Pescosansonesco
Discovering Corvara: The history of an Abruzzese town
Corvara is a small Abruzzese town located in the province of Pescara. Its history is very ancient and even today you can admire the remains of its past. The old village, in fact, has been restored and artistically revalued and is included as a destination in the Maiella National Park.
The history of Corvara
In 985, the Casauriense Abbot Adamo enlarged and fortified the town, settling the inhabitants from the neighboring towns of Casole, Letto, and Nirano/Nerano. Since then, Corvara became a castle known as "La Corvara". In 1258, the antipope Niccolò V was born here.
Corvara was hit by the Maiella earthquake in 1933 and due to some collapses and the lack of adequate rescue due to the difficult accessibility to Mount Aquileio, it was abandoned. The new habitat was built downstream.
The monuments of Corvara
The old village preserves many intact stone houses, called "pagliare", because they were also used as stables for pack animals. It is interesting to visit the rocks of Mount Aquileio above which the houses are built, and the church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo, of which the bell tower with a spire and part of the apse remain intact.
The village is crossed by Via Parrocchia, which goes up to the bell tower, and the street ends in a small square, where the historical municipal seat was located, now moved downstream in the Vicenne area. At the façade of one of these houses in the village, there is a precious Romanesque portal from the twelfth century, perhaps taken from the ancient church of Sant'Andrea, which shows the round arch with composite capitals and originally frescoed lunette.
The most interesting buildings are the Campanile di Sant'Andrea, which dominates the town and is connected to the perimeter walls that were the body of the ancient church destroyed by the earthquake of 1933, and the Parish of Maria (Mother of Jesus) and Sant'Andrea, the only church in Corvara, located at the crossroads between the provincial road 25 and 76 for Pescosansonesco, at the foot of the old village.
The society of Corvara
The demographic evolution of Corvara is interesting: the town currently has 213 inhabitants.
The culture of Corvara
Corvara also has a cinematic history: the film "Omicidio all'italiana" by Maccio Capatonda was shot in the town, where the town is called "Acitrullo".
In conclusion, visiting Corvara represents a real immersion in the history and culture of the Abruzzese territory. At the foot of the wonderful Maiella National Park, this small town offers tourists the opportunity to discover ancient traditions, appreciate a breathtaking landscape, and go back in time, admiring the remains of an ancient and precious past.
