edited by Giovanni Lattanzi - Camera di Commercio di Chieti

Transcription

edited by Giovanni Lattanzi
index
introduction
craft in Abruzzo, a long history
craftmen, instructions for use
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6
12
province of Chieti, capitals of craft
Guardiagrele
Lanciano
Chieti
Vasto
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province of Chieti, routes for the craft workshops
the stone masters
the goldsmith’s masters
the glass masters
the ceramics masters
the iron and copper masters
the paper and decorations masters
the leather, textiles and embroidery masters
the wood masters
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introduction
his work, that I have the pleasure of presenting, moves out
of the normal schemes that distinguish it from guides on
artistic craft to offer the keen traveler a cross-section of the
territory of our province indicating some tourist itineraries that
include, apart from the artistic and environment beauties, what
this province can offer, also an index of craft workshops
representing various sectors. The guide to the itineraries to
artistic craft wishes to tell of the magic spell of our villages and
of people’s passion that animate these places through their work
with the awareness that it is possible to hand down the memory
only by drawing visitors close to this priceless heritage. The Chieti
province, with its peculiarity of environment and traditions, is the
ideal place to satisfy the curiosity of the attentive tourist. The
four chosen itineraries are just a small part of what this territory
has to offer. This guide is testimony to the interest the Chamber
of Commerce of Chieti nurtures for this sector, so important
because it is evidence of a civilization that proposes itself in such
an evident way. It pleases me greatly to express my satisfaction in
this work, thanking one and all who participated in the laying out
and, in particular, the Craft Department of the Chamber of
Commerce of which I am honoured to be president.
T
Cav. Lav. Dino Di Vincenzo
President of Chamber of Commerce of Chieti
Guardiagrele, workshops of master
craftsmen of iron and copper.
On left, bronze helmet from Italic
times from Pretoro.
On left at bottom, Comino near
Guardiagrele, the Italic necropolis.
Terracotta finds and the excavations of
a tomb.
craft in Abruzzo
a long story
ithout any fear of
being banal, we can
happily confirm that
craft was born from mankind.
In fact, the word ‘craft’
describes, according to the
Italian dictionary, production,
repairing of an object made by
hand or with traditional
methods. This is in contrast
with those industrial ones or
those on produced such a large
scale to warrant the use of
machines or various kinds of
automation. It is the manual
character that is the peculiar
element to distinguish and
characterize craftwork which
began, however, at the same
time in which prehistoric man,
and we are talking about more
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than 700,000 years ago,
started to use his intelligence
in utilizing raw materials that
nature had provided such as
stone, wood, earth, animal
bones in order to alleviate the
toughness of their primitive
daily existence. It was the
innate intuition of the human
race in evolution to dictate the
rules of the first attempts in
this way, strengthened then
almost certainly by casual and
lucky discoveries. They may
have noticed, for example, how
clay, placed close to the fire,
became as hard as stone the
next morning. It is easy to
imagine one of the brightest of
the group modeling the soft
clay with his hands then
cooking it on the fire to make
a bowl. It is certain that the
science of archaeology that
studied these age-old stages of
the presence of man on earth,
that is prehistory, has revealed
how it was with stone, then
wood, the first materials that
mankind used to make tools for
work and, above all, weapons
for hunting. The first weapons
grasped by human hand date
back to the so-called
Paleolithic period, the most
ancient of prehistory, and they
were very little more than hard
fragments of stone with
cutting edges. In the following
periods, in particular the
Neolithic, which in Abruzzo
started about 7,000 years ago,
routes for the workshop of artistic craft in the province of Chieti
On right, Atessa, a silver monstrance,
embossed and gilded, masterpiece of
Nicola da Guardiagrele.
they were refined objects in
flint, artfully chipped and
worked with surprising
shrewdness and precision. In
our region there have been
numerous findings of real and
proper prehistoric workshops
mainly on the slopes of the
Majella where flint was in
abundance, from which great
quantities of stone utensils
were made. The same certainly
came about concerning wood,
of which, unfortunately,
archaeology can tell us very
little since it is very unlikely
to remain through the
centuries. From the simple
branch picked up off the
ground, we move onto the
working of sticks and handles
with a function. Similarly
ceramic showed a rapid and
surprising evolution over the
entire prehistoric period, both
in form, working techniques as
well as in the fineness of the
mixture. The manual ability
guided by the intelligence,
experience, creativity: these,
therefore, were the winning
elements that permitted our
ancestors to exploit the natural
raw materials to make useful
objects and so becoming the
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first craftsmen in the history of
mankind. The first step was,
therefore, the transformation of
the rough material into a
finished product destined and
motivated by a purely practical
objective, where the only
parameter guideline was the
functionality of the actual
objects. By principle, every
effort to improve moved in this
direction, as with all the
productive tasks. And this
should not be surprising. The
survival of prehistoric man was
extremely precarious; his life
depended on his capacity to
hunt the great herds of wild
animals and defend himself
from the cold using their skins:
weapons and tools for working
the skins were the vital
element of survival. Between
12,000 and 10,000 years ago
tribes stopped being groups of
nomadic hunters that followed
the migration of the animals to
settle down in favourable
places, rich in water. In this
way, man discovered farming
and the necessity to build
stable living areas, totally
different to the tents which
they had been used to during
the previous periods. And so it
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became a necessity to organize
a series of objects that made
domestic life easier, even
though we are still talking
about huts made out of
branches and leaves covered in
clay. The production of
At top: Chieti, ‘La Civitella’
Archaeological Museum. Reconstruction
of the pediment of an Italic temple
decorated with a terracotta statue.
Above: Renaissance statue in wood,
painted and gilded.
ceramics, textiles, wooden
objects developed and, steadily
and slowly, the functionality of
objects was associated to a
new parameter up to then
unknown – style. In the
archaeological finds, in fact,
appeared traces of a pure
primitive taste for beauty;
vases were decorated by
pressure of nails or shells onto
the still soft clay or making
lines with sticks dipped into
red ochre as in the village
Leopardi, the most ancient
Neolithic settlement in
Abruzzo, brought to light near
Penne by Baron Leopardi and
dating back more than 6,500
years ago. In 1970, the scholar
from Pescara, Claudio De
Pompeis discovered at
Catignano the remains of a
Neolithic village with
fragments of shiny and wellworked ceramics, painted with
red bands and black
decorations, a unique, original
style of our region which takes
the name of Catignano. A short
time later in the province of
Teramo, another larger
prehistoric village, Ripoli, was
developed, where the
terracotta was decorated with
impressions and engraved
signs. All these finds can be
admired today in the Museum
of the People of Abruzzo
(Museo delle Genti d’Abruzzo)
in Pescara, and represent the
birth of the Abruzzo design.
About 5,000 years ago groups
of populations coming from the
present Middle East brought to
Abruzzo, the knowledge of
copper, introducing the use of
metals and so bringing us
definitely out of the Stone
Age. Bronze was discovered
700 years later, an alloy with
better results and so history
entered into the era of bronze,
underlining the importance the
working of this metal took on
in everyday life. Its diffusion
was so rapid and widespread
that, actual categories of
metalworkers capable of
melting and forging objects of
every kind were created,
reaching a surprising degree of
refinement with weapons,
vases, statues, but also
decorative objects, jewels and
amulets. Then, approximately
1,000 years before the coming
of Christ, man mastered
another fruit of the earth that,
again, radically changed his
way of living – iron. From the
Iron Age the development of
human activities of production
and transformation of raw
materials became always more
and more rapid and refined as
the cultural identities of the
Italic tribes gained strength.
Technique and style matured
hand in hand, the shrewdness
of the working and the
accuracy of the skilled master.
From the individual craftsman,
capable of producing utensils
and objects with a good degree
of decorations, we quickly
came to the appearance of true
and proper artists, capable of
drawing out of a stone or
metal, but also glass or wood,
masterpieces. By means of
splendid finds discovered in
tombs, the Italic world,
including Abruzzo, showed the
existence of ranks of worthy
master craftsmen capable of
working raw materials to
produce every sort of utensil or
tool but also ornaments and
furnishings of great splendour.
The Roman world absorbed this
knowledge from the
populations conquered as from
the refined Greek world,
increasing even more the craft
At top: Chieti, National Archaeological
Museum of Villa Frigerj. The famous
Warrior of Capestrano, funeral statue
of an Italic prince.
At bottom: pots and pans in copper
worked by hand in the Costume
Museum of Guardiagrele.
productions in all sectors.
Abruzzo museums are full of
this exceptional evidence such
as the Warrior of Abruzzo (AQ),
the Ercole Curino of Sulmona,
the many statues from Roman
times such as those from Alba
Fucens (AQ), mosaics from
Teramo and Vasto, bronze
vessels from Campovalano of
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Campli (TE), ceramics of San
Buono (CH) and Schiavi
d’Abruzzo (CH), the funeral
beds in wood and bone from
the necropolis of Fossa (AQ)
and so only mentioning some
of the most beautiful. From the
fall of the Roman Empire to
the Middle Ages the turbulent
historic events and the social
precariousness had an effect
on the daily life and the craft
productions, creating a slowing
down of the development and
an impoverishment of the
forms and refinements except
in a few sectors. These are the
ones that never suffer crises –
weapons, jewellery, luxury
vessels for the rich and, a new
event, sacred furnishings and
decorations for the Church.
