Pizzoferrato
Hi everyone! Today I'm going to talk to you about Pizzoferrato, a small town in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, which has just under a thousand inhabitants.
History
There is not much information available about the history of the town, but some churches and ruins on the hill above the town date back to the 10th century. During the feudal period, Pizzoferrato changed hands several times between various families before coming under the control of the Monaco family. Before the year 1000, the area consisted of three small villages, called "Pitius Superior", "Pitius Medium" and "Pitius Inferior". At that time, the population was engaged in transhumance before turning to agriculture. The three areas were surrounded by forests of Fagus sylvatica, Quercus cerris and fir trees.
It is unclear how the three villages were merged into what would become Pizzoferrato. There are two theories: the first suggests that an unknown disaster destroyed the three villages and that the survivors settled in the present-day center; the second asserts that only two brothers, Rocco and Lorenzo, survived and that Rocco moved to Pizzoferrato, while Lorenzo moved to Gamberale. This second theory explains why a church in Pizzoferrato is dedicated to St. Rocco, while the patron saint of Gamberale is St. Lorenzo.
Farmsteads and Hamlets
In the Pizzoferrato area, there used to be no farmsteads (masserie) because brigands made the area dangerous. After the end of the brigandage threat in Abruzzo, the population began to move to these structures outside the town center. There are three farmstead-hamlets around Pizzoferrato: Collalto, Castiglione and Turchi. However, the phenomenon of population movements continued for centuries.
Tourism
In the 1970s, the town began to focus on winter tourism thanks to its proximity to Roccaraso. A tourist village called Valle del Sole was built, but unfortunately it was never fully utilized due to problems with water and sewer systems. In addition, the ski resort was not built. However, in 2019 some projects were presented to restart the site.
Monuments and Places of Interest
The town has a recognized coat of arms by decree of the head of government from 1937. In addition, the Municipality of Pizzoferrato was awarded the bronze medal of military valor for the sacrifices of its populations and for the activity in the partisan struggle during World War II.
There are also numerous religious architectures to visit, including the Church of Madonna del Girone, located on the hill overlooking the town.
And that's it for today! If you're looking for a quiet and picturesque town, I recommend visiting Pizzoferrato. You won't be disappointed!
