traces of a megalithic wall of pre-roman age were found, which together to other boundary walls in the zone as those in Monte Moresco, Montenerodomo and Pallano, was part of the defensive system of the Carricini, the sannitica population living in the zone before it was conquered by Romans. The walls of Monte San Giuliano were to control the tratturo passing through the plane of Calderai (piana di Calderai). In the same area also some tombs dating 5th century B.C. were found, so in full Italic age. Other tombs were found in the area where today is built the Elementary School. How to get there: from Gessopalena, along the road leading to Torricella Peligna, shortly after the inhabited area you turn left taking the communal road with hairpin bends that initially goes down and then goes again up, trough Coccioli and Monte San Giuliano location.
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Gessopalena and Abruzzo
The Abruzzo region is situated along the Adriatic Coast, extending 129 km. from the Tronto River in the north to the Trigno River in the south. Inland, the Region is mainly mountainous covering a territory of 10.947 sq. km.
Although there are no plains in the coastal area, a few can be found inland, such as the “Piana del Fucino” (Fucino Plain) which was obtained through the draining of a lake bearing the same name.
The Province of L’Aquila is a mountainous area, while hills prevail in the Province of Chieti. Pescara and Teramo instead are characterized by both mountains and hills.
Because of the geomorphological features man has been present in Abruzzo for more than 700,000 years- (Paleolithic Period) and the people of Abruzzo were hunters/harvesters dwelling in the valleys that opened up towards the Adriatic Sea.
6500 years ago( Neolithic Period), Abruzzi economy started to transfer to more of an agricultural region, which was present in small villages throughout the region.
By the Metal Age, sheep farming developed and as more people arrived to the area, agricultural and pastoral farming provided the basis for the Italic civilization.
Archaeology: Gessopalena
There is no denying the early inhabitants of Abruzzo and the discoveries of pre-Roman (Samnites) and Roman artifacts in the Gessopalena area. I have included below 2 excerpts from the Museo del Territorio and these illustrate the inhabitants of Gessopalena at that time. These areas in the paragraphs below pertain to Gessopalena and are very close to where the town was constructed in the 9th century.
SANT'AGATA location: a burial site used by the Carricini, the sannitica people living in the zone before the Romans arrived, has been found. Several tombs in the necropolis were destroyed because a marl cave was opened. The objects inside the tombs may be dated 5th century BC.. Several discoveries prove there were inhabited locations and religious areas during the roman age. In COLLE DEI PINCIANESI, COCCIOLI, SANTA CROCE, SCRIMA, LA MORGIA, MORGE DELLA PENNA locations, roman country villas remains were located, while in CALDERAI location still are traces of a temple whose position, just along the tratturo (country path used by shepherds with migrating herds), opens the hypothesis that it was a building dedicated to Hercules worship, god protecting the shepherd's paths in the italic Abruzzo. Other isolated findings (an Hercules votive statuette at CALLOMERO, a stone sphinx in ISOLINA district (contrada Isolina), republican age coins at LA MORGIA, a tombstone currently embedded in an old farm at CERRO, a votive ditch (stipe votiva) with little bronzes at a not specified location) confirm the importance and widespread presence of Romans in the zone. Near the calcareous rock in Morgia, the inhabited place of PESCORUSTICI or PESCOROTTICO was built in the high Middle Ages, then deserted because of the pestilence in 1349. A settlement was also built on the COLLE DEI CALDERAI (hill of Calderai) over the tratturo and near the famous GROTTA DEL DIAVOLO (Devil’s Cave). In CALDERAI the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria dei Calderai was built, and according oral tradition, it was destroyed by farmers of the area as a retaliation for the monks’ oppression.
Monte San Giuliano Location- megalithic walls and Italic necropolis: In the southern zone, traces of a megalithic wall of pre-roman age were found, which together to other boundary walls in the zone as those in Monte Moresco, Montenerodomo and Pallano, was part of the defensive system of the Carricini, the sannitica population living in the zone before it was conquered by Romans. The walls of Monte San Giuliano were to control the tratturo passing through the plane of Calderai (piana di Calderai). In the same area also some tombs dating 5th century B.C. were found, so in full Italic age. Other tombs were found in the area where today is built the Elementary School. How to get there: from Gessopalena, along the road leading to Torricella Peligna, shortly after the inhabited area you turn left taking the communal road with hairpin bends that initially goes down and then goes again up, trough Coccioli and Monte San Giuliano location.
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