Then, after the year 1000,
thanks also to the productive
and propulsive actions of the
monasteries, there was a
progressive revival of craft
workings. There was the revival
of stone, that was used in the
building and decorations of
churches; metal, mainly the
most precious, to create jewels
but also chalices, reliquaries,
processional crosses and
monstrances, a production that
reached its peak during the
Renaissance with the Sulmona
school and the master
craftsman, Nicola da
Guardiagrele. The working of
parchment, necessary for the
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Small silver plates, engraved and
decorated with coloured enamel that
were part of a large processional cross
created by the most famous
Renaissance goldsmith of Abruzzo,
Page in illuminated parchment form
an antique volume.
extremely refined illuminated
codes copied by the
amanuensis friars in the
scriptoriums of the
monasteries, was substituted
by the new discovery – paper
on which writing was printed
by means of a genial system of
mobile characters and press.
The art of wood advanced at
the same pace as iron, the first
with the refined work of
intaglio and inlay using
precious materials such as
ivory and mother of pearl, and
the second that entered the
world of household articles as
well as gates, grilles and tools
for working the land. The
weaving of wool was also
developed, ripe in Abruzzo
thanks to its prime position in
the practice of sheep
transhumance, and then the
working of ceramics, with new
forms and colours with the
birth of really specialized
centres such as at Castelli, but
also Lanciano, L’Aquila and
Rapino. The arrival of skilled
workers from other regions, or
even from European kingdoms,
brought new working
techniques, decorations,
adding new decorative styles
and influencing those already
existing. From the Renaissance
onwards the process of growth
in technique and style of
Abruzzo craft was invigorated
at a regular, more rapid rhythm
until the apparition, in our
region too, of modern
industrial productions and
machinery. But the thread that
ties the modern craftsmen to
their predecessors remains firm
and uninterrupted over all the
historical periods. Even if over
the centuries techniques and
styles underwent evolutions
and modifications, there are
details that remain immutable
and recognizable, forming that
cultural continuity that
donates to craft its
irreplaceable essential value.
And those craftsmen
themselves, who extend their
workshops into modern
laboratories, with machinery
and employees, still conserve
intact the timeless spirit and
that prodigious mix that
renders synergy the deftness
and experience of generations.
They give life to unique
objects that enclose in their
exclusive forms and
unmistakable materiality of the
single piece the whole
millenary history of a region
and of its hard-working
inhabitants.
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A master of iron shapes the wings of a
metal eagle.
Pages of old magazines are basic
material for refined decoupages.
Tools with which masters of stone
shape their works.
craftsmen
instruction for use
o become the owner of an
object created by a
craftsman is not at all the
same as buying an industrial
product from a shopping
centre; they are, indeed, two
worlds apart. The purchase of
an artisan’s handmade article is
an experience that includes
both the materiality of what
has been chosen but, above all,
the emotion of taking home a
small part of the craftsman’s
soul. In that object, be it a
short-lived artistic candle or a
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heavy wrought iron candelabra,
during the working the vitality
of the artisan has been put
into it; while that material was
being shaped by expert hands,
it was being enriched by an
unseen force, flavoured by the
experience of the artisan, by
his creativity but, above all, by
his passion. Indeed, it is this
priceless passion that makes
the handmade article distant
light years from the industrial
product, placing the first in the
world of spirituality, the second
in a pure material one. The
commercial objects are the
result of a series production
from the mechanic arms of
robots, absolutely perfect, no
marks or out-of- line stitching,
without caresses or scratches
but, precisely only that –
perfect, but no soul. The fruit
of a craftsman is not perfect,
because it comes from human
hands and that is exactly why
it is absolutely unique. In the
home of no-one else in the
world is there the same object;
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On left: the workshop of an artisan
blacksmith and results of his work;
brushes and dyes to colour ceramics; a
master of copper shapes the edge of a
large pan with simple tools; hammer
and strong arms to forge wrought
iron.
On right and at bottom: bright colours
of ceramics of Rapino; huge variety of
chisels used by a master of wood for
his work.
there may be many similar but
none the same, each one
unique, unrepeatable. Magic
objects, half material, half soul
fused together by the artisan’s
hands.
Even the purchasing is a
fascinating experience. When it
is possible these articles
should be chosen and bought
directly from the craftsman,
because this is the only way to
enter that spellbinding place
which is the artisan’s
workshop. “The Cave of the
Wizard”, “Grotto of Wonders”
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the personality and creativity
of he who works there. Enter
and you will always be
welcomed because the artisan
has a generous soul and opens
to all his workshop. Ask,
observe the master at work, his
movements, the quick skill of
his expert hands and look
around to appreciate the
results of his work. Only in this
way can you receive an
emotion that makes your
purchase a unique experience
and you will take home a
priceless object.
are not words that can recreate
in full the idea of the artisan’s
workshop, especially if it is an
age-old activity handed down
from generation to generation.
These words cannot present
you with the emotions of a
sensitive, careful soul. One
that does not simply stop at
the forms and material values
but goes beyond, overcomes
the consumer threshold and
shares the emotive one. The
artisans’ workshops are clean
and tidy or dusty and untidy
but always lived in, reflecting
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province of Chieti
capitals of craft
At side: Italic necropolis at Comino.
Decorative spiral detail in bronze.
Guardiagrele
At bottom: Palazzo Vitacolonna and
entrance gate to medieval city.
On this page: cathedral of Santa Maria
Maggiore.
he origins of Guardiagrele
go back far in time,
definitely to the Italic
period as shown by the
necropolis brought to light in
the area of Comino and used
almost 3,000 years ago. The
element that characterizes it is
stone, the white Majella stone
that has earned Guardiagrele
the name of ‘the noble city of
stone’ given by Gabriele
D’Annunzio in “Trionfo della
Morte” (The Triumph of Death).
The historic centre reveals its
origins as a fortified village,
once surrounded by walls in
which entrance gates opened
guarded by towers. Only two are
still standing: Torre Adriana
next to Porta San Giovanni,
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rebuilt around 1841 to
substitute the medieval Porta
della Fiera, and Torre Stella
mounted with the coat of arms
of the homonymous family. It is
possible to pass through only
the original gate, Porta del
Vento, previously known as
Porta di Grele, next to the
Orsini keep (desired by the
powerful family that dominated
the city for a long time). The
complex of the San Pietro tower
and Porta represents what
remains of a Celestine convent
from the Middle Ages. The
ancient heart of the town is
embellished by elegant
buildings built between the
XVII and XIX centuries by rich
bourgeois families, such as
Palazzo Vitacolonna, one of the
most representative examples,
built in the XVIII century. Also
noteworthy are Palazzo
Montanari-Spoltore, with
decorations and canvases
created by the painter from
Lanciano, Federico Spoltore, and
Palazzo Liberatoscioli, one of
the more classical examples of
Art Nouveau style in Abruzzo.
Among so many monuments
that Guardiagrele offers visitors
the most important is, without
doubt, the cathedral of Santa
Maria Maggiore, built in 1100
and extended over the following
two centuries. In the 1700’s
there was a radical
transformation that totally
changed its appearance. The
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On left: portal of the church of San
Francesco.
At top: XVIII century pulpit in wood,
carved and engraved, church of San
Rocco.
At bottom: interior of the cathedral
museum.
On opposite page, at top: portal of
Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore; at
bottom; interior of Museum of
Costume.
extremely beautiful portal
probably, in the XIV century,
substituted an older one.
Extension work carried out in
the same period led to the
addition of a colonnade on the
right side of the church beneath
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which there is a Renaissance
portal from 1578 and the
colossal fresco that portrays
San Cristoforo. This work bears
the date 1473 and is quite
important for the history of art
in Abruzzo, being the only one
known and signed by the artist
Andrea Delitio. The interior
offers the visitor beautiful
paintings amongst which the
XVII century canvas portraying
the Sepulchre of Christ by
Giuseppe Lamberti, a painter
from Ferrara. Of interest also is
the XVIII century wooden pulpit
that shows a central panel
engraved with three episodes
from the life of Christ and the
frontal in worked and painted
stone of the last altar on the
right side, reconstructed by
using older elements and from
varied origins. In some rooms
on the lower floor the Cathedral
Museum has been set up,
putting on display refined
vestments from the XVII
century, reliquaries from the
Neapolitan school and statues
in painted wood as well as
precious fragments from the
cross by Nicola da Guardiagrele
in gilded silver and embossed,
the only element retrieved after
the unfortunate theft of this
masterpiece. Near the Cathedral
there is the church of San
Rocco, originally built as chapel
of the Madonna del Riparo;
when entering, the luxurious
decorations of coloured
stuccoes and the splendid
furnishings are striking. Almost
all date back to the XVIII
century such as the
confessional, the wooden pulpit
and, in particular, the
exceptional paintings. Another
monument of great artistic
value is the monumental
complex of San Francesco. This
too, was built in 1100 and
modified over the following two
centuries. The main portal is
attributed to the school of
Nicola Mancino, whereas the
side one dates back to the XIII
century and comes from the
church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Splendid paintings in the
interior amongst which the
Annunciation may be admired, a
canvas from the late XVI
century, the Madonna with
Child, San Giuseppe, an
Evangelist, an Angel and the
‘Committente’ from 1604. On
the left of the church opens the
cloister that connects with the
convent, today housing the
town hall. Among the other
churches it is worth visiting the
conventual one of the
Capuchins that offers the
viewing of altars, precious
wooden furnishings in a
baroque style but, above all, an
elegant tabernacle in wood and
inlaid ivory that stands out on
the main altar. It was made in
the early half of the 1700’s by
friars who were skilled carvers
called Marangoni. The
Archaeological Museum merits a
visit opened in 1999 on the
premises of the convent of San
19
On this page: view of roofs of
Guardiagrele; logo of traditional craft
fair.
