Villa San Sebastiano
The Small Village of Villa San Sebastiano
Villa San Sebastiano is a picturesque village in the municipality of Tagliacozzo, located in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. With a population of approximately 727 inhabitants, Villa San Sebastiano is one of the few places where local dialects of the region can still be heard, and is characterized by its mountainous location on the northwestern edge of the Palentini Plains of Marsica, at the foot of Mount Aurunzo.
Territory
The landscape around Villa San Sebastiano is characterized by the mountain range of Monti Simbruini, which marks the border of Abruzzo with Lazio. The territory is crossed by the Imele river which, flowing into the Ràfia stream between the municipalities of Scurcola Marsicana and Magliano de' Marsi, gives rise to the Salto river.
There are two towns in Villa San Sebastiano: Villa San Sebastiano Vecchio, located at the foot of Mount Aurunzo, and Villa San Sebastiano Nuovo, which was rebuilt further downstream after the landslide of 1955.
History
The history of Villa San Sebastiano has very ancient roots. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the area was occupied by a monastery dedicated to San Sebastiano, which housed the few families that lived in the locality of Santa Croce. After the Battle of Tagliacozzo in 1268, the families settled around the monastery, effectively founding the village. The village took its name from the monastery in honor of San Sebastiano.
The old village was damaged by the earthquake of L'Aquila in 1703 and especially by the Marsica earthquake of 1915. In 1931, the religious community of Evangelical Methodist Church settled permanently in the area.
During World War II, Villa San Sebastiano offered refuge to some Indian prisoners who had escaped from the concentration camp of Avezzano.
The catastrophic landslide of 1955
On September 5, 1955, a catastrophic landslide destroyed most of the homes in the original village, causing four deaths and about twenty injuries, and displacing 334 people. The new village was rebuilt by the Fucino agency and the Civil Engineering Corps of Avezzano, one kilometer away, downstream and close to the SS5 Via Tiburtina Valeria.
In the 1980s, construction of the new village was completed. On September 5, 2005, on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, a commemorative ceremony was organized.
Places of interest
In addition to the natural beauty of the territory, Villa San Sebastiano offers some places of interest to visitors. The Parish of San Sebastiano Martire in Villa San Sebastiano houses an eighteenth-century wooden statue of San Bartolomeo and the ancient organ made by Tommaso Vayola in 1849.
The Evangelical Methodist Church of Villa San Sebastiano was founded in 1931 after a dispute with the diocese of Avezzano and became the largest religious community in Abruzzo.
In summary, Villa San Sebastiano is a small village immersed in the mountainous nature with a long history. Despite the catastrophe that struck the area in 1955, the village has been rebuilt and continues to offer historical and cultural gems to visitors. A unique place for those who want to discover the beauties of Abruzzo.
