Rocca Santa Maria
Discovering the Municipality of Rocca Santa Maria
Hello, friends! Today I want to tell you about Rocca Santa Maria, a municipality located in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo. With its 478 inhabitants, this small village is part of the mountain municipalities union of Laga and is rich in history and tradition.
The History of Rocca Santa Maria
The toponym of Rocca Santa Maria first appears in an Angevin document from 1273. During the Middle Ages, the Rocca had importance as a fortified castle. Today you can still see the remains in the Castello area. The name of the Municipality, instead, would derive from the disappeared tower located near the villa of Riano. This territory was traditionally a fief along with Bisegno of the Bishop of Teramo.
The surrounding area of the municipality is naturally valuable thanks to the presence of the Vezzola river, a left tributary of the Tordino river. The Municipality consists of several hamlets, each at a distance from each other. This makes the development of public services a bit expensive. The hamlets are: Rocca (with administrative headquarters), Ceppo, Fioli, Alvelli, Paranesi, Alvelli, Cona Faiete and Macchia Santa Cecilia.
Historical Events of the Municipality of Rocca Santa Maria
The Municipality of Rocca Santa Maria was the scene of patriotic events during World War II, including the famous battle of Bosco Martese. On September 17, 1943, a contingent of Italian soldiers stationed in Teramo, led by Captain Giovanni Lorenzini, moved to Ceppo, in Rocca Santa Maria, 30 km from the capital. The soldiers refused to surrender to the Germans and organized resistance, giving life to the battle of Bosco Martese. This event has significant patriotic value and is still remembered with devotion within the Municipality.
The Administrative Headquarters of Rocca Santa Maria
The administrative headquarters of the Municipality of Rocca Santa Maria is located in the villa of Rocca, between the villages of Fustagnano and Belvedere. It consists of a few houses and a square with the modern administrative headquarters of the Municipality. Further development is needed to resemble a city with the necessary services for any municipal organization.
The Presence of Ancient Universities
Niccola Palma, a historian from Teramo, described the agricultural universities of Rocca Santa Maria and Rocca Bisegna, hypothesizing their Italic origins even before the power of Rome. In fact, there is a monument in Sant'Omero that would prove this reasoning. This monument dates back to the year 637 from the foundation of the Urbe, under the consulate of Metello, of the Cecilia Metella road, which bears the toponym of a village existing where the center of Rocca now stands.
Furthermore, the hamlets of Cona Faiete, Pomarolo, Serra, and San Biagio belonged, along with Macchia Santa Cecilia, to Bisegna. The first documentation of these villages dates from the 1753 census, as all previous documents were destroyed by fires. In 1670, following the edict of Preside Zunica against banditry, the bandits attacked the villages of Rocca, burning the buildings.
Conclusions
In summary, the Municipality of Rocca Santa Maria, with its centuries-old history, rare architectural beauties, and the suggestive surrounding nature, is certainly a place to visit for those who want to rediscover the most authentic and uncontaminated Italy. However, as mentioned earlier, further development is needed to improve services and the general appearance of the Municipality. But I am sure that this small reality will grow and enchant all those who decide to spend time here.
