Pacentro

Back to the Middle Ages

The Name

Pacinus, Pacinos, Pacine, Pacino: there are many hypotheses about the origin of this place name.

It is probably linked to the name of an ancient village, perhaps of Latin origin, as suggested by the discovery of gravestones, tombs and various constructions.

Legend has it that Pacinus, a Trojan hero, having left Aeneas on the banks of the Tiber, went on into Sannio, and upon reaching the foot of Mount Morrone founded Pacentro.

History

• 8th century: the first historic record of Pacentro refers to the donation of the church of Sancti Leopardo in Pacentru to the monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno by the dukes of Spoleto, Lupo and Ildebrando.
• 10th-11th centuries: the castle is erected to defend the population of the Valle Peligna, which is under threat of Saracen and Norman raids. The first houses and churches spring up around it, and the village economy develops.
• ca 1170: the Catalogue of the Barons of the Kingdom of Naples reports that the castle of Pacentro is inhabited by 48 families.
• ca 1270-1464: the Caldora period. With the rekindling of the dispute between the Aragons and Angevins for the succession to the Kingdom of Naples, Pacentro becomes one of the linchpins in the Angevin struggle against the Aragons, who are supported by Sulmona. Under Giacomo Caldora, Pacentro manages to expand, and experiences a period of relative well-being. Defeat at the hands of the Angevins in 1464 ruins Antonio Caldora, who loses all of his lands.
• 1483-1612: the fief is in the possession of the Naples branch of the Orsini family. With the advent of the Aragonese dynasty, the new feudal lords remodel the castle extensively.
• 1613-1624: Pacentro belongs to the captain Antonio Domenico De Sanctis.
• 1626-1648: dismembered by its creditors, the fief passes to the Colonna family, princes of Zagarolo.
• 1664: the Royal Court of Naples sells the castle to Maffeo Barberini, later replaced by the Recupito marquises of Raiano, who retain it until the abolition of feudalism.
o 20th century: infested by bandits in the decades following the Unity of Italy, the village experiences two strong waves of emigration, one at the beginning of the century, the other in the 1940-60s, leading to a general decline in population.

Enchanting alleyways filled with history

The mountains press against Pacentro to the point of reducing its horizon, but in compensation they shelter the village from the fury of the winds. The woods oxygenate the air and water gushes fresh from the numerous springs of the Maiella.

To the west, the sky over Pacentro widens, and the view sweeps over the Valle Peligna.

At the summit of the hill rises the Castle of the Caldora, whose original structure dates back to the 10th century. Together with the castles of Pettorano, Introdacqua, Anversa, Bugnara, Popoli and Roccacasale, it was part of the defensive system of the Valle Peligna. Initially its plan was triangular, with a single tower on the north side to defend it from enemy attack. The erection of the northeast tower, the most ancient and 24 meters high, was the work of the feudal lords Gualtier and Pietrone di Collepietro in the 13th century. When, in the 15th century, the fief passed to the Caldora family, the castle was enlarged through the addition of the other two towers and the residential wing. After the Caldoras, the Orsini family held it, and ordered the construction of the cylindrical towers to protect the quadrangular ones.

The two highest towers are adorned with elegant merlons crowned by corbels sculpted with anthropomorphic figures, while the circular towers present loopholes for arquebuses and bombards.

A walk through the village permits the discovery of other interesting sites. The Canaje is the former public wash-house, built with slabs of stone. Women from all over the countryside gathered here, bearing the characteristic uaccile (copper basins) on their heads.

The Preta tonna, or scandal stone, is a large hollowed-out rock used as an unit of measurement for grain, on which insolvent debtors were obliged to sit nude in front of the passers-by as a form of public humiliation.

Among the various churches, the 16th-century Mother Church deserves a visit. Its imposing façade, embellished with a sculpted cornice, is graced by a charming sundial. The original entrance door is preserved inside, the remarkable work of a local artist, carved entirely out of wood. The church vaulting is completely covered with stucco-work. On the outside, the lovely bell-tower is second in height, in this valley, only to that of the Annunziata in Sulmona.

A monumental fountain stands opposite the church. In the surrounding area many aristocratic palaces with their splendid portals make a fine show, including the 17th-century Palazzo Tonna (note the particulars on the windows), Palazzo Avolio and Palazzo Massa in Piazza Umberto I, Palazzo Granata (with a monumental portal as well), Palazzo Simone and yet others can be admired by the strolling visitor.

Returning to the churches, that of San Marcello, founded in 1047, is the most ancient in the village. It houses interesting frescoes and presents a wooden portal carved by local craftsmen on which the date 1697 can still be read. The church of the Madonna delle Grazie stands with those outside the walls, erected towards the end of the 16th century. It is a typical country church, with a rectangular plan and a single aisle.

The church of the SS. Concezione stands outside the walls as well, in Baroque style, extending along the entire length of one side of the Convent of the Observant Minors, founded in 1589. A majestic painting dedicated to the Virgin dominates the wall above the church's high altar, work of the Flemish painter Spranger. Certain particulars worth noting: in the lower part of the painting, the Franciscan friar holding a book represents the Franciscan philosopher Duns Scoto; in the upper part, the author's self-portrait gazes at the female figure on the opposite side of the painting, perhaps his beloved.

Returning to wander around the historical center, it is all a succession of surprises and lovely views, like that of Via del Castello, Via di Sotto and Porta della Rapa. At night, the village takes on a magical atmosphere, the ignis fatui illuminate the outlines of past lives, vanished, and the howl of the spectres is stifled in the throat - all around is only silence, mystery.

Finally, the visitor cannot leave Pacentro without viewing the rupestrian paintings. In the grotto of Colle Nusca, at a short distance from the village, cave dweller hands used red ochre to sketch drawings depicting eight men armed with bows and arrows - hunting scenes from many thousands of years ago.

Local Products

In Pacentro, artistic handicraft boasts a centuries-old tradition and consists of the working of white stone from the Maiella, small terracotta figurines for cribs, crochet work and the Abruzzi women's costumes.

The working of terracotta in particular had its master in Peppino Avolio (1883-1962), creator of the mammuccje for cribs which immortalized in clay the forms, ornaments and colors of one of the most interesting local traditions in Italy. The craft is now making a comeback after a period of decline, thanks to talented craftspersons such as Sara Galterio, Brunella Angelilli, Marco Angelilli and Pietro Di Nello. Ferdinando De Angelis, instead, is the last craftsman to practice the ancient stonecutter's art, which over the centuries in Abruzzo produced the masterpieces that can be admired in the decorations adorning the houses, churches and palaces in the historic center.

Local dishes

Local cuisine has a sober character, reflecting the traditions of a simple life, based exclusively on local products.

The excellent meats are provided by the livestock bred in the mountain pastures, rich in the aromatic herbs which give local dairy products their unique flavors.

Olive groves and vineyards find an ideal habitat for high-quality production in the gently sloping hills.

From this natural harmony of colors, scents and flavors was born the desire to revive ancient recipes, such as maccheroni alla chitarra ("square" spaghetti) with sauce and wether meatballs and a sprinkling of fragrant pecorino cheese, sheep boiled all'u cuttur, ravioli with ricotta cheese, gnocchi with mutton sauce, and finally the polta, which has become the symbol of the village's culinary festival.

This too is a rustic dish based on simple ingredients: garlic and hot pepper are sautéed in olive oil (strictly extra-virgin), then cabbage, potatoes and boiled beans are added.