On opposite page, at top: interior and
altar of convent of the Capuchins.
At bottom: splendid candle holder
created by a master of iron; medieval
altar in worked stone.
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Francesco where finds from the
necropolis of Comino are on
display and the nearby Museum
of Costumes and Traditions of
Our People (Museo del Costume
e delle Tradizioni della Nostra
Gente) that display objects in
everyday use and settings of
domestic life from the end of
the XIX to mid XX centuries.
Guardiagrele boasts an
however the classical
furnishings and articles for the
home according to the purest
local tradition, as with
sculptures and slabs, embossed
and chased, decorated with
typical ornamental motives of
the Abruzzo culture. The
goldsmith’s art maintains
classical forms and styles but it
is knowledgeably open to new
extraordinary craft tradition
that excels still today for the
excellent quality of its products
and its high technical and
creative level, in particular in
the sector of working iron and
copper, created to satisfy the
functional necessities of the
agro-pastoral economy but
today it is perfectly in tune
with the diverse demands of the
market. The workshops produce
models without losing sight of
the cultural tie with its past
that boasts works of excellent
technical-artistic worth. We
only have to bring to mind the
refined sacred masterpieces of
goldsmith’s art by Nicola da
Guardiagrele. With this in mind,
every year in August,
Guardiagrele is host to an
important and highly attended
craft exhibition.
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province of Chieti
capitals of craft
Lanciano
he old Anxanum was
founded by the Italic
people of the Frentani and
then became a Roman
municipium following the socalled social war, the revolt of
the Italic subjects against the
dominion of Rome that
deprived them of their civil
rights. In the Middle Ages it
was at Colle Erminio that old
Lanciano developed,
characterized by what was
called the ‘Longbard Castle’ on
the ruins of which was built
Palazzo Vergilj in the XVIII
century. Apart from the
fortified nucleus of Colle
T
Erminio called Lancianovecchia,
that had been built on the
traces of the Roman Anxanum
and protected by strong walls,
other groups of houses such as
Borgo and Villanova were
developing to then become
Civitanovae, immediately
fortified. In the XIII century
these three hamlets were by
then enclosed by a city wall
with nine entrance gates: Santa
Maria la Nova, della Noce, San
Nicola, Sant’Antonio, Santa
Chiara, Sant’Angelo (demolished
in the XIX century), the
Diocleziana, the one by Pozzo
Bagnaro and finally San Biagio
at Lancianovecchia which is the
only left standing. Of these
strong walls, a stretch with
towers in the southern area of
what was the hamlet of
Civitanova, is still conserved:
the famous Torri Montanare, socalled because they were the
city’s defense from the
mountain side. From that
period, Lanciano conserves
other important evidence such
as the most original building
from medieval Abruzzo, the
church of Santa Maria Maggiore
built in the XIII century on the
ruins of an even older sacred
building. The original setting
out was then transformed again
in the XVI century with the
addition of five naves that are
present today. It is argued
though whether the present
appearance is the result of a
restoration carried out at the
end of the 60’s. The beautiful
monumental façade on the east
side dates back to the XIV
At top: ceramic vase from Lanciano
with typical medieval decoration.
On left: part of old city walls with the
Montanare Towers.
On right: aerial view of historic centre
of Lanciano.
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century, embellished by its
splendid portal with a lunette
in which there is a sculpture of
the Crucifixion done by
Francesco Petrini. Inside there
is a wooden triptych of the
Madonna with Child and the
famous processional cross from
1422, a masterpiece by Nicola
da Guardiagrele. Other
important churches in Lanciano
that merit a visit are
Sant’Agostino, with its XIV
century façade decorated with
a priceless portal and a delicate
rose window, and San Nicola. A
sacred place of great relevance
due to its incredible affluence
of pilgrims is the Church of San
Francesco, founded in the XIII
century and guardian to the
Eucharist Miracle. Tradition
narrates something that
happened in the VIII century
inside the old church of Santo
Legonziano and Santo
Domiziano on the ruins of
which today there is San
Francesco. A priest, well-known
for his doubt in the Eucharist
presence, was celebrating mass
when suddenly the host turned
into flesh and the wine, blood.
The amazement before the
miracle was so great that the
relics, fruit of the prodigy, were
conserved with great care and
devotion. In the XVIII century
they were mounted in a
precious reliquary where they
can be still found today. Piazza
del Plebiscito is really the heart
of Lanciano and in its wide
area we can find monuments
that are symbolic to the town
such as the civic tower built in
the XVII century and the
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Cathedral of the Madonna del
Ponte, consequence of an
extension to the XVI century of
the little old church originated
on the ruins of the Romanmedieval bridge called Ponte di
Diocleziano. The archaeological
itinerary recently opened to the
public is really suggestive. With
reference to private houses of
historic and architectonic
relevance it is worth
On opposite page: church of Santa
Maria Maggiore, portal with rose
window.
On this page, at top: church of Santa
Maria Maggiore, interior; at bottom:
sheep-track church of the Iconcella
near Lanciano.
mentioning Palazzo De Crecchio
from the 1800’s and the
Fenaroli theatre, built around
1840 by the architect Salvini.
Amongst the expositive places
to visit is the Archaeological
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Museum that has the majority
of the numerous finds
discovered during excavations
in the town and territory on
display on the first floor in
Palazzo de Giorgio. Conserved
are some finds from a Neolithic
village of Marcianese, known as
Villaggio Rossi and the precious
medieval ceramics discovered in
1993 during excavations in the
sanctuary of the Eucharist
Miracle. These are the oldest
evidence of local traditional
craftwork in the production of
ceramics in the XIII and XIV
centuries. The Diocesan
Museum is partially set up in
the old Archbishop Seminary
and, in Palazzo Spoltore, it is
possible to visit the House
Museum Federico Spoltore
dedicated to this important
artist of Lanciano.
At top: the Cyrenaic, bare-footed
protagonist of the Maundy Thursday
procession.
On left: Diocesan Museum, XIV century
statue in wood of the Madonna with
Child.
At side: Diocesan Museum, embossed
silver processional cross by Nicola da
Guardiagrele; embossed silver pastoral
staff; an embossed silver monstrance.
26
27
province of Chieti
capitals of craft
Chieti
Aerial view of city and Gran Sasso
mountain range.
Decorative detail of the pediment of a
temple of ancient Teate.
he ancient Teate was
founded by the Italic
people of the Marrucini in
the area known today as ‘La
Civitella’ where, for this reason,
the Archaeological Museum
destined to tell the history of
ancient Chieti and its territory
was built. In II B.C. two huge
temples had been built on the
hills, today partly rebuilt in the
museum with their beautiful
decorations in terracotta. They
were knocked down a century
later when there was a
reconstruction of the whole
city. After the social war, the
rebellion of the Italics against
Rome that was depriving them
of their civil rights, Chieti
became a Roman municipium
with the name of Teate
Marrucinorum and then enjoyed
a period of great prosperity
with the erecting of an
amphitheatre, a theatre,
thermae and many other public
buildings. From this splendor,
the city still conserves
impressive traces: at the
crossroads between via di Porta
Napoli and via Generale Pianell
there is a glimpse of massive
walling from the I century
theatre. In the Templi Romani
T
28
29
On this page: cathedral of San
Giustino and interior.
On right: church of San Francesco.
square, in front of the De Meis
library, which was the religious
and civil heart of the ancient
Roman Teate, it is possible to
admire three small temples
(Tempietti), one of which then
became church of Santo Pietro
and Santo Paolo. In the east
side of the city, at the foot of
the hills, we can visit the
imposing remains of the II
30
century A.D. Roman Thermae.
In the heart of Villa Comunale
there is Palazzo Frigerj, seat to
the National Archaeological
Museum of Abruzzo, where the
most precious archaeological
finds from all over the region
are on display, such as the
Warrior from Capestrano
(Guerriero di Capestrano) and
similar sculptures that come
from other places such as
Guardiagrele, Ercole Curino from
Sulmona, a large number of
Roman statues, some really
colossal marble heads from
Roman times, vases, bronzes,
splendid funeral adornments
from Italic tombs such at
Campovalano (TE) and Alfadena
(AQ), a private donation by a
XIX century collector and a
noteworthy collection of coins.
In the historic centre numerous
buildings of worship are there
to be admired among which,
without doubt, the most
imposing is the cathedral of
San Giustino, built during the
Middle Ages on the ruins of an
ancient temple and then reconsecrated in the XI century.
An extraordinary day to visit
Chieti is Good Friday when a
stunning procession recalls the
Passion of Christ accompanied
by the confraternities, cantors
and musicians that play the
moving melody of the Miserere,
composed in the XVIII century
by Saverio Selecchy who was
the maestro of the cathedral
chapel. In the same square
there is the Palazzo Comunale
(Town Hall) with its XVI
century origins and a Roman
31
On this page: National Archaeological
Museum of Villa Frigerj; at bottom: ‘La
Civitella’ Archaeological Museum.
