Ururi
Introduction to Ururi
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Ururi, an Italian municipality in the province of Campobasso. It is located on a small hill with an area of 31.4 square kilometers and a population of 2586 inhabitants. One of the main features of this small town is the Arbëreshë culture and language spoken by many other southern villages, such as Campomarino, Portocannone, and Montecilfone in the same province of Campobasso.
The History of Ururi
But let's get to the history of Ururi. In its feudal estate, there was a hamlet called "Aurora," but it is not certain that the monastery of the Benedictine monks and the hamlet itself were located in the same place. However, through the study of ancient documents, it has been possible to trace continuity between the "Aurora hamlet" and the inhabited agglomeration of Ururi.
There are no remains of masonry works that can somehow indicate the place of the ancient existence of the monastery and the hamlet, but it is presumed that they rose in the highest part of the current inhabited area of Ururi. It is possible that the place was right where the historic center of the town is today since the monastery was dedicated to Santa Maria, just like the old parish church located in the highest place of the town.
Documents of the time speak of the presence of lay people in the Aurora hamlet zone, likely stabilized next to the monastery and engaged in the cultivation of the surrounding land. There was therefore a modest agglomeration, dedicated to work in the fields, perhaps in union with the monks themselves.
In January 1074 or 1075, the Norman feudatory Roberto III of Loritello, count of Loritello, declared that he owned a monastery built in the tenement of Larino in the place called Aurora. The count donated everything to the Larine Church of Mary the Virgin and Mother of God for his soul and that of his relatives. Later, curses were written for anyone who tried to take the donation from the Church. The document was signed by Bishop Guglielmo, Judge Falco, and tal Maraldo Trimarco. The donor, the Count of Loritello, inserted the cross sign of the illiterate. With this donation, the bishop of Larino became the owner of the Aurora estate.
In the following centuries, the Aurora estate and the donation of the Count of Loritello reappeared in various acts and documents. Only shortly before 1500, the Aurora hamlet also appears in some documents with the denomination of "Ruri" and sometimes "Urure." From the very fact of the promiscuity of the denomination, it is presumed that the new denomination was affirming itself and, therefore, the Hamlet is still today indicated by the name Aurora, but the new denominations are also in use.
Conclusions
In conclusion, Ururi is a city with a rich history and a very particular culture. It was interesting to discover how its denomination evolved over time and how the city still maintains the language and traditions of the Arbëreshë today. I hope this brief summary has intrigued you to visit this beautiful city and learn more about its fascinating history.
