Caporciano
Caporciano: an ancient Abruzzo village
Caporciano is a small municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, with a population of only 204 inhabitants. The town is part of the Campo Imperatore-Piana di Navelli Mountain Community and is located 836 meters above sea level, in a panoramic position overlooking the Navelli Plateau.
History
The village of Caporciano has medieval origins and is located in a strategic position that allowed it to resist the passage of time and maintain its ancient appearance. The most important ancient position was the castle, built in the eleventh century and located in nearby Bominaco. In 1254, Caporciano and Bominaco contributed to the founding of the city of L'Aquila but then suffered the attack of Braccio da Montone during the War of L'Aquila. After these tragic events, the castle housed the Abbey of Santa Maria Assunta, which survived only as a church to which the oratory of San Pellegrino was added. Caporciano also had a castle, but after the war it was converted into the parish church and the tower into a bell tower.
The village, due to its difficult-to-reach location, remained isolated and this resulted in a decrease in population due to the spread of emigration. In 2009, the earthquake in L'Aquila caused minor damage to the neighboring towns and in 2012, the provincial road was widened to make access to the village easier and more accessible.
Today, Caporciano and Bominaco are tourist destinations. The Church of San Pietro di Caporciano, dating back to the thirteenth century, has a beautiful altar with a ciborium and a sixteenth-century fresco.
Symbols
The banner of the municipality of Caporciano is a blue flag. The municipal coat of arms, instead, is a shield of red with a natural boar's head. In the Capo, a panorama of the village of Caporciano is depicted, with the Tower of the castle of Bominaco.
Monuments and places of interest
Parish church of San Benedetto abate
The church of San Benedetto in Caporciano is located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele and is the parish headquarters. The bell tower of the church was used as a reuse of the ancient fortress dating back to the sixteenth century and preserves two stones of St. Vincent Ferrer that praise Christ. The church, dedicated to San Pietro and the subject of disputes between the dioceses of L'Aquila and Sulmona-Valva, obtained parish independence from Pope Alexander VIII in 1692. The parish, which originally was called San Liberato, was later dedicated to San Benedetto after the construction of the new church in 1732. The church's masonry was made using the recovery material of the ancient castle of Caporciano.
Caporciano is a place full of history and tradition, rich in historical and artistic treasures. Visiting it is like taking a dive into the past and appreciating the unknown beauty of this Abruzzo village.
