Monticelli
Monticelli - Discovering a Historic Village in Teramo
Hello friends, today we will talk about the village of Monticelli, a fraction of the municipality of Teramo with a rich historical and cultural heritage. We will guide you through its history, its main tourist attraction, and share some bibliographic references for further reading.
History
The village of Monticelli has its roots in the history of the 11th century when, like other nearby towns, it was given the name "Monticulo" or "Monticello". Historical documents attest to the presence of a castle, a convent, and two churches dedicated to St. Paul and St. George, but their exact location is not known. It is known, however, that as early as the 10th century, the Saturday market was held, as still happens today in Teramo.
Among the historical documents are dozens of references to the Monticello Castle and its lands, suggesting that the Monticello fiefdom was a stopping place for vendors who transferred from the Vibrata Valley to Teramo to carry out their trade.
In 1062, Carbone di Solfio donated his part of Monticello castle to the bishop of Teramo, Pietro, along with the rights to the local church and the Tricaglio lands. In 1108, the bishop of Teramo, Uberto, claimed ownership of some lands and Monticello Castle from the children and grandchildren of one Guidone.
In a 1351 diploma of Queen Joanna of Angio and her husband Louis of Taranto, it is stated that Monticelli, along with the towns of Ponzano, Varano, and Sant'Eleuterio, was purchased and incorporated into the University of Teramo (which formerly designated a territory). Between the 12th and 16th centuries, Monticello and Nepezzano, together with the towns of Teramo (Ponzano and Colle Santa Maria), constituted the Monticello fiefdom, belonging to the powerful Melatino family, who governed the city of Teramo.
Chiesa dell'Immacolata
The Church of Santa Maria Immacolata is the main monument and dates back to the 17th century. The sail bell tower was added in 1921. The church has a rectangular plan with a single nave. The gable facade has a simple portal and an oculus on the architrave. Three peaks adorn the central and two lateral vertices of the facade.
Bibliography
Among the sources to discover more about the history of the village of Monticelli is the book "Il ricettario di Maccabeo. Storia e gastronomia dell'antico feudo di Maccabeo Melatino", written by Rita Cerino, Marco D'Alesio, and Rosalba D'Alesio and published by the Monticelli Association of Teramo in May 2004.
Other projects
If you are interested in learning more about the village of Monticelli, we recommend consulting the following external links:
The website of the municipality of Teramo, where you can find information on the fraction of Monticelli and other tourist attractions in the area.
The Wikipedia page dedicated to the fraction of Monticelli.
We have reached the end of our journey through the village of Monticelli, we hope to have been helpful in understanding the history of this magnificent hamlet. If you have already had the opportunity to visit it, leave us a comment and tell us about your experience!
