Santo Stefano
Santo Stefano, a mountain town to discover
Are you ready to discover the beauty of Santo Stefano, a hamlet in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo? With its approximately 250 inhabitants, this Marsican town will surprise you with its ancient history and its ancient monuments.
Physical Geography
Santo Stefano is located at an altitude of 1037 meters, at the foot of Mount Faito (1455 meters) along the Carseolani Mountains chain, in the Abruzzo Apennines. It is only 2.5 kilometers from the municipal capital, immersed in the unspoiled nature of the Luppa Regional Natural Reserve.
History
Santo Stefano boasts an ancient history, dating back to the times of the Italics and Roman history, when it was inhabited by the Equicoli and marked one of the borders of the Marsi Alba Fucens. The first known historical attestations date back to 1188, when Pope Clement III listed to Bishop Eliano all the churches belonging to the Diocese of Avezzano and also mentioned the "ecclesia Sancti Stephani in Caprili". Around this church, which was part of a cenobitic order of St. Benedict, the first settlement form developed, deriving the toponym from the proto-martyr Stephen, the titular of the place of worship.
Monuments and Places of Interest
Religious architecture
The Church of Santo Stefano is the parish church of the town, dedicated to Stephen the Protomartyr. Probably dating back to the twelfth century, as attested by a bull of Pope Clement III to the Bishop of the Marsi Eliano, the church was initially called "Santo Stefano in Caprile". Another interesting church is the one dedicated to the Madonna della Neve, an ancient rural building built in 1790 and surmounted by a sail bell tower.
Civil architecture
The Tomei Palace is one of the most interesting civil buildings in the town. Built starting from 1724 by the Paoluzi family as a fortified structure, it was completed in the 18th century. Damaged by the earthquake of 1915, it was subsequently restored.
Archeological sites
Before the Romanization of the area, which began at the end of the Second Samnite War (304 BC), the entire territory of Santo Stefano was included in that of the contemporary Western Marsica, near the border with Cicolano. In the vicinity of the town, in the val de' Varri, a lapidary was found that reported the inscription "Albensium fines", but unfortunately, it was lost.
An unforgettable experience in the mountains of Abruzzo
Santo Stefano is the ideal place for a day trip, a weekend of relaxation immersed in nature or as a destination for a cultural tour to discover ancient Abruzzo. With its historical monuments, religious and civil architecture, and the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding mountains, Santo Stefano will be a destination that you will hardly forget.
