Places To See In Torricella
Explore various places, buildings and monuments in Torricella Peligna, and learn about their history & significance.
Main Church of San Giacomo Apostolo
Built around the year 1,000. Inside one can admire silver chalices and monstrances (receptacles in which the host is held) from the 1700s, and in the nave, a painting of Saint James the Apostle by Tilli, a student of the great Abruzzese artist, Francesco Paolo Michetti.
In 2011 Antonio Di Renzo published a book on the history of the church entitled La Chiesa di San Giacomo, resoconto storico dal XII secolo al XIX secolo sulla Chiesa Madre di Torricella (Quaderni – Rivista Abruzzese).
Church of Madonna delle Rose (Madonna of the Roses)
On the outskirts of Torricella. A sanctuary built in 1552 and a pilgrimage destination on the Monday after Easter (a holiday in Italy) and the last Saturday of May. Inside there is a marvelous painting of Christ on the Cross and a small statue of Mary with the Child Jesus, considered miraculous by pilgrims.
Ricordi / Memories
Antonio Piccoli
Ada Ficca/Mariannina Teti
Articoli / Articles
Madonna delle Rose-Santuario da restaurare
Madonna delle Rose Sanctuary to be restored
La Madonna delle Rose’ una delle sette Madonna miracolose
The Madonna of the Roses, One of the Seven Miraculous Madonnas
La Festa delle Madonna della Rosa
The Feast of the Madonna of the Roses
Church of Sant’Antonio (Saint Anthony)
Situated in the neighborhood of Sant’Antonio. During the war, the Germans destroyed the small church. The statue of Saint Anthony was in a niche that miraculously remained intact. The mason Antonio Fedele, il Biondo (the blonde one) was given the task of rebuilding the church; he finished it in 1960. There are 4 stained glass windows representing the Evangelists and one high up behind the altar symbolizing the bread and wine; these are all the creations of the artist Federico Tamburi. There are 2 others made time ago on the sides of the altar; they depict Saint Anthony and Mother Mary, both with Child Jesus.
Church of the Alpine Corps
Situated in town near the Pineta, the pine grove park. The Alpine Corps of Torricella decided to build the Church in 1984. The mayor at the time, Engineer Mario Martinelli, got interested in the project and together with a member of the regional council obtained from the region a contribution that helped start the project. In 1988 the Municipality granted a piece of land. In 1989 a construction firm was hired to begin the work with the funds that were available. The Alpine Corps completed the construction itself with volunteer help in 2000. They even managed to build a meeting place for themselves under the Church. Argia di Prinzio, a wonderful painter, was invited to make frescoes on the walls. The inauguration took place in July 2000 in conjunction with the regional gathering of the Alpine Corps under the presence of Marshal Capannoli, their president.
Church of San Camillo
The Church was designed, built, furnished, and funded by the priest Don Vincenzo Piccone and his family in 1855. The family would sit in the balcony, behind a wooden grating, that connected Don Vincenzo’s adjoining home to the Church while Don Vincenzo said Mass. It is now open on special occasions.
Pineta
The Pineta is located on a large hill with a panoramic view overlooking Torricella and the Maiella. In 1922 it was built on an arid and reforested hill at the behest of Antonio Porreca (1880-1953), a hardware shopkeeper from Torricella. In addition to designing the Pineta, he dedicated a lot to the enrichment of the pines, firs and thujas. For the inauguration, the great Torricella aviator Luigi Mancini landed nearby.
Soon the Pineta became one of the symbols of Torricella. The First World War Memorial is in the center of the park, a white stone obelisk with a bronze sculpture and a list of those who died in the war. In 2005 the Pineta was named after Antonio Porreca. Furthermore, a street adjacent to the Pineta was named after the municipal guard Luigi Di Iorio, faithful guardian of the park. In 2022 the Pineta turned 100 years old with a program broadcast live.
Memorial to the Fallen of All Wars
The Memorial is situated at the end of a stairway at the entrance to the Pineta, the pine grove park. It is a stele that rises up from a marble slab topped by the Winged Victory. The work is by Architect Lucci of Pennadomo, and the wrought iron base enclosure was designed by Nicola Piccone of Torricella. It was one of the first memorials erected in Abruzzo (1922) to those who lost their lives in the wars, 150 who perished in World War I plus about 100 who died in Albania and Russia during World War II.
