Silvi Marina
Encyclopedia
Silvi is an Italian comune
in the province of Teramo
, about 15 km north of Pescara
, in the Abruzzo
region of central Italy. It stretches from Silvi Marina, a small seaside
resort
on the Adriatic Coast, to Silvi Paese up in the hills.
Silvi is a town divided into two parts: Silvi Paese or Alta, the old traditional town on the hill overlooking the sea, and Silvi Marina, a modern seaside resort below the hills. The unique location of Silvi Paese (called Castelbelfiore until the 19th century) led to the town's spindle-shaped layout with single main street, from which a network of narrow streets branch off.
In the 1860s, after the unification of Italy, in central and southern Italy, new railroads that turned inside-out and upside-down the traditional relationship between the coast and the interior. On the Adriatic coast, the only centers of some importance were, at that time, Ortona a Mare and Termoli; the other coastal areas were populated only by poor villages of fishermen and farmers, interrupted continually by the wide mouths of numerous streams and periodically subjected to violent floods. The railroads eventually made the coast towns more important than the hill towns such as in the case of Silvi.
’s history, being only a short distance away. In the 13th and 14th centuries Silvi was a main cog of a coastal defense system based on day and night signals through fires and smoke to alert the government in Naples
of the frequent landings of Turks and pirates. Through a series of mirrors, fire and smoke signals, these coastal defenses could relay information that could be received in Naples (capital of the Kingdom) in mere hours.
In the 14th century the medieval borough of Castrum Silvi, as it was known, became a fiefdom of the abbey of San Giovanni in Venere (located kilometers away, in what is now the province of Chieti
), then passed to the jurisdiction of the Acquaviva family of Atri. At the time Silvi Marina was a small poor port of fishermen. Silvi remained a fiefdom of Atri until the arrival of Napoleon in Italy and who in 1806 abolished feudalism.
By 1863 the building of the coastal railway and the station at the coast helped the development of the "Marina" part of Silvi, which little by little took over the government and administration, thanks mostly to investments in the tourist sector. In 1931 the municipal seat was moved from Silvi Paese to Silvi Marina, which within a few years turned into an important seaside resort, becoming the administrative center of all the territory, from the coast to the surrounding hills.
and the Vomano
Rivers, were harvested gives rise to its licorice manufacturing industry - known throughout Italy and Europe - with Saila Liquirizia (now part of LEAF Italia spa) and products of Aurelio Menozzi & De Rosa Company. Licorice root has been popular in the Abruzzo region for centuries.
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:...
in the province of Teramo
Province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...
, about 15 km north of Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, 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 central Italy. It stretches from Silvi Marina, a small seaside
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
on the Adriatic Coast, to Silvi Paese up in the hills.
Silvi is a town divided into two parts: Silvi Paese or Alta, the old traditional town on the hill overlooking the sea, and Silvi Marina, a modern seaside resort below the hills. The unique location of Silvi Paese (called Castelbelfiore until the 19th century) led to the town's spindle-shaped layout with single main street, from which a network of narrow streets branch off.
In the 1860s, after the unification of Italy, in central and southern Italy, new railroads that turned inside-out and upside-down the traditional relationship between the coast and the interior. On the Adriatic coast, the only centers of some importance were, at that time, Ortona a Mare and Termoli; the other coastal areas were populated only by poor villages of fishermen and farmers, interrupted continually by the wide mouths of numerous streams and periodically subjected to violent floods. The railroads eventually made the coast towns more important than the hill towns such as in the case of Silvi.
History
Silvi is closely tied to AtriAtri
This article is about the sage named Attri. See also the gotra named Atri. For the Italian city, see Atri, AbruzzoIn Hinduism, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapatis, and a son of Brahma, said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya...
’s history, being only a short distance away. In the 13th and 14th centuries Silvi was a main cog of a coastal defense system based on day and night signals through fires and smoke to alert the government in Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
of the frequent landings of Turks and pirates. Through a series of mirrors, fire and smoke signals, these coastal defenses could relay information that could be received in Naples (capital of the Kingdom) in mere hours.
In the 14th century the medieval borough of Castrum Silvi, as it was known, became a fiefdom of the abbey of San Giovanni in Venere (located kilometers away, in what is now the province of Chieti
Province of Chieti
The Province of Chieti is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Chieti.It has an area of 2,588 km², and a total population of 381,993...
), then passed to the jurisdiction of the Acquaviva family of Atri. At the time Silvi Marina was a small poor port of fishermen. Silvi remained a fiefdom of Atri until the arrival of Napoleon in Italy and who in 1806 abolished feudalism.
By 1863 the building of the coastal railway and the station at the coast helped the development of the "Marina" part of Silvi, which little by little took over the government and administration, thanks mostly to investments in the tourist sector. In 1931 the municipal seat was moved from Silvi Paese to Silvi Marina, which within a few years turned into an important seaside resort, becoming the administrative center of all the territory, from the coast to the surrounding hills.
Main sights
- The Belvedere of Silvi Paese, perched on top of a hill, 250 meters above sea level, which duplicates the once defensive garrison against the Saracens and offers a spectacular sight on the whole Central Adriatic, sweeping from the Croatian coast to Monte Conero (N) and the Tremiti Islands (S) on a clear day.
- Church of San Salvatore, in Silvi Paese, with a bell-tower, dating from the 13th century
- Torre di Cerrano at the ancient harbor of Atri and Silvi. Located on the beach between Silvi Marina and Pineto, it was developed when Atri abandoned the Vomano harbor. It is named for the Fosso Cerrano, a gully which runs along the sides of the hill down towards the sea. It served as a watch tower for Turkish invaders. Today the tower houses a marine biology station for the central Adriatic area
- Fashionable villas of the late nineteenth - early twentieth centuries after the railroad was developed
Culture
Fosso Concio, which was known as "Concio della Liquirizia" (from the word "acconciare" which means prepare in Abruzzese dialect) because it was here where the roots of the plant, which grew wild and copiously along the hillsides of the PiombaPiomba
The Piomba is an Italian river in Abruzzo. The source of the river is near Cermignano in the province of Teramo. The river flows southeast past Cellino Attanasio before entering the province of Pescara. The river flows close to the border with Teramo before it enters the Adriatic Sea north of the...
and the Vomano
Vomano
The Vomano is a 76 km Italian river, which runs through Montorio al Vomano and Roseto degli Abruzzi in region of Abruzzo. It rises from Monte San Franco in Gran Sasso and enters the sea at Roseto degli Abruzzi....
Rivers, were harvested gives rise to its licorice manufacturing industry - known throughout Italy and Europe - with Saila Liquirizia (now part of LEAF Italia spa) and products of Aurelio Menozzi & De Rosa Company. Licorice root has been popular in the Abruzzo region for centuries.