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ROCCA PIA

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OTHER TOWNS MAP

PARK TOWNS Abbateggio Ateleta Bolognano Campo di Giove Cansano Caramanico Terme Civitella M. R. Corfinio Fara San Martino Gamberale Guardiagrele Lama dei Peligni Lettopalena Manoppello Montenerodomo Pacentro Palena Palombaro Pennapiedimonte Pescocostanzo Pizzoferrato Popoli Pratola Peligna Pretoro Rapino Rivisondoli Roccacasale Rocca Pia Roccaraso Salle Sant' Eufemia San Valentino   Serramonacesca Sulmona Taranta Peligna Tocco da Casauria NEARBY TOWNS Alanno Cepagatti Cugnoli Nocciano Pietranico Roccamontepiano Rosciano Scafa Turrivalignani

Photos in the top row and bottom center came from THIS website.

Little Rocca Pia, population only 253 inhabitants, is located in the province of L'Aquila at an elevation of 3000 feet on the southwestern side of the Maiella National Park.  The village was known as Roccavallescura until 1815, when it was briefly renamed Rocca Letitia in honor of Napoleon's sister, the French having conquered the area.  In 1865 it took its present name, Rocca Pia, in honor of Princess Maria Pia, daughter of Italy's King Victor Emanuele II, during whose reign Italy was unified.   The village is near the beginning of the Piano Cinque Miglia, the 'five-mile plain,' which is so-named because it is five Roman miles long, and which has been used for centuries as sheep-grazing land.   In the fall the shepherds moved the flocks south to Apulia for the winter, trekking along trattura or sheep tracks and stopping each night to rest at little churches which possessed springs.  In the section of Rocca Pia located on the Piano Cinque Miglia is the little medieval church of the Madonna del Casale (see photo, bottom right), one of the many churches along the sheep tracks where the shepherds and flocks would stop for the night. Rocca Pia's high altitude and its poor soil meant that the main source of livelihood was sheep-farming.  By the early 18th century there were about 36,000 sheep, which would be moved south to leased grazing grounds in Apulia in the winter.  The village's own summer grazing grounds were insufficient for such a large number of sheep, which obliged some of the shepherds to purchase summer grazing areas from surrounding villages. The town originated in the late medieval period and grew around the church of S. Marcello, of which the earliest recorded mention is from the second half of the 9th century.  The church belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of S. Vincenzo al Volturno. Rocca Pia is very picturesque and preserves many interesting buildings, among which are the Palazzo Fidei (see photo, bottom center), Palazzo De Meis and Palazzo Severo. There is a house which was an ancient tower (see photo top left), there are remains of the 15th centrury surrounding defensive wall, (see photo bottom left), and there are interesting little streets, such as via S. Antonio (see photo top right).  To visit a website in English and Italian about Rocca Pia, click here and then click on 'storia.'  For pictures of the town click here and here.

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Roccamontepiano

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