Between 2019 and 2022, it was restored by Innova Concrete along with the Tower in Torricella. Innova Concrete chose only 7 other restoration projects amongst 200 candidates in Europe. During a conference in Rome, spokesman Fabio Curioni explained:
The monuments of Torricella were chosen because they represent two authentic monuments of Memory. The Memorial to the Fallen of All Wars is a cube covered in marble with the names of those killed in war on which stands a concrete obelisk carrying an angel, also in concrete. The angel writes the names on a gold register and at the same time with one foot blocks a snake that would like to free itself, an allegory of the Habsburg power defeated in World War I. The monument together with the park create an atmosphere of majestic grandeur, and it has become the place for gatherings and commemorations.
More information and a list of the fallen can be found on the website pietradellamemoria.it.
Padre Pio Monument
A monument featuring a beautiful statue of Padre Pio, situated at the end of town on the road that leads to Colle Zingaro. It was inaugurated on August 10, 2004. On the same date in 1910, Francesco Forgione was ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Benevento becoming Padre Pio.
Tower to the Civilian Victims of World War II
The Tower is located at the highest point in Torricella, called the “piazzetta”, behind the Church of San Giacomo Apostolo. It commemorates the sacrifice of 110 civilian victims who died during the German occupation of World War II. The names of these victims are engraved on the marble slabs fixed to the sides of the base of the Tower.
The construction of the Tower was an initiative promoted by Attilio Calabrese, engineered by Walter Sibona and carried out by the surveyor Nicola D’Orazio, a native of Torricella. It was inaugurated on 3 September 1961. It is built on a rocky highpoint in the Coste area of town, which had a palace and a dense population prior to the war. It is 20 meters (66 feet) high, with a stone base and enclosed by an artistically crafted railing. The shape of this Tower is particularly original because it is similar to a lighthouse. Like a lighthouse that illuminates the night, the light of the Tower recalls the massacre of civilian victims. Via a staircase inside the Tower, you can access the belvedere to enjoy an extraordinary panorama that ranges from the Maiella to the Adriatic Sea.
Between 2019 and 2022, it was restored by Innova Concrete along with the Memorial to the Fallen of All Wars. Innova Concrete chose only 7 other restoration projects amongst 200 candidates in Europe. During a conference in Rome, spokesman Fabio Curioni explained:
The monuments of Torricella were chosen because they represent two authentic monuments of Memory.
A virtual tour of the Tower is available here, courtesy of Innova Concrete.
Ossuary Memorial to Civilian War Victims 1943-1945
The ossuary memorial is located at the end of the first row on the left in the Torricella cemetery. The ossuary memorial and the Tower to Civilian Victims were conceived and developed by Attilio Calabrese and the parish priest Don Francesco Di Pasqua with the assistance of the town administration and many other Torricellani. It was inaugurated on the first Sunday of September 1962, one year after the inauguration of the Tower to Civilian Victims. It collects the remains of the 103 civilian victims already buried in Torricella together with the remains of 5 civilian victims from Torricella buried in the Gessopalena cemetery and two buried in the open countryside in the Riga district.
The dark marble monument is composed of a large cross, which is framed by two vertical marble columns bearing the names of the victims and a horizontal one above stating: To the Civilian Victims of the 1943-1945 War, Resurrecturi Quiescimus (Latin: We Rest in the Resurrection).
Monument to the Alpine Corps of Abruzzo
At the top of Irco Hill, 1100 meters above sea level, stands the Alpino Monument, in memory of the brave Alpine soldiers of Abruzzo. The Monument, about three kilometers from Torricella, was built with rudimentary stone boulders and is dominated by a wrought iron eagle which, in flight, with its powerful claws, grabs a machine gun with the intent of stopping the devastating fury of the weapon, so that no more blood is shed on the mountains and valleys of Abruzzo. On the facade there is a wrought iron Alpine hat and on the sides two cannons, also made of iron. The work was artistically constructed by the Di Prinzio brothers from Guardiagrele.
