Torricella Sicura
Encyclopedia
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...
, 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
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...
. It is located in the natural park known as 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...
".
Geography
The town is located about four miles from the provincial capital of TeramoTeramo
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...
. It is divided into neighborhoods :
- Torricella Oscura
- Torricella Scarpone - the area surrounding the town castle
- Torricella Romana - the area surrounding the house of the illustrious Romani family
- Torricella Case Nuove - area in which homes have most recently been constructed
- Centro - town centre
History
The town most likely takes the first part of its name from an ancient castle once found just to the north. The local gentry still refer to this area as "lu castille" (the castle). In the late 18th century there is mention of an underground tunnel that led from the castle to the surrounding countryside. Legend has it that somewhere in this area is an enormous grotto containing a vast treasure under the watchful of an enormous serpent. The second part of the town's name, "Sicura" is thought to be a derivation of "Sicula", with reference to an indigenous people living in the area in the first millennium BCE.Surrounding the town are vestiges of Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
epochs. Also present are temple ruins, ancient Roman graves, and a mysterious altar dedicated to an unknown deity. One monumental inscription is dedicated to the High Priestess "Numisia" and others speak of the presence of a thermal bathhouse.
Sights
Located in the town is a private museum devoted to the folklore of Torricella Sicura and the surrounding area. It includes more than 16,000 pieces of memorabilia divided into three main sections. The first is a presentation of very detailed and accurate historical farming scenes done in miniature 1:5 scale. The second is collection of farming tools, many of which date from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The third portion is a "virtual museum" in which information about the customs and typical professions of the past is presented in a multimedia internet site. The founder of the museum, Gino Di Benedetto, has taken great care and expense to make his collection of historical objects as authentic as possible.- The main place of worship in Torricella Sicura is the Parish Church, Saint Paul the Apostle, named after the patron saint of the town. It is located in the center of Torricella Sicura and is noted for its majestic bell tower.
- A smaller church is called Madonna delle Vergini (Madonna of the Virgins), often referred to as "Chiesa della Cona" (Church of the Icon) in reference to its links to the Virgin Mother.
Famous residents
Torricella Sicura is known as the birthplace of Mario Capuani, a young doctor who supported the Italian partisans and was subsequently shot to death by German troops during the last phases of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Frazioni (outlying areas)
Abetemozzo, Antanemuccio, BorgonovoBorgonovo
Borgonovo is a town in Graubünden, Switzerland.-Notable people:*Alberto Giacometti, artist, born in Borgonovo in 1901....
, Colle Fiorito, Colle Sansonesco, Corvacchiano, Costumi, Faognano, Fornaci, Galliano, Ginepri, Ioanella
Ioanella
Ioanella is a frazione of the Commune of Torricella Sicura in the Province of Teramo, Italy-History:Some believe that the origins of the name Ioanella derive from the Latin ioaria or iuaria in reference to a small feudal holding within which a given judicial body had authority...
, Magliano
Magliano (Torricella Sicura)
Magliano is a village in the Italian region of Abruzzo. It is a frazione of the comune of Torricella Sicura, in the Province of Teramo.-Geography:...
, Morricone, Pastignano, Piano Grande, Poggio Rattieri
Poggio Rattieri
Poggio Rattieri is a frazione of Torricella Sicura in the Province of Teramo in the Abruzzo region of Italy....
, Poggio Valle, Prognetto, San Felice, San Pietro ad Azzano, Santa Chiara, Santo Stefano, Scorzone, Tizzano, Valle Piola
Valle Piola
Valle Piola is a deserted village in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Torricella Sicura. Having been abandoned in 1977, all that remains are 9 abandoned houses, a church, and the ruins of a shepherds' shelter...
, Villa Popolo
Villa Popolo
Villa Popolo is a small village in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Torricella Sicura.-Geography:...
, Villa Riccio, Villa Tofo