Capestrano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Capestrano is a little town with 965 inhabitants (2001), in Abruzzo.

1 Main sights
2 Antiquity
3 Notable people
4 Twin Cities
5 External links

The Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium ,situated on the bank of Tirino river. The church was built in 752 by the Lombard king Desiderius. It is a church with a nave, two side aisles and a choir. Onto the romanic portal there are two marble relief with the figures of David and St. Vincent Deacon. The façade has a marble square inscription in enigmatic Latin: SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS, that mean "everywhere - operates - holds - plow - sower". It is the anagram of the prayer "Pater Noster".

Piccolomini or Mediceo Castle

The castle was built in the XIII century, on the hill next to the Tirino river and the Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium in a strategic position at 505 m on the sea level. The first document of 1284, when King Charles I of Sicily gave the castle to Riccardo d'Acquaviva, marquis of Capestrano. In 1462 the Castle passed on to Marquis Antonio I Todeschini Piccolomini d'Aragona (14? - 1493) nephew of Pope Pius II, which enlarged the castle with new towers with battlements. In 1579 Marquis Costanza Piccolomini daughter of Innico, sold the castle to Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1743 the Castle passed on to Charles III of Spain as Charles 3th Borbon King of Naples and two Sicilies. In 1860 the Castle passed on to Savoia King of Italy.

In the necropolis the statue of the "Warrior of Capestrano" (4th century BCE) was found during the work in a field by a farmer. The 2,09 m (6.9 feet) tall statue depicts an early Italic warrior in full gear. Now the statue is on display in the National Archaeological Museum of the Abruzzi in Chieti.

Saint Giovanni da Capistrano, an Italian friar, theologian and inquisitor was born here in 1386.
The Italian-born American composer Dalmazio Santini (1923-2001) was born in Capestrano.