On opposite page: Marrucino theatre;
the so-called Tempietti, Roman
remains in the centre.
column that supports the
statue of Achilles on horseback,
symbol of the city, the Palazzo
di Giustizia (Law Courts) and
the Palazzo Mezzanotte, both
from the 1800’s. Going down
32
the high street we come to the
splendid late 1800’s stairway of
the church of San Francesco
della Scarpa with XIII century
origins but radically changed in
the 1600’s. Inside there are
XVII century canvases to see by
Giovanni Battista Spinelli and
those XVIII century ones by
Ercole Graziani. On Corso
Marrucino there are numerous
elegant buildings of great
prestige and architectonic
worth such as the 1800’s De
Lellis-Carusi and De SanctisRicciardone. Whereas Palazzo
Toppi can be found in via degli
Agostiniani and stands out
among the other houses due to
its XIV century tower with
merlons and the 1600’s portal
that faces onto via dei Tintori.
On the side opens Porta Pescara
dating back to the XIII century
and is the only one of the
city’s gates surviving. The
ancient and characteristic
‘Pescheria’ is curious with its
theatre form where the
traditional fish market is held.
Nearby, Palazzo Santuccione,
built between the XVII and
XVIII centuries, is famous not
only for its splendid stairway
on via Arniense, but because in
front of this there was the
finishing line for the so-called
‘Palio dei Berberi’, an emotional
horse race, without riders,
which was held in Chieti until
the 30’s. Talking about
churches, it is worth visiting
the one dedicated to
Sant’Agostino, built in the
1400’s and rebuilt mid- XVIII
century, and Santa Chiara,
inside of which there are
paintings of Giovanni Battista
Spinelli (XVII century) and
Severino Galanti (XVIII). In
largo Valignani we can find the
beautiful Teatro Marrucino, a
XIX century architectural gem
that is still today a cultural
landmark for the city and offers
a quality theatre and music
season. Apart from the two
archaeological museums, at
Chieti we can visit the Art
museum named after
Costantino Barbella, a wellknown local sculptor (18521925), set up in the rooms of
the prestigious Palazzo
Martinetti-Bianchi that was a
Jesuit College. On display there
are paintings, sculptures,
majolica and furniture dating
back to a period that goes from
the XIV century to the XX
century, works by artists mainly
from Abruzzo. The so-called
civil architecture, or rather the
public buildings that are not
connected with religion, offer
an interesting viewing. An
example of major interest is
certainly Palazzo Majo, along
corso Marrucino, the result of
various restorations carried out
over the centuries on what was
originally a Renaissance
building. Extremely interesting
is the stone portal with its
marble busts, the pagoda with
oriental forms that stands out
on the roof, the stunning steps
and wide garden, rich in rare
plants. Other noteworthy
buildings are the Palazzetto del
Teatro Vecchio (the old theatre)
which, during the First World
War, was seat to the military
district of Venice, and Palazzo
Durini with two interior
courtyards, one from the 1500’s
with a beautiful stone well, the
other with wide steps and a
very unusual well-curb. The
church of San Domenico Nuovo,
consecrated in 1672 with the
name of Sant’Anna degli
Scolopi, houses XVIII century
canvases by Giacomo Farelli
and a Diocesan Museum of
Sacred Art. Along the line of
civil buildings, it is worth
pointing out that Chieti offers
a wide panorama of XX century
33
Page 34 On left: stele from Penna
Sant’Andrea with Italic inscription in
the National Archaeological Museum
of Villa Frigerj.
At bottom: remains of Roman
amphitheatre.
architecture, that includes
Palazzo della Camera di
Commercio (Chambers of
Commerce building), the old
seat of the Corporations, and
the seat of the Opera Nazionale
Dopolavoro, which then became
ENAL. The book collection is of
great interest, some being very,
very old and valuable,
conserved in the prestigious A.
C. De Meis library. Out of the
historic centre it is possible to
visit the church of San Gaetano
di Thiene, from the order of the
Teatini, opened for worship in
1655 and rebuilt at the end of
the century. The stucco
decoration is of great worth
created by the XVII century
Lombard masters, as are the
frescos in the dome by
Giuseppe Lamberti da Ferrara
dating back to the same period.
The church dedicated to Santa
Maria della Civitella was
founded in the 1300’s but was
greatly changed between 1677
and 1684 conserving though,
on the façade, the medieval
portal, beautiful creation by
the master, Nicola Mancino
from Ortona. Moving to the
nearby piazza Trento e Trieste
we find the beautiful church of
the Santissima Trinità. Rather
unusual is the church that is in
the area of Tricalle, obviously
called the little temple of Santa
Maria del Tricalle, built at the
end of the 1500’s with a
curious and rare octagonal
shape and a half-sphere dome.
Chieti boasts a long, solid
cultural tradition that has been
renewed over recent years
thanks to the building of the
praiseworthy university complex
that rotates around the campus
and the health area of the
Clinic Hospital. Inside the
university area the Museum of
Biomedical Sciences has been
set up that divulges the
biologic and medical aspects
connected to the
archaeological research but also
to the paleontological.
On left: church of Tricalle with its
octagonal shape.
On opposite page: main altar of the
church of San Giovanni, totally in
wood engraved by master carvers
called Marangoni.
34
35
province of Chieti
capitals of craft
On left: Archaeological Museum of
Palazzo d’Avalos: Decorative bronze
detail with an eagle shape.
Vasto
At bottom: female bust of a woman,
Roman period; small terracotta flask;
glass balsam phial from Roman period;
crowning of candelabrum with form of
statue of a knight (V century B.C.)
perhaps imported from Etruria.
On this page: courtyard of Palazzo
d’Avalos and bronze statue from Italic
period depicting Hercules.
he historic centre of
Vasto dominates the
coast from the top of a
cliff looking over a wide bay
creating an amazing natural
scenario. Its origins are very
old and was certainly in the
Italic period an important
centre for the Frentani
population. Vasto was then
conquered by Rome and
became the municipium of
Histonium of which remains
today important evidence
although many old Roman
buildings have been destroyed
over the centuries or
incorporated in later
constructions.
The main square, dedicated to
the poet and patriot of Vasto,
Gabriele Rossetti, has a
curious ellipse shape because
T
36
it arose on the area occupied
once upon a time by an
amphitheatre, the principle
monument of the Roman city,
built between the end of the I
and halfway through the II
century A.D., and must have
been one of the most
important in the whole of
central Italy. Some traces of
the city walls can be seen
today in the cellars of Caldora
castle, on the east side of the
square, next to the tower of
Bassano, and inside a shop.
Heading south along via
Cavour we come to the highest
part of what once was the old
city. Where there are the
remains of the large cisterns
of Santa Chiara that collected
water from the old aqueduct
of Luci. The big rectangular
rooms in brick with barrel
vaults are today incorporated
in the foundations and in the
houses in via Cavour, piazza
Marconi, piazza Santa Chiara
and vico Moschetto. From
piazza del Popolo there is the
area on the east side,
devastated in 1956 by a
disastrous landslide that
brought to light though the
remains of the old city visible
today by going along the
panoramic walk that descends
to the Adriatic sea. Along this
route we can admire the
impressive façade of the
medieval church of San Pietro
with its praiseworthy portal,
the only part that survived the
landslide. Moving on we reach
the Roman thermae, an
important archaeological area
37
that now dominates the
entrance to the historic
centre. Its present shape,
made up from a rectangular
courtyard surrounded by walls,
on the inside of which,
buildings to serve the castle
were built, and singular
bastions, conserves very little
of the original. Its features
have been heavily modified by
extension work and alterations
carried out around the second
half of the XIX century. The
former structure, square with
cylindrical towers at each
corner (today only two are
recently put into order and
opened to the public after a
long archaeological excavation
and a demanding restoration.
The thermae date back to the
II century A.D. and were built
on various levels creating
terraces along the hillside
where today we can find the
churches of Sant’Antonio and
Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Excavated for the first time in
the 70’s, with the discovery of
some mosaics, in 1994 the
thermae presented to Abruzzo
the great emotion of the
finding of a fabulous mosaic
floor with mythological figures
including the famous Neptune
with the trident. Next to him
are four other mythological
figures, the Nereids, two on
horseback, one on a dragon
and the last on a seahorse. In
1997 the areas of a
calidarium, the structure of a
praefurnium were brought to
light and the furnace that
warmed these areas. Following
the archaeological theme,
along corso Palazzi we come
to via Laccetti below which, in
a corner, there are some small
cisterns, one of which is still
conserved today, with barrel
vaults and was supplied from
the Murello aqueduct. In the
nearby Trinity church the left
wall conserves an old Roman
wall with a height of over two
metres. The majority of the
finds from Italic and Roman
periods brought to light in
Vasto and surroundings are
today on display in the
interesting Archaeological
Museum set up on the ground
floor of Palazzo d’Avalos. The
most famous monument of
Vasto is a fortress, the
magnificent Caldora castle
On opposite page, at top: Caldora
castle.
At bottom: scenographic spatiality of
piazza Rossetti.
On this page, at top: Neptune
discovered among the mosaics of
Roman thermae; here, during the
recovery stage.
On right: solitary coast lookout tower,
Punta Penna.
Following double page: view over bay
of Vasto with marine facilities for
tourists.
38
well-conserved) incorporated a
tall keep, also cylindrical, and
dates back to the XIV or XV
century. The castle was then
transformed in 1439 by
Giacomo Caldora, the local
feudatory, who followed the
latest military building
techniques of that period. It
was later devastated by the
rioting of the population of
Vasto and partly demolished.