The Monument was inaugurated on 14 September 1967 in the presence of the then Minister Spagnoli, former Alpini officer and fighter in the First and Second World Wars, and other civil, military and religious authorities. The Monument was commissioned by the Alpini group of Torricella Peligna, at the time represented by the late D’Ulisse Nicola nicknamed “Penna Nera”.
From the book Tesori di Torricella (Treasures of Torricella) by Salvatore Copertino (Sigraf Edizione, 2012).
Monument to the Environment
Created in 1990 by Architect De Biasi. Situated in the San Antonio neighborhood, the area behind the medical clinic. Composed of two stylized seats in white Carrara marble that face a doorway in grey marble. It opens towards the majestic Maiella and represents our uncontaminated environment. It is very suggestive to sit on the seats in the early morning and at sunset with the sun disappearing behind Mount Amaro.
Vincenzo Bellini Statue
At the end of Corso Umberto I, near the Pineta.
Vincenzo Bellini Senior was born in Torricella Peligna to Rosario Bellini and Francesca Mancini. It is important to note that the name Vincenzo derives from a saint venerated by Torricellans, San Vincenzo Ferreri (Saint Vincent Ferreri). Vincenzo Bellini Senior was a musician who lived in the 18th century and was known for his oratorios (compositions for voices and orchestra, telling a sacred story) and patronal masses. He transmitted his passion for music to his glorious grandson, Vincenzo Bellini, the musical genius of universal renown, who was born in Catania on November 3, 1801, and died in Puteaux, near Paris, on September 23, 1835.
Birth Home of Vincenzo Bellini, Senior
Vincenzo Bellini Senior, teacher and author of musical works, was born in this house on May 11, 1744. He died in Catania, Sicily on June 8, 1829. The house is on Corso Umberto I near the Church of San Giacomo Apostolo and the pharmacy.
“I am swept away with pain. My dear grandfather has died. I owe him the utmost gratitude. For many years he had me retreat to his house where I learned most of my musical principles.”
– Vincenzo Bellini, Junior
D’Amico Ancestral Home
The art master Domenico D’Amico (1819-1901) was born in this ancestral home on Via Roma near the Church of San Giacomo Apostolo. Many of his masterpieces remain in Rome, where he fostered and encouraged the presence of Abruzzese artists.
In 1991 the Comune of Torricella Peligna and the Association Amici di Torricella placed a plaque in his memory and in memory of his son, Silvio D’Amico (1887-1955), modernizer of Italian theater and founder of the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, and his grandson, Fedele D’Amico (1912-1990), distinguished musicologist and husband of the famous Italian screenwriter, Suso Cecchi D’Amico.
The AVIS (Italian Association of Blood Volunteers) Monument
On November 20th 2005 the monument was inaugurated. It is next to the Town Hall. The project was thought up by Elio Garis, an artist from Cuneo, who is married to Rita Carapella from Torricella. He forged a statue in bronze, the focal point of the monument.
The statue depicts a girl who metaphorically is life, that which the blood donor gives to others. On one side of the monument there is some writing that recalls Don Ignazio Cocco, the founder of the section.
The AVIS section is certainly something of which Torricella can be proud. A village with so few inhabitants has countless donors.
Juvanum
Juvanum (Iuvanum), brimming with historical wonders, is the most notable archaeological site in the Province of Chieti. It is located along the road that goes from Torricella Peligna to Montenerodomo. The site and museum are open to the public. On a walking tour of the site, you’ll encounter temples from different eras, a basilica, a forum and a theatre.
The site was inhabited from the Bronze Age. The first settlement was located on a spring where shepherds on the transhumance watered their flocks. It was one of the most important Roman settlements in Abruzzo, a municipality that included the towns of Montenerodomo, Torricella Peligna, Taranta Peligna, Palena and Gessopalena. The Roman city was active until the 9th century. Then, the population decreased due to the construction of centers able to defend themselves from incursions. Thus, the castles of Torricella Peligna and Montenerodomo were born. The Roman city was replaced by pastoral homes. Until the second half of the 20th century, the Roman city had fallen into oblivion. Grass had completely covered it. The site was rediscovered in the 1990s.
