Poggio Picenze is a comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

 and town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in the Province of L'Aquila

L'Aquila

L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...

 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 of 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...

. Poggio Picenze is a small city which has approximately one thousand inhabitants. Located on Italy’s Highway 17, it is 14 km from the Abruzzese Apennines and about 12 km from the city of L'Aquila

L'Aquila

L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...

, sitting 760 m above sea level from which it overlooks the Aquila basin. It is also part of the mountain community of Campo Imperatore-Piana Navelli.

Geography

This farming town has the characteristic of being divided into two distinct urban areas. The region is known for the numerous white limestone quarries that mined and processed the "La Pietra del Poggio" (White Stone). Its white gentle appearance and its physical characteristics make it easy to work with, but moreover, it also has the properties of being hardened and covered with a golden patina over time. Due to this resource and the work of master masons of Poggio were authors of hundreds of ornate doorways, balconies, patios, porches, fountains, and eagles.

History

Poggio Picenze’s name derives from the ancient castle which was built on the side of Mount Picenze, the name derives in turn from Piceni, also called Picentia, which established several settlements in the area around the 3rd century B.C. The date of the castle dates back to around the year 1000, it is referenced in documents around 1173. "Podio de Picentia” had fortified walls and six towers, including one high in the middle. Remains of the castle are still visible in the old part of town.

Pre-feudal era

Poggio Picenze castle's position repeatedly exposed it to raids. In 1423, the castle withstood the siege for two long days by Braccio da Montone, giving time for the denizens to organize resistance, but eventually capitulated before the ruthless conqueror. One of the castles of the Contado Aquilano (L’Aquila Countryside), was given by Emperor Charles the V

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...

, after a peasant rebellion in 1533 to Antonio Aldana; later it belonged to the Alfieri family from L'Aquila.

Feudal Era

Poggio Picenze was assigned to the Spaniard Giagiacomo of Léognan Castriota, a talented leader who in 1566 settled there in preference to all his many possessions. After Léognan, the estate passed in the 18th century to the Marquis De Sterlich of Chieti, Italy. The town was badly damaged in the October 6th, 1762 earthquake and required substantial reconstruction work. In 1806, the era of feudalism endeded, and Poggio Picenze's castle was partially demolished in 1832 as it became unsafe due to continual earthquakes.

Modern Era

In the late 19th century, Poggio Picenze would experience out migration that affected most of Italy, where 75 percent of the population would leave in the span of a century. Despite air raids on nearby L’Aquila during World War II, Poggio Picenze’s historical buildings remained relatively unscathed .

In 2009, Poggio Picenze would suffer fatalities from an earthquake that occurred at 3:32 local time (1:32 UTC) on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale

Moment magnitude scale

The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...

; its epicenter was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together with surrounding villages suffered the most damage. There have been several thousand aftershocks since, and more than thirty of which had a Richter magnitude greater than 3.5.

Fontana di San Rocco

The fountain is bounded by a staircase and is characterized by two tanks closed in niches with three columns topped by capitals. The tanks are supported by small piers. The drinking fountain is of exquisite workmanship, and the simplicity of the lines gives it simple elegance.

Chiesa di San Felice Martire

The parish church is dedicated to Saint Felix the Martyr. Its first unit was built around the mid-15th century, and suffered severe damage during the earthquake of 1762 but was soon rebuilt and enlarged. Its stone facade of the late 16th century was finally restored in 1870 with local stone.

The interior has three naves divided by columns, with a Baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

-Classical style interior altars, statues and paintings. The altar is dedicated to St. John and was the work of Renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 master Thomas Rocco of Vicenza.

Chiesa Della Visitazione

This church was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. Its facade is Romanesque

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

, whose upper part has a crucifix

Crucifix

A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....

 in high relief. In the early 20th century, farmers attended the Mass before going to work in the fields.

Church of San Giuliano di San Rocco

This church’s construction dates from the early 15th century, where previously there was a small hospital until 1447. It had a simple design with crisp front and pilasters in local stone, the interior has a single aisle with tettoe ceiling in wood. The church of San Rocco while notable, was destroyed by an earthquake January 13, 1915

1915 Avezzano earthquake

The 1915 Avezzano earthquake or 1915 L'Aquila earthquake occurred on January 13 in southern Italy, near the city of L'Aquila. The epicenter was located in the town of Avezzano in southern Italy...

.

Festivals and Events

Many cultural events of Poggio Picenze take place throughout the summer.

Poggio Picenze in Blues

A popular festival is the "Poggio Picenze in Blues," which is held traditionally on the second weekend of July. It is a music festival featuring rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

  in the town square. The square’s acoustics with medieval architecture make it popular with musicians.

Feast of the Patron Saint San Felice

On June 18 the feast of the patron saint is celebrated. In the morning, the faithful attend a Mass in his honor, then the festival committee members take place the effigy in a case which was donated by the city of Gerona, Spain. The climax of the festival, La Banda Musicale (Music band) and bonfires announce the opening of the reliquary. The Saint is placed on the dais to be carried in a procession through the streets of the city. After completing the course, traditional gunfire announces that the saint made his appearance to the city and is ready to return to church.

Sagra Degli Spizzichi E Della Pecora Alla Chiaranese (Festival of the Sheep to Chiaranese)

This festival is held annually on Friday Saturday and Sunday in the first week of August. Its advent was in the early 1970s and was devoted primarily to those who have migrated out but are still devoted to Poggio Picenze, it is sometimes referred to as "The Emigrant's Week." It celebrates being connected to those who have migrated throughout the world and to welcome them back.

Sports

The town of Poggio Picenze organizes annual sporting events such as running and cycling races. The bowling club offers an elite school bowling club.