Barisciano
Welcome to Barisciano
Hello everyone! Today we will talk about Barisciano, an Italian municipality in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. We are about 18 km southeast of the Abruzzo capital L'Aquila, in a moderately elevated position compared to the lower Aterno valley, on the southwestern slopes of Gran Sasso d'Italia.
Physical geography
Territory
A little curiosity: the municipal territory is part of the "Comunità montana Campo Imperatore-Piana di Navelli" and part of it is within the territory of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, making it one of the southern access gates to the park.
As we know, Barisciano was hit hard by the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
It can be reached from L'Aquila and Sulmona through the State Road 17 of the Abruzzo Apennines and the Appulo-Sannitico. From Barisciano, you can also reach the tourist villages of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Calascio and Castel del Monte up to Campo Imperatore.
Climate
The climate of Barisciano is typically continental although the elevated position compared to the lower Aterno valley avoids the strong daily temperature excursions typical of high altitude basins. The winter is cold but not very rainy, autumn and spring are the rainiest seasons while the summer is hot and dry.
History
What do we know about the history of Barisciano? News of the village dates back to a Vestini settlement in the 1st century BC on the Claudia Nova Roman road. It had relations with the city of Peltuinum in Prata d'Ansidonia. A 58 BC inscription is preserved in L'Aquila.
An eleventh-century chapel dedicated to Mary (mother of Jesus) of Forfona suggests its construction on top of a temple of Jupiter. The medieval village was built in the eleventh century around the fortified enclosure castle. The underlying village was called "Bariscianello", because it was divided into various districts.
In the thirteenth century (1254), the center participated in the foundation of L'Aquila. In the fourteenth century, there were numerous territorial disputes with the nearby Baronia di Carapelle for the possession of pasture, disputes that lasted until the nineteenth century.
In the fifteenth century, during the Aquila war of 1424, the village was devastated by Braccio da Montone. The citizens attempted resistance in the castle, but it was completely destroyed, except for the walls, and the inhabitants made slaves, while the women were taken to the camp, raped, and sent in procession, completely naked, to L'Aquila, together with their children.
In the sixteenth century, the territory lived on pastoralism thanks to the presence of the transhumance, and this was the main economic source of the village until the twentieth century. The signs of the development of the village are visible in the remarkable wealth of religious architectures such as the Church of San Flaviano (Barisciano) and Santa Maria di Valleverde, and the palaces of the feudal lords: in particular, that of the Caracciolo di Marano, Barisciano's princes.
It suffered damage in the 1703 earthquake in L'Aquila and also in the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
Conclusions
Barisciano is a place of ancient charm and is rich in history. Here you can breathe tradition and admire many monuments that recall the past of this village. The climate is rather pleasant, although it could be a bit hot in summer. If you are in the area, do not miss the chance to visit Barisciano and admire the surrounding landscape. Perhaps you could also take a walk in the nearby Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. I hope you enjoyed this brief summary and have been inspired to visit Barisciano!
