Pacentro

History

The village has documented origins back to the 8th or 9th centuries, but the area was known as a mountain retreat since Roman times.

Pacentro is one of several towns in the area with a medieval castle due to its position at the entrance of the strategic San Leonardo mountain pass to Pescara. The original castle was controlled by the Counts of Valva. There are writings of the era that mention a certain "Gualterio, son of Manerio, Count of Valva", who lived in the Castle of Pacentro in 1130. The castle in its current form dates from the 10th century and was built by the Cantelmo lords. It is partially ruined but is still preserved with three of the four towers mostly intact. The castle was sold by the Cipriani-Avolio family to the town government in 1957. It has recently been restored and can be visited as a tourist attraction (limited times). Another resident of Pacentro was Pope Celestine V. This pope, originally known as Pietro da Morrone, was a 13th-century monk-hermit of the Benedictine order who lived in a cave in the nearby mountains and was renowned for his holiness. He was elected pope by acclamation in L'Aquila in 1294, but was the only pope to resign after a reign lasting only several months. His image can be seen on a medieval fresco in a lunette on the facade of the Church of San Marcello in Pacentro. …

Main sights

The most ancient part of the town is the area in the vicinity of the Castle. The town then expanded to the area of the Piazza del Popolo which was originally named Piazza Botteghe (a bottega is a shop or stand) since it was the market square. The medieval town walls ended at what is today the Piazza Umberto I or historically known as Piazza Jaringhi. The name Jaringhi or Arringhi was derived from a Germanic Lombard word meaning assembly (or meeting ring) because this is where the Lombard lords would convene just outside the walls for tribal assemblies. During the Renaissance era, the Piazza Jaringhi was surrounded by a fountain and grand new noble residences. Connecting the two main piazzas is the Via S. Maria Maggiore (also known as Vico Dritto), a straight and narrow road which is wide enough only for pedestrian traffic.

As the town grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, the town expanded beyond Piazza Jaringhi and up the Via San Marco leading to the old Church of San Marco (demolished in the early 20th century) and down the Via San Francesco (or Via Convento) leading to the old Franciscan Convento (or Monastery) of SS. Concezione. In the early 19th century, for sanitary reasons, the town cemetery was moved away from the crypt under the main church in the center of town to a site outside of town near the Convent where it remains today. The cemetery contains two main chapels (a third is currently under construction) operated by two of the town's confraternities: SS. Rosario and S. Carlo Borromeo. In addition, there are several independent family chapel/mausoleums. …

Festas, holy days, and special events

The feast of San Marco Evangelista, the original town patron saint, is on April 25.

The feast of Corpus Christi (or Corpus Domini) falls a month or so after Easter and features a procession with several altars erected throughout the village

In July is the Festa del Ritorno, an event organized by the "Cooperativa Agricola Rivera Pacentro" in honor of the people who emigrated in the past century from this town.

In August is the Rievocazione Storica, a medieval festival celebrating the times of the Caldora lords featuring medieval costumes and parades at the castle.

The Festa of the Madonna of Loreto is the first Sunday in September and is very popular with a procession and an exciting barefoot race (Corsa degli Zingari) from the Mountains to the Church.

In October is the feast of the Madonna del SS. Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary) and in November is the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo with a procession and the inflating of a giant hot air balloon in the Piazza Jaringhi.

The town has several ancient religious organizations known as Confraternities. There are four still in existence: San Carlo, SS. Rosario, Madonna di Loreto and Santa Croce. The Confraternities are each responsible, along with the Pastor, for the coordination of the various festas.