Sulmona
Sulmona
Sulmóne (Neapolitan) | |
---|---|
Sulmona | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 67039 |
Dialing code | 0864 |
Patron saint | Saint Pamphilus |
Saint day | 28 April |
Website | Official website |
Sulmona (
History
Ancient era
Sulmona was one of the principal cities of the
Not much more is known historically of Sulmo, which, however, appears to have continued to be a considerable provincial town. Ovid speaks of it as one of the three municipal towns whose districts composed the territory of the Paeligni:[9] and this is confirmed both by Pliny and the Liber Coloniarum; yet it does not seem to have ever been large, and Ovid himself designates it as a small provincial town.[10] From the Liber Coloniarum we learn also that it had received the status of a colony, probably in the time of Augustus;[11] though Pliny does not give it the title of a Colonia. Inscriptions, as well as the geographers and Itineraries, attest its continued existence as a municipal town throughout the Roman Empire.[12]
The chief claim to fame of Sulmona is derived from its having been the birthplace of Ovid, who repeatedly alludes to it as such, and celebrates its salubrity, and the numerous permanent streams of clear water in which its neighbourhood abounded. But, like the whole district of the Paeligni, it was extremely cold in winter, whence Ovid himself, and Silius Italicus in imitation of him, calls it "gelidus Sulmo"[13] Its territory was fertile, cultivation of both in grain and wine are common, and one district, the Pagus Fabianus, is particularly mentioned by Pliny[14] for the care bestowed on the irrigation of the vineyards.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
Traditionally, the beginning of the
Sulmona became a free commune under the Normans. Under Emperor Frederick II an aqueduct was built in the town, one of the most important constructions of the era in the Abruzzo; the emperor made it the capital of a large province, as well the seat of a tribunal and of a fair, which it however lost with the arrival of the Angevins. Despite that, it continued to expand and a new line of walls was added in the 14th century.
In the 16th century a flourishing paper industry was started.
Modern age
In 1706 the city was nearly razed by an earthquake. While much of the medieval city was destroyed by the earthquake, some remarkable buildings survive such as the Church of Santa Maria della Tomba, the Palazzo Annunziata, the Aqueduct and the Gothic portal on Corso Ovidio.
Much of the city was then rebuilt in the prevailing elegant Baroque style of the 18th century.
Sulmona experienced an economic boom in the late 19th century, becoming a railway hub given its strategic geographic position between Rome and the Adriatic coast.
The anarchist and labour organiser Carlo Tresca was born there in 1879 and was active in the Italian Railroad Workers' Federation until emigrating to the US in 1904 to escape a prison term.
Sulmona's strategic position also made it a target for air raids during World War II. The railway station, the industrial sections and parts of the old town were damaged, but today they have been mostly restored.
Campo 78
Campo 78 at Sulmona served as a
In September 1943, as the Italian government neared collapse, the inmates of Sulmona heard rumours that the evacuation of the camp was imminent. They awoke one morning to discover that their guards had deserted them. On 14 September, German troops arrived to escort the prisoners northwards, to captivity in Germany, but not before hundreds of them had escaped into the hills. One such escapee was the South African author, Uys Krige, who described his experience in a book titled The way out.
There were two other smaller camps nearby, Fontana d'Amore, which held British officers, and Villa Orsini, which held very senior Allied officers captured during World War II, including Air Marshal
Main sights
Sights in Sulmona include:
- Sulmona Cathedral, located on the northwest side of the old city and was built on the site of a Roman temple. It contains a crypt which retains its Romanesque appearance despite the 18th-century renovation of the main church.
- Piazza XX Settembre. One of the main piazzas in the city, including a bronze statue of the Roman poet Ovid.
- Corso Ovidio. The city's main thoroughfare connects the cathedral and the major piazzas and is lined by elegant covered arcades, shops, cafes, palaces and churches.
- Palazzo Annunziata and Chiesa della SS. Annunziata. The Palace, one of the rare examples of late medieval/early Renaissance architecture in Sulmona that survived the earthquake of 1706. Its facade contains fine sculpture and tracery work. Inside the Palazzo is a museumshowcasing the Roman history of the city as well as various artefacts. The church is a fine example of Baroque architecture and has an interior and bell tower.
