Lettomanoppello
Lettomanoppello: a city in the province of Pescara
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Lettomanoppello, a city in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo. Known as the "city of stone" for its traditional activity of working with Maiella stone, the municipality extends from 126 to 1375 meters above sea level and is part of the Maiella National Park.
The physical geography of Lettomanoppello
Lettomanoppello is located at the foot of Maiella, to the right of the Lavino River and borders other municipalities such as Turrivalignani, Manoppello, Serramonacesca, Pretoro, Roccamorice, Abbateggio, and Scafa. The municipal territory is part of the Majella National Park, which extends over approximately 75,000 hectares in the provinces of Pescara, Chieti, and L'Aquila.
The history of Lettomanoppello
If you are interested in history, Lettomanoppello has medieval origins and for a long time was subordinated to the historical events of the county of Manoppello. In the 7th century, the city was incorporated into the Diocese of Chieti. Throughout its history, the village has been owned by different noble families such as the Orsini, counts of Manoppello. In 1795, the population reached 1336 and was owned by the Dario barons.
The mining extraction of Lettomanoppello
An interesting fact is that Lettomanoppello also boasted the mining extraction of bitumen since ancient times. Even the Republic of Amalfi, between the 12th and 13th centuries, sourced the material present in the territory for the maintenance of ships. During the Industrial Revolution, an asphalt mine came into operation which ceased extraction in the 1930s.
The tragedy of Marcinelle
Unfortunately, Lettomanoppello was struck by the terrible tragedy of Marcinelle. In 1956, a fire in one of the coal mines of Bois du Cazier, in Marcinelle, Belgium, caused the death of 262 people from 12 different nationalities, including 136 Italians, and 6 of them were from Lettomanoppello.
And that's all! As you can see, Lettomanoppello is a city rich in history and culture. If you have the opportunity to visit it, I highly recommend you do so!
