Montorio al Vomano
Welcome to Montorio al Vomano
Hello everyone! Today, I will talk about Montorio al Vomano, a beautiful municipality in Abruzzo, province of Teramo, also known as Mundurje in the local dialects. With a population of 7419 inhabitants, Montorio is part of the mountain community Gran Sasso.
Origins of the name
The name of Montorio derives from "Mons Aureus", meaning "Mountain of gold" in Italian. This name has been attested since the early years of the 10th century, with the Cartula de Terra Montoriana contained in the cartulary of the Teramo church. However, the name "Mons Aureus" was maintained for many years, until the 14th and 15th centuries, when coats of arms were introduced in the historic center of the town.
Montorio is located near the ancient locality of Beregra or Beretra, known for being the first city of Pretuzio for those coming from the region of Marsi, from Amiternum. Felice Barnabei, a historian of the territory, hypothesized that Beregra could be the city that arose near Montorio, rather than the current Civitella del Tronto. There would also be confirmations from some archaeological surveys carried out not far east of Montorio.
The history of Montorio al Vomano
Montorio al Vomano was already a fiefdom in 1173, when it was owned by Guillelmo, brother of the count De Storia of Teramo. During the Angevin period, the city passed under the dominion of Riccardo De Beauvoir and subsequently of Matteo II Del Plessis around 1284. After the death of Luisa De Beauvoir's husband, Adamo De Dussiaco, archbishop of Cosenza and chancellor of the kingdom, Montorio passed to Gilberto De Saltay, royal chamberlain.
Later, the city was acquired by the city of Teramo in 1337 and then given to Carlo d'Artus. After his death, Montorio passed to the Camponeschi family in 1346, together with other fiefs. The county was held by the Camponeschi for most of the 15th century, with a brief break between the 14th and 15th centuries when it passed to the Acquaviva.
The battle of Montorio
The historic battle of Montorio, which took place on May 7 or 8, 1486 as part of the barons' conspiracy, is an event that is often erroneously attributed to Montorio al Vomano. However, modern historiography has shown that the military event took place in another homonymous locality, and that Montorio al Vomano had no role in this matter.
Conclusions
Here is a brief overview of Montorio al Vomano, a city with an interesting past and numerous historical insights. I hope this summary has been helpful, and I invite you to visit this beautiful Abruzzese city and discover all its secrets. See you next time!