Source: Wikipedia
La Morgia
A majestic limestone mass of natural panoramic beauty, which rises between Gessopalena and Torricella Peligna.
Several old legends are associated with the Morgia; one says Hercules (Christianized version, Samson) imprinted his knee in it. It was disfigured after WWII by quarry mining. In 1997 this “wound” caused by man was “healed” by a Greek artist, Costas Varotsos, with a glass masterpiece about 11 meters high (36 feet) and 20 meters wide (66 feet).
Monument to the Martyrs at Sant’Agata
In December of 1943 some Torricellan families sought refuge in the hamlet of Santa Giusta. After a few skirmishes with the Germans, the entire group abandoned Santa Giusta and occupied some abandoned farmhouses in Sant’Agata, a hamlet of Gessopalena. On the morning of January 21, 1944, the Germans grabbed them, crowded them together in a room and killed nearly everyone, 43 in all. A 16-year-old girl, Nicoletta Di Luzio, along with her 10-year-old brother, Antonio, survived.
Fallascoso –
Church of San Nicola di Bari
This reconstructed church is located in the village of Fallascoso, below the Ducal Palace. Entombed inside this church are the remains of San Rinaldo the Hermit, the patron saint of Fallascoso. Also located in the church is a hand embroidered banner depicting San Rinaldo. Thirteen former residents of Fallascoso, living in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, presented the banner to the village in 1911, and their names are listed on it.
Sanctuary of San Rinaldo
A small chapel near the Fallascoso sports field, just opposite the “grotto” (an opening in the rocky cliff) where they say San Rinaldo lived. Above the rocky cliff there is a small bell which appears as if it were a bell tower for the chapel. The Sanctuary was also a hermitage used as a stopover by Pietro da Morrone, the monk from the Maiella that became Pope Celestine V.
Fountain of the Roses
The Fountain of the Roses is a simple construction immersed in the countryside 2 kilometers from town behind a shaded ravine. It was constructed in 1862 in accordance with the wishes of the mayor of the time, Camillo Persichetti.
Spring waters are collected in these sorts of public troughs and are used for the hand washing of garments. For the women of Torricella, the Fountain of the Roses was a plentiful source of cool, clear water as well as a place to gather and discuss the latest occurrences in town.
It was a very popular destination, especially in the springtime when women could be seen coming and going on the country road leading to the fountain. They carried baskets on their heads filled with clothes and linen that had already been cleaned according to tradition with ash, a natural whitener (in dialect, la culate). To get rid of the ash, garments had to be rinsed thoroughly with an abundant amount of clear water, something only the Fountain of the Roses could offer. Through this process things came out spotlessly white enhanced by the scent of nature.
The swashing of the garments in the clear water together with the rustling of thick foliage in the wind fused with the choral singing of the women to create the most beautiful country melodies.
by Fabrizio Copertino
Fountain of the Sese (Dialect for ‘Breasts’)
In Colle Zingaro near the Church of Sant’Agata and the “tratturo”, the trail once used to herd sheep.
Also known as the Fountain of Sant’Agata, a martyr whose breasts were cut off. This modest 19th century construction is not a particularly abundant source of water, but in the past it was a place assiduously visited by local mothers. It was thought that the water of this fountain had a galactophorous property; that is, that it favored and increased the milk secretion in women who had just given birth. So, women used to bathe their breasts with the water and make votive offerings, especially pieces of bread thrown into the water.
Fontana delle Coste (Fountain of the Coste)
Along the municipal road referred to as Fontana Delle Coste. The fount was built at the end of the 18th century to gather the spring water of the Coste area of Torricella Peligna. It is decorated with classical cornices and rosette sculptured stonework. The washbasin was added in the 1930s.
Museum
The town preserves an interesting collection of archeological objects found in the zone of JUVANUM. In the museum, in a glass case and climatized, is a mummy of the eighteenth century, found under the parish church during restoration work.
An Article on the ‘Mummy’ in English.
An Article on the “Mummy” in Italian.