Towards the end of the XV
century it became a fortress
under the government of
Innico d’Avalos and probably
on that occasion the original
fortification was strengthened
with new walls and the
curious almond-shaped
bastions that can be seen
today on the corners (only
one is missing). Various
towers, circular with part of
the old walls conserved at the
base, like the one at Bassano,
were built as a form of
defense along the perimeter of
the old city centre from the
medieval and Renaissance
periods facing impressively
onto piazza Rossetti. Another
architectonic treasure in Vasto
is Palazzo d’Avalos which, as
we have already mentioned,
houses the Archaeological
Museum where there are two
precious Roman gold coins on
display. In the east and west
wings there is the Civic
Picture Gallery with important
canvases on exhibition from
the Palizzi dynasty (born in
Vasto). Finally in the attic of
the north wing there is the
Museum of Period Costumes
with elements that date back
to the end of the 1800’s to
the beginning of the 1900’s.
Founded in the XV century,
rebuilt in the following
century and extended between
the VIII and XIX centuries, it
is still today richly decorated
and furnished. Then about
midway through the XVIII
40
century Palazzo d’Avalos
became the seat to a true
noble court. In the piazza
named after Lucio Valerio
Pudente there is the cathedral
of San Giuseppe with medieval
origins but it was totally
transformed at the end of the
800’s. Of the original XIV
century church, dedicated to
Santa Margherita and burnt by
Turkish pirates in 1566, there
remains only the façade and
portal. The church of Santa
Maria Maggiore is also
important with its ancient
origins but this too was
transformed, rebuilt in 1785
with baroque forms. It houses
the Sacred Thorn, a famous
relic that tradition tells us
that it is from the crown of
thorns worn by Jesus during
the crucifixion and is
conserved in a crystal case
mounted in a stupendous
silver reliquary. On Good
Friday, during a particularly
suggestive revocation of the
Passion of Christ, the relic is
carried in procession through
the streets of the town.
Around Vasto too, on offer are
interesting places to visit.
Along the coast we can find
the tower of Punta Penna, a
classical, fortified look-out
point or defense built in mid
XVI century in a strategic
position in order to control
the inlet that today holds the
port of Vasto. In the vicinity
there is the small but
impressive church of the
Madonna of Punta Penna.
41
The master of stone uses a minute
brush for last touches to a sculpture.
f the working of stone by
man has origins during the
prehistory from the
necessity to create weapons
and utensils with the only raw
material they knew how to
handle, its evolution then
came about through a purpose
of construction and
decorations. Simple, rough,
large stones were collected in
fields and used to erect walls,
shelters and fortresses during
the Italic period. Through time
these became squared, smooth
blocks, a constituent element
of buildings and temples in
Roman times even though they
were used more and more
alongside brick which, due to
its cheap cost, was destined to
more humble and common
uses, reserving stone for more
noble buildings or statues,
bas-reliefs and sarcophagi.
From the thick ranks of simple
stone-cutters capable of roughhewing lumps of stone for
building blocks, steadily and
Ancient bas-reliefs and coats of arms
from centuries ago.
I
the
slowly there emerged a myriad
of craftsmen capable of
progressing to shape those
blocks into faces, capitals,
figures and mythological
scenes, inscriptions and
animals. In some of these
persons, art’s inspiration was
so strong as to form real
masters or even artists who
then became famous in history.
The advent of Christianity
symbolized the triumph of
stone in the construction of
churches, both as a supporting
structure as well as a facing for
brickwork but, above all, in the
substance for more important
decorative details such as
portals, altars, ciboria (the
baldachin structure that covers
the altar in medieval churches)
or ambos (the pulpit from
where the priest reads the
stone
masters
43
At top: façade of church of
Pennapiedimonte, in white Majella
stone.
At bottom: balcony in stone of
convent of Capuchins in Guardiagrele.
scriptures). From the Middle
Ages and mainly during the
Renaissance, the capacity to
express art in stone, creating
decorative details, statues,
friezes, and coats of arms was
absorbed in civil architecture
too and these details entered
by right into architects’
projects of that period. Portals,
fountains, façades, windows,
arches, columns, stairways and
even tables, objects and
statues triumphed in large
cities as in the smallest
hamlets. From this tradition,
with a direct ideal descent,
technical and stylistic, we now
have our modern masters of
stone.
Guardiagrele
Our journey along the route of
the masters of stone can only
start at the foot of the Majella,
mother mountain for the
44
At top: view of the Majella.
At bottom: architectonic detail in
stone of curious figure with three
heads.
people of Abruzzo and the one
that fascinated D’Annunzio so
much as to inspire some lyrics
and to become the setting for
his work ‘Figlia di Iorio’ that
found a suitable scenography in
the Grotta del Cavallone. In fact
it is this round mountain
massif, now entirely protected
by the National Park that
supplies one of the fundamental
materials preferred by the
stone-cutters of Chieti and
others. We are talking about
that candid white stone of the
Majella, soft enough and easy
to work that characterizes the
major part of the architecture of
this area’s villages. Steps taken
on our journey along the route
for artisans’ workshops who
work with stone move,
symbolically and not by chance,
from Guardiagrele, one of the
three capitals of craft in the
Chieti province. It is in fact an
important art town situated
right at the foot of the Majella
and enriched by monuments
built out of its white stone
such as the cathedral of Santa
Maria Maggiore and the church
of San Francesco with its
annexe, splendid cloister. It is
worth remembering that in the
Town Hall that was created over
various periods from the Middle
Ages to the Renaissance and
later, by novice stone-cutters
whose workmanship blossomed
often into the most authentic
artistic vein, an interesting
collection of decorative details
are conserved. Among these
finds excels an unusual head
with three faces, a suggestive
symbology that appears often
also in other parts of Abruzzo.
We are dealing mainly with
decorative details that
embellish churches and
buildings in Guardiagrele and
its surroundings that now have
collapsed or been demolished
years ago. Walking in the
historic centre we can admire
many works by old stone
masters such as the two
portals of San Francesco near
to the town hall or the façade,
the side porticos, the coat of
arms, the decorations and
interior altar of the Cathedral.
Pennapiedimonte
Napoleone Germano
via Marrucina 91
Guardiagrele
Tel . 0871 / 80 11 75
From Guardiagrele follow the
road towards the mountain
that leads to the opening of a
deep valley where we come
across Bocca di Valle, a
picturesque tourist area,
famous due to the presence of
a majestic military memorial
built in honour of the dead
during the First World War. In
the grotto, dug out at the foot
of the cliff face in 1923, lie
the remains of Lieutenant
Andrea Bafile, one of the most
famous soldiers from Abruzzo
killed in the Great War. The
inside of the mausoleum is
decorated with excellent panels
made up from ceramic tiles by
Basilio and Tommaso Cascella.
Carrying on for a few
kilometres along the road to
the south we ascend to
Pennapiedimonte in the heart
of the National Park of the
45
On this page: castle of Crecchio; in the
archaeological museum set up in
interior with the face of Christ
outlined in stone(above); at bottom:
modern sculpture in white Majella
stone.
On opposite page: master of stone at
work in his studio; detail of the
lunette of portal of Santa Maria
Maggiore in Guardiagrele.
Majella. The small town is on a
rocky spur that dominates the
road and valley as if keeping
watch over the opening of a
wide, suggestive valley called
Tre Grotte which can be
admired in all its vastness
going up to the panoramic
spot, Balzolo where there is
also the so-called garden of
stone. In the square we can
visit the XVIII century parish
church dedicated to San
Silvestro and San Rocco, built,
obviously, out of the local
white stone. Inside a series of
canvases by the painter Nicola
Ranieri (1749-1850) are
housed. Finally, in district
Fontana there is a spectacular
public fountain of medieval
origins created entirely from
local stone.
Lanciano
Going back through
Guardiagrele, follow the 363
road towards the coast to
reach Lanciano, another capital
of craft in the Chieti territory.
The town is univocally famous
for its artistic richness due to
its millenary history with
definite Roman origins when it
was known as Anxanum. Even
if many of its monuments are
made out of brick, stone stands
out everywhere in the historic
centre giving evidence to the
skill of the old craftsmen and
stone-cutters of Lanciano. The
majestic portals and delicate
rose windows of the famous
medieval church of Santa Maria
Maggiore are an evident
splendid testimony as are
Sant’Agostino and Santa Lucia.
La Mar di Giuseppe Di Nola
via per Treglio
Lanciano (CH)
Tel. 0872 / 45 178
Crecchio
The final stop of this journey
leads to Crecchio which can be
reached from Lanciano by an
interesting country road that
takes us through Frisa, or,
going back towards the coast,
Nicola Carideo
via Capocciato
Pennapiedimonte (CH)
Tel. 0871 / 89 74 74
46
following the A14 motorway to
the Ortona exit, go inland
along the 535 road for about
12 kms. Situated in the gentle
Ortona countryside, renowned
for its grape wine production,
the town rises on a hill by the
Arielli river and is dominated
by the massive bulk of Castello
Ducale visible from afar. It
now houses the Archaeological
Museum of Byzantine and Early
Medieval Abruzzo. The
fortress has a square
shape with four
angular towers that
close onto a small
courtyard. Its
origins are
medieval but it
has been
restored and
extended many
times over the
centuries,
greatly changing
its exterior aspect.
The two southern
towers, for example,
date back to the XV century,
whereas the second floor to an
even later period. One of the
towers collapsed after an
earthquake in 1881 to be then
almost completely rebuilt in
1904. It became a private
residence and in September
1943 the castle became
famous for sheltering the royal
family, who were fleeing Rome.
