Arsita
Encyclopedia
Arsita is a medieval town and comune
in Province of Teramo
in the Abruzzo
region of eastern Italy
. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
".
in the Abruzzo
Region of Italy. Arsita is located at an altitude of 470 meters in the hills along the river Fino
, on the Eastern side of the Gran Sasso
d'Italia, 36 km from Teramo
. In its territory there are pre-Roman
remains from the 8th century B.C., and Roman coins, floors of buildings and small statue
s of the early Christian
era.
around a fortified castle called Castello Bacucco, which belonged originally to the Count of Chieti, then to the monks of Montecassino and finally to the Casa d'Este. The village was sold in 1583 to Margaret of Austria Farnese. Other historians claim that Bacucco took its name from the Roman word for the god Bacchus.
In the 12th century the town was a possession of the ruling Acquaviva family. In 1806 the town came under the rule of the town of Penne. During the Napoleonic period a good number of brigands held the territory in and around Arsita. A series of skirmishes occurred during this period.
In the early 19th century the waters from a spring in this area were said to have healing powers.
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 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 eastern 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
Arsita is a communal capital in the Province 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...
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. Arsita is located at an altitude of 470 meters in the hills along the river Fino
Fino
Fino is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. They are drunk comparatively young, and unlike the sweeter varieties should be drunk soon after the bottle is opened as exposure to air can cause them to lose their flavour within hours.-Flor:The defining component of Fino...
, on the Eastern side of the Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso d'Italia is a mountain located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The Gran Sasso forms the centerpiece of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park which was established in 1993 and holds the highest mountains in continental Italy south of the Alps and is part of the...
d'Italia, 36 km from Teramo
Teramo
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...
. In its territory there are pre-Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains from the 8th century B.C., and Roman coins, floors of buildings and small statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s of the early Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
era.
History
Called Bacucco until 1905, Arsita rose in the later Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
around a fortified castle called Castello Bacucco, which belonged originally to the Count of Chieti, then to the monks of Montecassino and finally to the Casa d'Este. The village was sold in 1583 to Margaret of Austria Farnese. Other historians claim that Bacucco took its name from the Roman word for the god Bacchus.
In the 12th century the town was a possession of the ruling Acquaviva family. In 1806 the town came under the rule of the town of Penne. During the Napoleonic period a good number of brigands held the territory in and around Arsita. A series of skirmishes occurred during this period.
In the early 19th century the waters from a spring in this area were said to have healing powers.
Events
Each year on the 17th of January, the residents of Arsita, in collaboration with the towns of Cermignano, Tossicia, and Bisenti celebrate the Feast of Saint Antonio Abate. Another festival features the townsfolk dressed up in costumes representing the 12 months of the year.Sights
- Castello Bacucco, (remains) in the uppermost part of the village.
- Church of Santa Vittoria
- Church of Santa Maria D'Aragona, with a fine Madonna con Bambino
- Di Francesco watermill, along the ancient "Sentiero dei Mulini" (mills' path)
- Inferno spaccato, a rock-climbing site with modern facilities