Coppito
Coppito - a hamlet of L'Aquila
Coppito is a hamlet of the municipality of L'Aquila, located between the Appennino Abruzzese ed Appulo-Sannitico (to the south) and the Gran Sasso d'Italia (to the north) via the Strada statale 17 and 80 respectively. It is approximately 6 km from the historic center of L'Aquila.
History of Coppito
The ancient Poppletto was built on a rocky spur that runs along the Aterno-Pescara river. In antiquity, the area was only inhabited by the citizens of Amiternum, one of the largest cities of the Sabines, although archaeological discoveries have shown that in the area of the current district of Pettino (L'Aquila) there was the ancient Pitinum. Poppleto arose as a Lombard castle, and when the territories of Amiterno and Forcona were divided with Marsica and the rest of the Abruzzese Sannio into 7 gastaldie, Amiterno and Forcona were part of the "Valeria province" with administrative headquarters in Celano. The castle was then one of the founding castles of the new city of L'Aquila, established by Corrado IV of Svevia through the Privilegium concessum de constructione Aquilae in 1254.
The church of San Pietro in Coppito
Poppleto built the church of San Pietro in Coppito within the walls of L'Aquila as a piece of territory entrusted to each founding castle, which had to be populated and built. In 1272 the city was divided into four quarters of the eagle, one of which took the quarter of San Pietro, elevating the building constructed by the coppitesi to the head church of the quarter. After the Spanish era, Coppito gradually lost its central role in the center of the quarter and became a district of the city.
The earthquake of 1703 and the future of Coppito
The earthquake of L'Aquila in 1703 caused serious damage to the center and the castle of Coppito, which was visible only as a truncated tower in the early twentieth century and was demolished in the 1930s. In the 20th century, the hamlet experienced significant urban development, thanks to the construction of structures such as the University of L'Aquila and the San Salvatore Regional Hospital. Today, Coppito is a modern and active hamlet of the city of L'Aquila, with numerous commercial and cultural activities that make it an important center for the Abruzzese region.