Seriously damaged by
subsequent
bombardments, it
was completely
restored and
recovered in the
70’s to then
become the
Museum in 1995.
Today
important
finds found
during
excavations of
a Roman
country villa
discovered
in the area
of Casino Vezzani-Vassarella, a
short distance from Crecchio,
are on display. The four
museum rooms exhibit
imported bowls, oil lamps and
amphoras, jewels, bronze and
painted ceramic vases, but
also a wooden chair with a
finely carved back. These
exceptional discoveries have
allowed the discovery of how
Byzantine Abruzzo, that is
between the VI and VII
centuries, lived a period of
intense trading with the orient
and in particular with Egypt
and also a fervid productive
activity since the ceramics
found were definitely produced
locally, having a very
particular decoration, unique
in its kind, defined by experts
as ‘the Crecchio type’.
Tonino Santeusanio
Villa Tucci 193/194
Crecchio (CH)
0871 / 93 62 20
47
Careful eye of a master goldsmith
examines the working of a
‘Presentosa’.
o talk about gold means
to talk about the most
precious of metals,
symbol of richness. Its
popularity has never waned
since the oldest of times or, for
its rarity, for the difficulty in
extracting it or for its
exceptional malleability and
ductility that allows an easy
working. It can be laid out in
extremely thin layers or drawn
into invisible threads. But the
artisan’s workings of a
goldsmith are also in silver, on
its own or covered in gold leaf.
Not very common with the
Italic populations, gold became
more popular with ancient
Rome where it was used to
make splendid necklaces,
jewels and coins. In medieval
times this use of gold remained
in fashion but this yellow
metal entered with real force
in the creation of particular
objects, symbols of power such
as crowns, spectres for
monarchies, or of devotion
such as crosses, chalices,
monstrances and reliquaries for
the Christian world. From the
beginning of Roman times
examples of tableware in silver
or even gold, obviously for
special occasions, were never
missing from the table. In the
Renaissance true and proper
experts appeared on the scene
whose expertise exploded into
art: it is worth remembering
T
the
goldsmith’s
masters
Nicola da Guardiagrele with his
absolute sacred goldsmith
masterpieces and his school.
Sulmona too had activated an
important school of artists in
this craft, capable of working
with great skill precious
metals, especially silver to
which they gave forms mainly
such as processional crosses
that became famous
everywhere thanks to their
trademark SUL engraved on
every single embossed lamella.
Abruzzo is quite rich with
evidence of the mastery of
goldsmith workshops. In
museums there is in fact a vast
amount of archaeological finds
and objects of sacred art
related to this typology of
working. Naturally such a
distribution of local artisan
On this page: Roman gold coins from
Archaeological Museum of Palazzo
d’Avalos in Vasto; modern earring in
chased gold according to tradition of
an antique engraving.
schools, that then absorbed
also other typologies of
working such as precious
stones or coral, stimulated a
tradition with techniques and
forms that have remained
practically unchanged up to
our days and have established
virtuous roots in which our
craftsmen of today base their
traditional production,
obviously supporting it with
modern research in styles and
workings.
49
Vasto
The first stage of this journey
in the magical world of craft
workshops where precious
metals are worked is Vasto, a
seaside town with origins that
go back far in time, guarding a
history truly millenary. We will
explore, though, the Roman
Histonium in the itinerary
dedicated to the masters of
glass. Talking about precious
metals, it is more opportune to
turn our attention to the
At top: coast near Punta Penna, at
Vasto.
Neptune from mosaic in Roman
thermae in Vasto.
50
medieval or Renaissance Vasto,
extremely suggestive historical
periods when the working of
gold and silver rose to be an
art to chase above all precious
sacred furnishings for the
Church and luxury articles for
the feudatories and the rich.
These are the real masters of
the land and mark it, for
friends and enemies, with
huge, exterior symbols –
castles. The most famous
monument in Vasto is, in fact,
a fortress, the magnificent
Caldora castle that today
dominates the entrance to the
historic centre and greets
visitors who wish to admire the
marvels and discover the little
shops with their craftsmen.
Still talking about the subject
of gold, it is important to
remember that in the
Archaeological Museum some
precious Roman gold coins of
great beauty and refined
working are there to be
admired.
Michela Di Liborio
Via Sant’Antonio Abate 2
Vasto (CH)
0873 36 68 16
Gold Art Studio
di Remo Petrocelli
Corso Garibaldi 52
Vasto (CH)
0873 36 31 44
Atessa
From Vasto follow the Adriatic
road 16 to the north for a few
kilometres, turning then onto
the road 364 that goes through
Casalbordino, we arrive at
Atessa. In the line of the
artistic craft of precious metals
it is important to know that in
the Cathedral dedicated to San
Leucio, characterized by its
monumental façade with its
splendid portal and a
spectacular stairway, some
extraordinary treasures of
sacred goldsmith’s art are
conserved. We are talking
about a monstrance created by
Nicola da Guardiagrele and a
Reliquary, in embossed silver, by
Aerial view of Vasto.
Vasto, portal of ruined church of San
Pietro.
processional cross most
probably chased by the
students from his school. A
curiosity: the legend about the
origins of the town narrates
the existence of two hamlets,
Ate and Tixa, separated by a
valley where a dangerous
dragon lived. San Leucio, the
bishop of Brindisi, came to
these lands, managed to kill
the dragon and so allowing the
two hamlets to join together
and create Atessa. In the
Cathedral dedicated to the
bishop Saint tradition tells us
that a bone from the dragon is
conserved but experts have
identified it as a fossilized
bone from a prehistoric animal.
Giannino Taddeo
via San Luca 49
Atessa (CH)
0872 89 70 48
Arte Orafa di
Stefania Battistella
Corso Roma 104/A-B
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 76 92
Lanciano
From Atessa we move down
towards the river Sangro valley
to carry on in the direction of
the mountains as far as Archi
Stazione. Taking the 84 road
we move up the north side of
the valley to cross through
Castel Frentano to finally reach
Lanciano, one of the three
capitals of craft in the Chieti
province. The old Roman
Anxanum conserves in its
numerous churches examples of
splendid artistic craftwork in
gold and silver such as
chalices, monstrances and
crosses. Among these the
reliquary of the Eucharistic
Miracle, the host that tradition
says changes into a portion of
heart from the miraculous
event, excels in its working
and notoriety.
Roberto Pepe
Via Ferro di Cavallo 42
Lanciano (CH)
0872 70 97 67
Gaspare Gaeta
Via per Treglio 127
Lanciano (CH)
0872 41 273
oppure 349 39 07 187
51
Debora Di Marcantonio
Via Roma 6
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 80 95 56
Maurizio D’Ottavio
Via Roma 47
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 80 06 16
oppure 338 89 50 356
Crecchio
Guardiagrele
From Lanciano we go back to
Castel Frentano and follow the
363 road to come to
Guardiagrele, another capital of
craft and the next stage in our
discovery of goldsmith
workshops. This town too,
52
From Guardiagrele we move
down again towards the coast
along the 538 road, passing
through Orsogna to reach
Crecchio.
birthplace of the goldsmith’s
master Nicola da Guardiagrele,
conserves important evidence
of the mastery of the craftsmen
of precious metals. In the
Diocesan Museum of sacred art,
open below the cathedral of
Santa Maria Maggiore,
fragments of an extraordinary
processional cross by Nicola da
Guadiagrele are on display, a
masterpiece unfortunately
stolen years ago and of which
only small parts have been
retrieved. Therefore, at the
moment, it is only possible to
admire the figure of Christ on
On this page: master goldsmith at
work at his table; modern goldsmith
creations.
On opposite page: aerial view of
Ortona and castle.
the cross, the Creator sitting,
some of the embossed, gilded
parts that are on the ends on
both sides of the cross showing
sacred scenes and finally some
decorative silver tiles,
engraved and decorated with
coloured enamel. All these
articles are of extreme artistic
value.
Arte Orafa di B. Ferrante
Corso Umberto I
Crecchio (CH)
0871 94 17 44
Ortona
It is only a twenty minute trip
through a peaceful countryside
speckled with vineyards.
Clinging to a promontory that
looks as though it has just
emerged from the sea, the
town boasts age-old origins of
which, despite the devastating
destruction from the second
world war, still conserves some
important evidence. Its
commercial port is one of the
most vital along the midAdriatic coastline and
definitely the main one of
Abruzzo. The high rocky cliffs
give to certain sea resorts such
as Lido Riccio and Ripari di
Giobbe a splendid landscape.
Ortona was founded by the
Italic people of the Frentani,
as was Vasto, and then became
an important landing place and
Roman municipium called
Ortona Augusta. In the Middle
Ages it passed under the
dominion of the Normans then
became the feud of the
Swabians and enjoyed a period
of great prosperity. In the XV
century it was in the hands of
Giacomo Caldora who decided
to fortify the town surrounding
it with strong walls. These
were decisive in making life
difficult for the besieging
Alfonso D’Aragona who tried to
capture Ortona in 1442. It is
thanks to this last man in arms
that the majestic castle,
recently restored, was built in
1452. The fortress was
seriously damaged by fighting
that lasted for many long
months in an exhausting house
to house battle during the last
war. It was so bloody that it
became infamously known as
Stalingrad of Abruzzo to which
a museum has been dedicated.
