Nepezzano
Encyclopedia
Nepezzano is a suburb of the provincial capital Teramo
, Italy
and is located about 4 miles away from the town center.
The first written documentation regarding Nepezzano dates back to the 12th century in a listing of feudal properties (Rassegna dei Feudatar) found in the county of Teramo (then known as "Aprutina"). These documents show that one Maccabeo Melatino and his relatives had made claim to Nepezzano, along with the neighboring localities Monticello and Campora.
According to the historian Niccola Palma, the feudal castle
of the Melatino family towered above a hill then known as Mount Marino. The castle was positioned in such a manner so as to provide an unobstructed view of the small village below and of the Melatino holdings. Through the beginning of the 19th century, traces of the castle ruins were still to be found alongside the district road coursing through this location. Professor Palma writes that a stone tablet found nearby carried the Latin inscription "Iter. Privat Fundi Nepotiani." At one time this was probably placed at one of the entry points to a location carrying the name Nepotiano. Thus, the derivation of the name of the town currently known as Nepazzano. The word "Nepotiano" noted on this boundary stone perhaps refers to a Roman
colony linked to the larger city of "Pretut" (the ancient name for the town today known as Teramo).
With regard to its ecclesiastical heritage, in 1188 Pope Clement III
issued a Papal Bull
placing Nepezzano, along with the San Martino
church and associated land holdings, under the tutelage of the town of San Nicolò Tordino. This remained in effect until San Nicolò Tordino itself could no longer claim to be unclaimed by any sovereign entity.
In 1351 Nepezzano was united with the Comune di Teramo and remains to this day a suburb of this city.
Towards the end of the 16th century, several colonies in the Abruzzo
region were founded by groups of Venetian
warriors and exiles known as "Schiavoni
" and more specifically arriving from the Dalmatia
n coastal region of the Adriatic Sea
. One such settlement was found in Cologna
, today a suburb of the town of Roseto degli Abruzzi
. Another small group of country houses, constructed of earth covered straw, was found near Nepezzano in an area today known as Villa Schiavoni. A group of Schiavoni went to live in Teramo proper where a free standing village arose. In memory of their ancestors, thedescendants of the Schiavoni constructed a chapel in the Cathedral of Teramo and dedicated it to Saint Nicholas of Bari. On 23 June 1809 Nepezzano, along with the neighboring town of Ripattone, suffered greatly when they were captured by Italian brigand troops fighting against the Napoleonic occupation.
The church in Nepezzano was restored in 1931 by the parish priest, Domenico Pirocchi, who installed a new bell tower
. The street leading up to the church was completed in 1927.
For many centuries, the Di Domenicatonio family retained vast holdings of land near Teramo in the suburbs of Nepezzano, Villa Schiavoni, and Coste Sant’Agostino.
In the early 1900s, one infamous native of this town, Marco Reginelli
emigrated to Penns Grove and later Camden, New Jersey
where he was involved in underworld matters.
Teramo
Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines and the Adriatic coast...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and is located about 4 miles away from the town center.
The first written documentation regarding Nepezzano dates back to the 12th century in a listing of feudal properties (Rassegna dei Feudatar) found in the county of Teramo (then known as "Aprutina"). These documents show that one Maccabeo Melatino and his relatives had made claim to Nepezzano, along with the neighboring localities Monticello and Campora.
According to the historian Niccola Palma, the feudal castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of the Melatino family towered above a hill then known as Mount Marino. The castle was positioned in such a manner so as to provide an unobstructed view of the small village below and of the Melatino holdings. Through the beginning of the 19th century, traces of the castle ruins were still to be found alongside the district road coursing through this location. Professor Palma writes that a stone tablet found nearby carried the Latin inscription "Iter. Privat Fundi Nepotiani." At one time this was probably placed at one of the entry points to a location carrying the name Nepotiano. Thus, the derivation of the name of the town currently known as Nepazzano. The word "Nepotiano" noted on this boundary stone perhaps refers to a Roman
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....
colony linked to the larger city of "Pretut" (the ancient name for the town today known as Teramo).
With regard to its ecclesiastical heritage, in 1188 Pope Clement III
Pope Clement III
Pope Clement III , born Paulino Scolari, was elected Pope on December 19, 1187 and reigned until his death.-Cardinal:...
issued a Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
placing Nepezzano, along with the San Martino
San Martino
San Martino is Italian for Saint Martin.It can refer to:-Towns:* Adrara San Martino, a comune in Bergamo province, Lombardy* Borgo San Martino, a comune in Alessandria province, Piedmont* Campo San Martino, a comune in Padua province, Veneto...
church and associated land holdings, under the tutelage of the town of San Nicolò Tordino. This remained in effect until San Nicolò Tordino itself could no longer claim to be unclaimed by any sovereign entity.
In 1351 Nepezzano was united with the Comune di Teramo and remains to this day a suburb of this city.
Towards the end of the 16th century, several colonies in the Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
region were founded by groups of Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
warriors and exiles known as "Schiavoni
Schiavone
Schiavone is an Italian surname, literally meaning "Slav" in Old Italian: originally, this term indicated origins in parts of Croatia - Dalmatia or Istria - under the rule of the Republic of Venice...
" and more specifically arriving from the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n coastal region of the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. One such settlement was found in Cologna
Cologna
Cologna is a small town in Val Poschiavo, Grisons, Switzerland. It is located southeast of Poschiavo....
, today a suburb of the town of Roseto degli Abruzzi
Roseto degli Abruzzi
Roseto degli Abruzzi, more commonly Roseto, is a town and comune of the province of Teramo in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a beach resort on the Adriatic Sea and has about 24,000 inhabitants. Geographically, Roseto is positioned on estuaries of the Vomano and Tordino Rivers. It is...
. Another small group of country houses, constructed of earth covered straw, was found near Nepezzano in an area today known as Villa Schiavoni. A group of Schiavoni went to live in Teramo proper where a free standing village arose. In memory of their ancestors, thedescendants of the Schiavoni constructed a chapel in the Cathedral of Teramo and dedicated it to Saint Nicholas of Bari. On 23 June 1809 Nepezzano, along with the neighboring town of Ripattone, suffered greatly when they were captured by Italian brigand troops fighting against the Napoleonic occupation.
The church in Nepezzano was restored in 1931 by the parish priest, Domenico Pirocchi, who installed a new bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. The street leading up to the church was completed in 1927.
For many centuries, the Di Domenicatonio family retained vast holdings of land near Teramo in the suburbs of Nepezzano, Villa Schiavoni, and Coste Sant’Agostino.
In the early 1900s, one infamous native of this town, Marco Reginelli
Marco Reginelli
Marco "Small Man" Reginelli was a New Jersey mobster who became underboss of the Bruno crime family and operated a famous nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reginelli's nickname came from his short stature.-Early life:...
emigrated to Penns Grove and later Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
where he was involved in underworld matters.