Torreorsina
Discovering Torreorsina
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Torreorsina, a small hamlet of Terni located 11 km from the capital. The settlement is located on the top of Santa Maria Hill, at an altitude of 326 m. According to the 2001 census data, there are 281 inhabitants.
History of Torreorsina
The ancient medieval village dates back to the 11th century when, after the destruction of the castle of Collestatte by an army hired by the Abbot of Farfa, thirteen families moved to the nearby Santa Maria Hill. These families built a settlement called "Villa Sanctae Mariae."
After being destroyed in 1264, the village was rebuilt from 1270 when the Community of Collestatte donated to the Duchy of Spoleto the hill with the ruins of Santa Maria to erect new fortifications.
Around a surviving tower, the few remaining families built the "Castrum Turris," which became a single feud along with Collestatte from 1271. The feud is run by the Orsini family from the branch called Castello.
In 1586, the village obtained its own seal with a coat of arms from its lord, Corradino Orsini, Duke of Bomarzo. The coat of arms was composed of a tower topped by a rose, with the inscription "TVRRIS VRSINAE" around it.
In 1627, Turris Ursinae obtained autonomy from Collestatte and had free councils for three centuries until its territory was aggregated, in 1927, to that of the Municipality of Terni.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta
On the main square of Torreorsina, dedicated to Saint Rocco, patron saint of the village, stands the late Renaissance Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built-in 1580.
Inside, it has a single nave with a transept and lateral chapels all covered by a barrel vault. The dome rests at the intersection with the transept, an architectural pattern suitable for the Counter-Reformation needs arising from the Council of Trent.
On the main altar, there is a Glory of Saint Rocco, from the Roman school. Under the altar, the body of the martyr soldier Teodoro is preserved, extracted from the catacombs of San Saturnino, i.e., the cemetery of Trasone in Rome, donated to the clergy of Torreorsina in 1764.
The following year, he was proclaimed co-patron saint, and in 1769 the wooden statue was commissioned to Matteo, a German sculptor in Rome, wearing a tunic embellished by Roman jewelers Carlo Sartori and Filippo Pozzi. Another interesting painting depicts the Madonna and Child among the Saints.
The Properties of Torreorsina
The feud of Torre Orsina remained in the hands of the Orsini di Castello until 1640 when Orazio Orsini sold his part of the feud to the Guidi di Bagno. In 1656 it passed to the Mattei, Dukes of Paganica, and later to Count Cerbelli di Nepi, who sold it in 1752 to the counts Manassei di Terni.
These had already acquired, since 1662, half of the jurisdiction over Collestatte and Torre Orsina, in the parts of the Orsini di Monterotondo, Sassatelli di Imola, Valignani di Chieti, and Savelli di Roma properties.
Conclusions
Torreorsina is a truly fascinating place to visit to discover some local history. We are sure you will be enchanted by the beauty of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and the picturesque streets of the historic center. We can't wait to visit this beautiful hamlet of Terni!