In 1946 a vast landslide pulled
down a part of the defending
walls of the castle into the
sea. The artistic heart of the
town is the old cathedral San
Tommaso, founded in the XII
century; it has housed the
relics of the Apostle Saint
since 1258. It underwent many
alterations and restorations
between the XVI and XVII
centuries as well as in the
1700’s. After the second world
war it was then totally rebuilt.
The beautiful XIV portal was
reconstructed using the few
surviving fragments and
53
On this page: Ortona, castle; cathedral
of San Tommaso, patron of city.
integrating the missing. Inside
the canvas of San Tommaso by
Basilio Cascella is there to be
admired as well as the majolica
by Tommaso Cascella. Nearby
there is the Diocesan Museum
that houses archaeological
finds, paintings and sculptures.
One of the most well-known
streets of Ortona is the east
‘Passeggiata’ where the
majestic Palazzo Farnese
stands, also called Palazzo di
Margherita d’Austria, planned
by Giacomo della Porta but left
unfinished. Today it houses the
Cascella Picture Gallery where
the collection donated by the
Cascella artist and of the
sculptors Giuseppe Massari and
Guido Costanzo and the Civic
Museum with archaeological
finds and medieval and
Renaissance works of art. Of
great interest the church of
Santa Maria di Constantinopoli,
medieval but rebuilt after the
war with beautiful canvases
from the late XVI century
Venetian school and Santa
Caterina with its beautiful
portal and the interior
decorated with XVIII century
stuccoes and a spectacular
fresco from the XIII century.
The Music Museum of Palazzo
Corvo, seat of the ‘Istituto
Nazionale Tostiano’ named after
the famous musician Francesco
Paolo Tosti (1846-1916), where
there is a collection of
manuscripts, scores,
photographs, letters and
almost one thousand
compositions of musicians of
Abruzzo, makes a very
interesting, unusual visit.
Mario Polidoro Orafo
Via Francesco Paolo Cespa 69
Ortona (CH)
085 90 65 559
Leonardo Landolfo
Viale Nettuno 46/B
Francavilla al Mare (CH)
085 49 11 359
oppure 347 08 20 648
Francavilla al Mare
Bucchianico
From Ortona, following the
panoramic Adriatic road 16 or
on the A14 motorway we come
54
to Francavilla al Mare. The
town, mainly modern, holds an
exclusive work of goldsmith art
of Abruzzo: the monstrance by
Nicola da Guardiagrele which is
part of the treasure of the
church of San Franco.
The 649 road goes up the river
Alento valley and allows a
quick arrival to the next stage
in our itinerary: Bucchianico,
famous as the birthplace of
San Camillo de Lellis (15501614). The origins of the town
are medieval and for a long
time it was a feudal possession
of the Caracciolo family of San
Buono. The heart of the
historic centre, although spoilt
by a colossal reinforced
concrete building that has
taken the place of the old
castle, conserves beautiful
rarities: the sanctuary of San
Camillo, founded in the XVII
century then modified, can be
found right in the main square
where there is also the parish
church of San Francesco
founded in the XIII century
and totally restored in the
XVIII century. A short distance
away is the convent of the
Clarisse, founded in the XIV
century and still well conserved
after various restorations. An
ideal day for visiting the town
is when there are the
celebrations for the festival of
the Banderesi, a historic
recalling of the legendary
victory over the nearby Chieti
thanks to the miraculous
intervention of Sant’Urbano.
Magie in Oro Srl
Largo Carbonara 14
Chieti
0871 55 27 23
oppure 0871 40 39 24
Sirio Srl
Via Lucio Camarra 21
Chieti
320 02 79 473
On left: Francavilla, splendid reliquary
of Nicola da Guardiagrele, in embossed
silver and enamel.
At bottom: modern goldsmith
creations.
Pape’ Oro
di Simone Tatasciore
Via Vasari 4
Bucchianico (CH)
0871 38 11 92
Chieti
This is the capital of the
province, the third of craft and
last stage of this journey along
the road of master goldsmith
workshops.
55
the
glass
Complex construction work of a large
artistic window.
masters
obody knows for certain
how glass came into
being, a mixture of
silicates melted together at
high temperatures that possess
the extraordinary properties
and characteristics that we
well know today, although it is
thought to have origins in
Phoenicia, the present day
Lebanon. Plinio the Elder,
Roman historian and scientist,
tells of a legend that goes
back to 2000 years before the
coming of Christ (4000 years
ago). A Phoenician ship with a
cargo of blocks of saltpetre was
caught in a storm in the seas
of Asia Minor and, pushed by
the winds, went aground on
the beach. The survivors looked
for a shelter for the night, lit a
great fire and used the blocks
of saltpetre to balance the pan
where their food was cooking.
In the morning they were
surprised to find strange pearls
among the ashes, bright and
transparent: there, the origins
of glass. Plinio’s tale is
difficult to believe since the
temperature of a wood fire
would not be sufficient to
create glass but all the
components are present with
the silica sea sand and the
nitrate. The availability in the
Phoenician land together with
the famous sea abilities of this
population would explain the
rapid distribution of glass in
N
all the Mediterranean where
this production was born and
developed. The Italic
population did not know glass
techniques even though they
were probably fascinated to
such a point as to import it
from the productive countries
probably through the
Etruscans. In Abruzzo, for
example, glass bracelets and
pendants have been found in
the necropolis in Campovalano
(Campli) and above all,
splendid small heads in glass
paste of Phoenician production
in Penna Sant’Andrea (Te). The
Romans rapidly became masters
of glass techniques, as in all
other types of technology of
that period, improving the
refining of the basic
substances and so moving from
glass paste, coloured but
opaque, to clear, transparent
glass and then even
introducing extremely refined
techniques such as gold leaf.
Ornaments, jewellery, but
mainly vases, phials for
balsams and oils, bottles and
glasses came into everyday use
Glass phials and balsam bottles from
Roman times, from Vasto.
Workshop and products of a master of
artistic glass.
among the rich. We are talking
about very fragile objects but
that have reached us often in
fairly good conditions of
conservation. The Romans were
even capable of creating panes
of glass, but their use would
57
Three delicate, precious glass objects
dating back to Roman period,
discovered in Vasto in the tomb of a
young girl. These are a pan, a jug and a
small recipient for oils and cosmetics.
Creations by masters of artistic glass
of Abruzzo.
appear to have been limited.
During the Middle Ages glass
was employed in the
construction of partitions, used
artistically but also in everyday
environments: famous are
those coloured and beautifully
decorated that light up
cathedrals. Capacity and
shrewdness in the working
increased over the centuries
reaching levels of purity in the
substance and refinement in
the working, both through the
fusion and grinding to which
today we are accustomed.
Superb examples of the oldest
glass in Abruzzo can be
admired in the archaeological
museums of Teramo and those
of Chieti: the ‘Nazionale’ and
‘La Civitella’ but, above all, in
Vasto. Here on display are
58
some marvellous funeral
objects: small glass phials and
vases that belonged to a young
Roman girl. This is, of course,
where our journey to the
discovery of the glass artisans’
workshops starts.
Vasto
Our journey begins in this
splendid coastal town. The
historic centre dominates the
coast from the top of a cliff
looking over a wide bay
creating an amazing natural
scenario. Its ancient origins
are easy to trace;
archaeologists revealed that in
the Italic period Vasto was
already an important centre for
the Frentani population. It was
then conquered by Rome and
became the municipium of
Histonium of which remains
today important evidence
easily visible when strolling
through the historic centre
although many of the Roman
buildings have been destroyed
over the years or incorporated
by later constructions. The
majority of the remains from
the Italic and Roman periods
that have come to light during
excavations in the city and
surroundings are on display in
the interesting Archaeological
Museum set up on the ground
floor in Palazzo d’Avalos
including the famous glass
objects.
Lanciano
Guardiagrele
Torrevecchia Teatina
Following the Adriatic road 16
we now move onto the A14
motorway, Vasto Nord to then
exit at Lanciano and so arrive
at our second stop on the
route of the glass artisans’
workshops.
From Lanciano, the 363 road
leads towards the Majella
mountain range passing
through Castel Frentano
arriving at Guardiagrele, one of
the three capitals of craft in
the Chieti province.
Art/Vetro e Ferro
di Michele Cianfrone
Via S.Iorio 16/A
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 08 80
Vetri Artistici Tatiana
di Ornella Candeloro
Via Caporosso 60
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 84 332
Our journey finishes in
Torrevecchia Teatina, a small
hamlet sitting on a hill north
of the Alento river valley. From
Guardiagrele the fast road 81
takes us to the historic centre
where there is the old building
of Marquis Federico Valignani
who was the founder of the
Arcadia in 1720.
L’isola dei Riflessi
di Gabriele Serra
Via Roma 87
Torrevecchia Teatina (CH)
0871 36 12 32
Vetrarte di Giuliano Basilico
Via delle Gardenie 16
Vasto (CH)
0873 37 85 14
59
The attentive look of a master of
ceramics while shaping clay on the
wheel.
eramic is one of the most
common substance in the
history of mankind due to
its cheapness and because it is
extremely easy to obtain and
work. It is produced, in fact,
starting from simple natural
elements: clay, water and fire.
It is worked by hand with
great ease when it is soft and
then cooked to make it as hard
as rock. Probably it was one of
the first craft products
discovered by prehistoric man:
fire, access to soft clay and in
the morning the earth was
hardened. The first objects in
terracotta go back to
prehistoric times, to the period
when man, from being a
nomadic hunter, became a
settled farmer and began to
build hut villages. This brought
him to have the need of
objects up to then unknown,
such as vessels and containers.
