Cerchio
Cerchio: a typical village in Abruzzo
Cerchio is a town located in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, situated in a position of altitude at the foot of Mount Sirente. It is a place full of history and traditions, with a population of around 1565 inhabitants. The village borders with other municipalities and falls within the borders of the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park. In this text, we will talk about the physical geography of the town, its origins, and its history through the Middle Ages and the Contemporary Age.
Physical Geography
Cerchio is located at an altitude of 834 meters above sea level and extends at the foot of Mount Sirente on the northeast side of the Fucino basin. It borders with Aielli to the northwest, Collarmele to the east, Celano to the southwest, and San Benedetto dei Marsi to the southeast. The territory of Cerchio is part of the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park, and the Sirente-Velino mountain range, located to the north, separates Cerchio from the Subequana valley.
Origins of the Name
The toponym Cerchio would derive from the Latin word "circ(u)lus," probably referring to the shape of the original fortified enclosure. The geographical position and the shape of the old urban nucleus would make this etymological hypothesis likely.
History
Origins
There are several legends regarding the origins of the municipality of Cerchio. One of these narrates that the sorceress Circe, sister of Angizia, founded the Marsican village. Another hypothesis claims that Cerchio developed as a residential nucleus around a theater (called "circo") erected by the Romans to celebrate the coronation of Emperor Claudius, who was the author of the first draining of the Fucino lake.
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, due to the lack of maintenance of Claudius’ tunnels, a consequence of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, and perhaps also due to a strong earthquake that occurred around 500 AD, the Claudio emissary was obstructed. As a result, the lake basin returned to its original levels. In the medieval period, the territory of Cerchio was formed by several villages, hamlets, and villages such as Capezzano, Frimini Vitellino (Flimini), Ozzano, Paziano, Pomperano Avenusio, Turpigliano, and Villa Magna which, over time, united to form the ancient nucleus of the village. The church of San Bartolomeo is mentioned in the papal bull of 1302 by Pope Boniface VIII. In the period of the Late Middle Ages, the village belonged to the Roman families of Colonna and Piccolomini, who gave it up in 1591 to the sister of Pope Sixtus V, Camilla Peretti. Later, its lands belonged to the county of Celano and the barony of Pescina.
Contemporary Age
In the second half of the 19th century, the lake was definitively drained by the Roman banker Alessandro Raffaele Torlonia, prince of Civitella Cesi. From this moment, the economy of the village, like that of the entire Marsica area, changed radically, experiencing a positive stimulus thanks to the possibility of cultivating in the fertile and reclaimed plain. Many inhabitants of the place worked as farmers, sharecroppers, and laborers under the administration of the Torlonia family.
1915 was a difficult year for the village of Cerchio, as well as for much of Central Italy, due to a severe earthquake of the 11th degree on the Mercalli scale (Richter scale Mw seismic moment), which destroyed much of the old village, causing several hundred deaths.
Conclusions
The municipality of Cerchio is a characteristic place in Abruzzo, rich in traditions and history. Its origins are shrouded in legend, but there are indications that suggest an origin from a small cluster of houses built around a circular theater. Over the centuries, the village of Cerchio has developed thanks to its favorable geographical conditions and the agricultural activities of its inhabitants, also suffering the damage of the 11th degree earthquake. All these elements contribute to making Cerchio a unique place and worth discovering for its beauty and historical value.
