Esanatoglia
Encyclopedia
History
According to the legend, EsusEsus
Esus or Hesus was a Gaulish god known from two monumental statues and a line in Lucan's Bellum civile.-Imagery:The two statues on which his name appears are the Pillar of the Boatmen from among the Parisii and a pillar from Trier among the Treveri. In both of these, Esus is portrayed cutting...
, the Celtic God of war, would be the origin of the name of the Esino river, on whose shores a town, Aesa, is presumed to have been founded in Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
The current name Esanatoglia was given in 1862, from a combination between Aesa and Anatolia, replacing the medieval Santa Anatolia, which in turn derived from Saint Anatolia, a 3rd century Christian martyr. The first known document referring to Santa Anatolia dates from 1015, concerning the foundation of the monastery of Sant’Angelo by Conte Atto and his wife Berta. The monastery became soon the most important religious establishment in the area.
The city was ruled by the Malcavalca until 1211, when they were succeeded the Ottoni di Matelica. Three years later, and for three hundred years, the da Varano
Da Varano
The Da Varano was an Italian noble family who had an important role in the medieval and Renaissance history of central Italy, as rulers of Camerino and other lands in the Marche and Umbria.- Overview :...
family hold the city. Under the da Varano Santa Anatolia maintained a certain autonomy: the first collection of statutory norms dates from 1324. The citadel remained immune from wars and pillages until 1443, when it was conquered by Francesco I Sforza
Francesco I Sforza
Francesco I Sforza was an Italian condottiero, the founder of the Sforza dynasty in Milan, Italy. He was the brother of Alessandro, with whom he often fought.-Early life:...
. The monastery of Sant'Angelo and its library did not escape the devastation.
In 1502 it became part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
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Main sights
- Hermitage of San Cataldo, a guard tower of medieval origin, located at the top of the mountain facing the city.
- Church of San Martino, located in the city's center and built in the Middle Ages (13th-14th centuries)
- Fountain of San Martino (possibily from the 12th century). In 1534 it was re-built by order of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese
- Sant'Andrea Gate