Cesa
Cesa | |
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Comune di Cesa | |
St. Cesario deacon and martyr |
Cesa is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of Naples and about 14 kilometres (9 mi) southwest of Caserta.
Cesa borders the following municipalities: Aversa, Gricignano di Aversa, Sant'Antimo, Sant'Arpino, Succivo.
This town has given the name to one of the prominent dynasties of Ancient Rome, including to the most famous of its members, Julius Caesar.
Monuments and places of interest
- Parish Church of Saint Cesario diacono e martire
The Church was rebuilt between 1868 and 1872; the imposing facade overlooks Piazza De Michele (main town Square). The interior, in Romanesque Renaissance style, is divided into three naves and resting on large columns. On the right side of the transept, there is the Chapel of Saint Cesario, where is preserved a wooden bust of the saint which contains some bone fragments of the martyr's arm. On the vault of the central nave there are two significant scenes from the life of Saint Cesario, made by Raffaele Iodice in 1943.
- Church of Maria SS. del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary)
The church, located next to the Town Hall in Piazza De Gasperi (the secondary town Square), was built in 1608 and donated to the Dominicans, who built the little convent and lived there until the year 1808. The interior, has only one nave, with a single side chapel on the right wall, with underlying crypt where the remains of the monks are visible.
- Church of Madonna dell'Olio (Madonna of the Oil)
The church is located next to the cemetery. Inside, on the marble high altar, there is a fresco, datable between the 14th and 15th centuries, depicting the Virgin and Child.
- Palazzo Marchesale (Marquis Palace)
Adjacent to the Parish Church of Saint Cesario, the Palace rises majestic and imposing, with its two suggestive towers; it was inhabited by numerous families who in the past were the Lords of Cesa. It dates back to the beginning of the 15th century, it was subsequently renovated and enlarged.
- Grotte tufacee (tufaceous caves)
In the historic center of Cesa, there are 99 artificial cavities located in a few thousand square meters, of which about 60 are real caves.
- Alberate aversane (tree-lined)
The vines are arranged in trees with heights of 10 to 12 meters, forming imposing green barriers.
Patron Saint
The patron saint of the country is
The cult of Saint Cesario in Cesa is very ancient, as can be seen from a document dated 1097 preserved in the Diocesan Archive of Aversa. In fact, there was already a church dedicated to him that, which became a parish in 1572, was enlarged and restored until its complete rebuilding took place, with the offerings of the people, in 1872.
On June 19, 1612 Cardinal Filippo Spinelli donated to the parish of Cesa some bone fragments taken from the humerus of the Saint Cesario (this relic was preserved in the Terracina Cathedral).[3] Currently these bone particles are embedded in three precious reliquaries: in the wooden reliquary bust (1612), in the silver reliquary bust (1760), and in the silver reliquary arm (18th century). In the church only the wooden statue of the saint is permanently exposed to veneration, in the chapel dedicated to him.
Feast of Saint Cesario
The feast of Patron Saint is celebrated the Sunday after June 19 (if this day coincides with the Solemnity of
Tourism
Cesa, city of 99 caves, is often visited by descendants of Italian citizens who emigrated to America and settled in Netcong or in other cities of United States towards the end of the 1800s., who during their holidays in Italy, with a stop in Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano or Pompei, visit the birthplace of their ancestors and honor their patron saint.
The primary
Pact of Sister Cities between Cesa and Netcong
On June 6, 2019, the mayor of Netcong, Joe Nametko, signed the Pact of Sister Cities with the Municipality of Cesa, considering that in 1902, some citizens of Cesa decided to establish the St. Cesario Society in honor of their patron saint (this community even today continues to organize solemn annual festivities). These citizens include: Francesco, Raffaele e Cesario Puco, Antonio Ferriero, Domenico and Giuseppe Togno, Luigi and Giustino Esposito; their names still appear today on the flag that is carried in the procession on the day of the festival of St. Cesario.[5] On June 16, 2019, the mayor of Cesa, lawyer Vincenzo Guida, signed the Pact of Sister Cities with Netcong.[6] The Twinning Pact aims to reinforce the bond that exists between the two communities that share the cult of St. Cesario, so that the history and traditions continue to intertwine, the Italian traditions imported to Netcong and the name of Cesa are perpetuated by future generations in the name of common identity.[7]
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- Istat.
- ^ Ex ossibus S. Caesarii: Ricomposizione delle reliquie di San Cesario diacono e martire di Terracina, testi ed illustrazioni di Giovanni Guida, 2017
- ^ Claudio Corvino, Guida insolita ai misteri, ai segreti, alle leggende e alle curiosità della Campania, Newton & Compton, 2002
- ^ Livia Fattore, Cesani negli Stati Uniti: gemellaggio con Netcong nel nome del Patrono San Cesario, in "Il Mattino", June 19, 2019
- ^ La città delle Grotte e dell'Asprinio, il Sindaco Guida: i gemellaggi nel nome di San Cesario e del vino, in "Repubblica", 13 luglio 2019
- ^ Cesa, Gemellaggio con Netcong per San Cesario: domenica in Piazza De Gasperi l'intesa con gli USA, in "Cronache di Caserta", 14 giugno 2019