Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Encyclopedia
Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a comune
and hill town
in the Province of L'Aquila
in the Abruzzo
region of Italy
. Located in an Italian national park, the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
,in the highest region of the Apennines, this medieval hill town sits adjacent to the high plain of Campo Imperatore
.
, the Italian singer and songwriter. The village's main source of income is tourism with small boutiques, art galleries and eateries tucked into ancient stone structures.
Along with its neighbor Castel del Monte, Santo Stefano has been named one of Italy's prettiest villages, "I Borghi Piu belli D’Italia", and recognized by the Slow Food
movement for its sustainable agriculture, in particular its gourmet lentils, "lenticchie". The town holds a festival the first weekend September of each year, the "Sagra delle Lenticchie", celebrating this food.
, Santo Stefano lost its two most precious architectural prizes: its Medici Tower, the town's iconic symbol, which totally collapsed, and its 17th century Church of the Madonna del Lago, which lost most of its front facade and suffered a major roof collapse. The hill town's other ancient masonry buildings largely survived although many suffered structural damage. The Medici Tower is believed to have been rendered vulnerable to collapse because of 20th century renovations to the tower's observation platform, which replaced a wooden deck with one made of reinforced concrete, thus making the tower top-heavy.
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 hill 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...
. Located in an Italian national park, the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park in Italy, which was established in 1991. It has an area of 2,014 square kilometres...
,in the highest region of the Apennines, this medieval hill town sits adjacent to the high plain of Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore is a mountain grassland or alpine meadow formed by a high basin shaped plateau located in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy in the Gran Sasso massif. It is the largest plateau of the Apennine ridge...
.
Population and Economy
The tiny medieval village of Santo Stefano lay largely abandoned with many of its ancient building in ruins and only 70 inhabitants until recent years. Now, many of the village's buildings have been restored. Some comprise the Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, or extended hotel. Other structures have been restored as vacation homes. The village's population as of January 1, 2009 was 124. However, with its proximity to Rome of 154 km by car, or less the two hour's drive, the small village has become a fashionable weekend and summer retreat, among its most notable part-time residents is Lucio DallaLucio Dalla
Lucio Dalla is a popular Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He also plays clarinet and keyboards.He is the composer of Caruso , which has been covered by numerous international artists...
, the Italian singer and songwriter. The village's main source of income is tourism with small boutiques, art galleries and eateries tucked into ancient stone structures.
Along with its neighbor Castel del Monte, Santo Stefano has been named one of Italy's prettiest villages, "I Borghi Piu belli D’Italia", and recognized by the Slow Food
Slow Food
Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of...
movement for its sustainable agriculture, in particular its gourmet lentils, "lenticchie". The town holds a festival the first weekend September of each year, the "Sagra delle Lenticchie", celebrating this food.
History
“Sessanio” or "Sextantia”, as it was called in Roman times, is the patron saint of the village. Many structures in the village date from the eleventh through fifteenth centuries. In the twelfth century, Santo Stefano was part of the Baronage of Carapelle, which included Castel del Monte, Colascio, Capestrano, Carapelle, Castelvecchio, Ofena, and Villa S.Luca. The still standing village portal and now destroyed circular tower (the town's most notable architectural landmark) were constructed by the Medicis. The entrance portal, which leads to the village's main square, is emblazoned with the Medici coat of arms. Other historic structures include the Church of Santa Maria in Ruvo, Casa Fortezza, the Church of Santo Stefano, the ruins of the Palazzo Anelli, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the Convent S. Maria del Monte.2009 Earthquake
In the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 3:32 local time on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together...
, Santo Stefano lost its two most precious architectural prizes: its Medici Tower, the town's iconic symbol, which totally collapsed, and its 17th century Church of the Madonna del Lago, which lost most of its front facade and suffered a major roof collapse. The hill town's other ancient masonry buildings largely survived although many suffered structural damage. The Medici Tower is believed to have been rendered vulnerable to collapse because of 20th century renovations to the tower's observation platform, which replaced a wooden deck with one made of reinforced concrete, thus making the tower top-heavy.