- Piazza Garibaldi is the largest piazza in town with a large baroque era fountain. A Palio style medieval festival and horse race known as the Giostra Cavalleresca takes place here every year in the Summer. At Easter, crowds gather to witness the Madonna che Scappa. This ceremony involves the procession of a statue of the Madonna which is carried across the piazza while the bearers run to encounter a statue of the resurrected Christ on the other side. On the south side of the piazza is the 12th century Gothic aqueduct. The town square hosts a market twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The remains of the ancient city indicate the existence of a considerable town; among them are the vestiges of an
Nearby is the
Confetti
Sulmona is the home of the Italian confectionery known as
International relations
Sulmona is
- Hamilton, Canada
- Constanţa, Romania
- Burghausen, Germany
- Zakynthos, Greece
- Šumperk, Czech Republic
- Serravalle, San Marino (2017)[16]
Sports
The city has a football team, Pro Sulmona Calcio 1921. The club is currently disbanded, last competing in the 2015–16 season in the Promozione Abruzzo, the seventh division of Italian football.
Transports
Sulmona is served by the Sulmona railway station, an important station located at the intersection of three railway lines: the Rome–Sulmona–Pescara railway, the Terni–Sulmona railway and the Sulmona-Isernia railway.
People
- Ovid, Roman poet
- Maurizio Bevilacqua, Canadian politician
- Virgilia D'Andrea, anarchist poet
- Pope Innocent VII
- Carlo Tresca, anarchist labor activist, assassinated in 1943
- James Novelli, sculptor (1885-1940)
- Edmondo Quattrocchi, sculptor (1889-1966)
See also
- Abruzzo (wine)
- Shrine of Hercules Curinus
References
- ^ "Gianfranco Di Piero: Who Is the New Mayor of Sulmona". Sulmona OGGI (in Italian). 18 October 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- Ovid, Fasti iv. 79; Silius Italicusix. 70-76.)
- ^ Livy xxvi. 11.
- ^ Flor. iii. 21.
- ^ August Wilhelm Zumpt, De Coloniis' p. 261.
- ^ Julius Caesar Commentarii de Bello Civili i. 18; Cicero ad Att. viii. 4, 12 a.)
- ^ "Peligni pars tertia ruris", Amor. ii. 16. 1.
- ^ Amor. iii. 15.
- ^ Plin. iii. 12. s. 17; Lib. Colon. pp. 229, 260.
- ^ (Strabo v. p. 241; Ptolemy iii. 1. § 64; Tabula Peutingeriana; Orell. Inscr. 3856; Mommsen, Inscr. R. N. pp. 287–289.
- ^ Ovid, Fasti iv. 81, Trist. iv. 10. 3, Amor. ii. 16; Sil. Ital. viii. 511.
- ^ xvii. 26. s. 43.
- ^ Hargest, Neame, Carton de Wiart, Leeming,
- ^ "Gemellaggio Serravalle - Sulmona" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-01-14.
Sources
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
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Relating to Sulmona POW camp, Villa Orsini and Fontana d'Amore:
- Playing with Strife, The Autobiography of a Soldier, Lt-Gen. Sir Philip Neame, V.C., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1947, 353 pages,
- Farewell Campo 12, Brigadier James Hargest, C.B.E., D.S.O. M.C., Michael Joseph Ltd, 1945, 184 pages contains a sketch map of route of capture and escape 'Sidi Azir - London (inside front cover), (no index)
- Happy Odyssey, Lt-Gen. Sir Carton De Wiart, V.C., K.B.E., C.M.G., D.S.O., Jonathan Cape Ltd, 1950, in PAN paperback 1956, re-printed by Pen & Sword Books 2007, 287 pages, ISBN 1-84415-539-0(foreword by Winston S. Churchill)
- Always To-Morrow, 1951, John F Leeming, George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, London, 188p, Illustrated with photographs and maps (Tells of the authors' experiences as a prisoner of the Italians during WW2)
- ISBN 0-434-00224-0
- The way out (Italian intermezzo), Uys Krige, (South African author), 1946, Collins, London (also Maskew Miller, Cape Town 1955 revised edition)
External links
- Official website
- Sulmona.org, Guide to Ovidio's town
- Inside Abruzzo
- Sulmona Accommodation
- Medioeval Giostra Cavalleresca of Sulmona
- Sulmona[permanent dead link]—Pictures of Sulmona
- Rete5.tv —Sulmona online news.