The oldest ones had very
simple shapes, only roughly
formed with the hands, the
mere necessities to have
something functional. To begin
with, the clay used was what
was found in the fields, coarse
and full of impurities like
pebbles and vegetable
fragments so this made the
objects wrinkly and irregular.
As time went by, the old
craftsmen learnt how to refine
and purify it to produce vases
with smooth and regular
C
the
ceramics
masters
surfaces. Then,
steadily and slowly,
the working technique
was refined, developing
an idea of an embellishing
decoration; signs printed in
the clay with fingers, nails,
sticks or shells as was done in
the Neolithic village of Ripoli
(Corropoli, TE). From here to
painting with ochre was a
short step and in Abruzzo, in
Catignano (PE) we have an
excellent example of decorative
style totally original.
Approximately 1,000 years
before Christ the Italic people
had already acquired a mastery
really noteworthy in the
craftwork of terracotta, giving
life not only to all sorts of
vessels with extraordinary
decorations but even to
objects such as parts of looms,
pendants, decorative panels for
buildings, statues and votive
offerings. Many of these
objects are on display in the
archaeological museums of the
province, such as those in
Chieti, Vasto and in the
antiquarian of Guardiagrele.
The Roman world developed
ceramics reaching, on one
hand, peaks of refinement
comparable, if not superior, to
those of the Greek world and,
on the other, a production on
almost an industrial scale, with
lines of throwaway products
such as the amphoras or
Modern and old styles blend in the
productions of masters of ceramics of
Abruzzo.
61
On this page: traditional procession of
the Virgins of Rapino (above) is
depicted in a majolica panel conserved
in the village (below).
On opposite page: view of Rapino and
the Majella.
decorated works in series such
as the so-called “sealed earth”
vases of Arezzo. Techniques of
waterproofing the vases
62
developed naturally so they
would hold liquids, like glazing
that substituted other systems
more empirical like the old way
of spreading tar to fill in the
porosity of terracotta. Abruzzo
of the Byzantine period, well
documented by the finds in
the Archaeological Museum of
Crecchio, developed even
productions of decorated
ceramics with an original style
typical of the area and, called
by the experts ‘the Crecchio
type’. From the Middle Ages
onwards the evolution began,
above all, to be stylistic, in
forms and decorations, up to
the triumphs of colour in the
Renaissance and then the
curious baroque forms. From
the 1500’s in Abruzzo the
great ceramic school in Castelli
(TE) developed but, with this
one, today the most wellknown, many other important
centres of ceramic started up
such as in Lanciano and
Rapino, that has rediscovered
over these past few years its
vocation in the craft sector.
Therefore, it is only natural
that from this village at the
foot of the Majella, our journey
along the routes of the
workshops of ceramic craft
should begin.
Rapino
It arises on a hill near to the
depression of the Arsella,
where the territory of the Italic
people of the Marrucini was. As
we enter the village, on the
right, there is the big, lightcoloured façade of the convent
church of Sant’Antonio,
founded in 1645 on which the
portal of the ancient, medieval
abbey of San Salvatore of the
Majella was mounted. In the
upper part of the village centre
we can find the new Museum
of Ceramics that collects the
most important works of local
ceramists among whom Fedele
Cappelletti (1847-1920). An
important tradition in Rapino
is the procession of the Virgins
when the young girls of the
village, adorned with gold in
profusion, start off from the
parish church of San Lorenzo
and arrive at the sanctuary of
the Madonna del Carpineto
which is in the old quarter of
the ceramists. The outskirts of
Rapino are also of interest and
rich in surprises. In fact, at
the foot of the mountain,
there is Grotta del Colle, a
natural shelter used in the
past as a place of worship by
the Italic communities that
lived in the area. It is a wellknown place worldwide
because in the 1800’s the
‘Tavola di Rapino’ (The Table of
Rapino) was found, a bronze
slab from the III century B.C.
with an important sacred
inscription engraved in Osco,
the language used by the
Marruccini. Its exceptional
value lies in the fact that it
mentions the words ‘touta
Marouca’ that identifies the
Marrucini people, this name
with Italic origins indicates
still today an area at short
distance from the remains of
an ancient city wall made out
of huge squared blocks that
enclosed a village to which the
nearby sanctuary was
connected. Archaeological
excavations brought to light
many finds amongst which a
small bronze statue depicting a
female divinity, the goddess of
Rapino. Close to the grotto
there is Torre del Colle, the
remains of an old medieval
fortification.
63
This page on left: view of Miglianico;
at bottom; technique of mould used
to give life to miniature copies of
Warrior of Capestrano.
Miglianico
Giuliana Santovito
Via Colle Cese 8
Rapino (CH)
0871 85 287
Glauco Urbanucci
Via Piane, 61
Bucchianico (CH)
0871 38 12 82
Giovannina Tasca
Via XXIV Maggio 30
Rapino (CH)
0871 80 11 86
Villamagna
Bucchianico
From Rapino follow the smooth
quick 81 road to reach
Bucchianico in a few minutes,
birthplace to San Camillo de
Lellis.
Then we move towards the
coast on the 649 road as far as
the junction that goes up to
Villamagna, a small hamlet on
the crest of hills that separate
the valley of the Alento river
from the Foro valley. In the
historic centre it is worth
visiting the bishop’s building,
built on an older building of
At top: majolica panel from Rapino
depicting the workshop of a master of
majolica.
At bottom: decorating plates before
firing.
which the origins are unknown,
and the parish church
dedicated to Santa Maria
Maggiore, built in the 1700’s
and embellished by elaborate
stuccoes by Michele Clerici and
Carlo Piazzoli, and painted by
Ludovico de Majo and
Antonello Sarnelli. In August
the tradition of the miracle of
Santa Margherita is celebrated.
It is said that the Saint
defended the village from
Turkish pirates.
Giuseppe Liberati
Via Val di Foro 101/2
Villamagna (CH)
0871 30 07 50
64
Carrying on for a few
kilometres on the 263 road
which heads for the sea along
the crest of the hills
surrounded by vineyards, we
come to the panoramic village
of Miglianico, built on high
ground at the confluence of
the Dentolo torrent and the
Foro river. It is an important
farming centre with a long
tradition even though its name
is now associated with the golf
course. In amongst the houses
the parish church of San
Michele Arcangelo stands out,
its interior decorated with
exceptional XVIII stuccoes,
whereas the medieval castle
was damaged by the Second
World War bombings and was
completely restored.
Feeling di Edoardo Tumini
Via Roma, 78
Miglianico (CH)
0871 95 07 13
Chieti
Going down towards the valley
of the Alento we go past Ripa
Teatina to then go up again
towards Chieti, one of the craft
capitals of this province. In
the historic centre there are
two important archaeological
museums, ‘La Civitella’,
dedicated to the history of
ancient Teate, and the
‘Nazionale’ of Villa Frigerj that
houses the most precious finds
coming from all over the
Abruzzo territory. Both exhibit
a large number of finds in
terracotta and ceramics from
different periods, from the
prehistoric to the Roman
world. Museum Barbella
exhibits an important
collection of majolica from
Castelli.
Ceramiche D’Arte
di Domenico Cirulli
Via G.C. Spatocco 375
Chieti
0871 40 32 70
San Giovanni
Teatino
From Chieti we go down
towards the modern San
Giovanni Teatino, centre to the
vibrant modern expansion of
commercial and industrial
activities.
Ivo Cacciagrano
Via Aldo Moro 83
San Giovanni Teatino (CH)
085 4463222
Francavilla al Mare
The A14 motorway brings us
quickly to the nearby
Francavilla al Mare, an
important seaside resort, easy
to reach along different routes.
Bontempo Ceramiche
di Amato Bontempo
Viale Nettuno 114/B
085 49 10 086
Ortona
To reach Ortona, the next
stage of this long journey
along the route of the
ceramics artisans’ workshops,
we can choose the fast A14
65
At top: aerial view of Gissi.
motorway or the panoramic,
but chaotic road 16. Ten
kilometres inland, we find
Crecchio where it is possible to
visit the Byzantine and Early
Middle Ages Achaeological
Museum where famous
ceramics such as ‘the Crecchio
type’ are on display.
Lanciano
Teddy di Donatella D’Arielli
Via G. De Lectis 10
Ortona (CH)
085 90 63 738
Giovina Lazzari
Via Veneto 20
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 59 85
66
Returning on the motorway, or
road 16, travelling south for
approximately ten kilometres,
as far as San Vito Chietino
where we carry on along the
84 road to reach Lanciano,
another capital of craft on the
Chieti territory.
Below: Port of Ortona at sunset.
Aldo Taddeo
Contrada Martelli 321/M
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 65 98
oppure 0872 49 439
Riccardo Ferrara
Via dei Funai s.n.c.
Lanciano (CH)
At top: four stages of forming lump of
clay on wheel, to form vase; on right:
fired ceramic is decorated last of all
with gold line.
On right: decoration of ceramic before
firing; at bottom: splendid antique
example of ceramic from Rapino.
Gissi
From Lanciano, returning to
the A14 motorway tollgate, we
go as far as the Vasto Nord
exit where a panoramic road,
immersed in the countryside,
takes us, in some parts quickly,
to Gissi. The village sits on top
of a high hill surrounded by
greenery, between the Ferrato
torrent and the Morgitella that
flow into the nearby Sinello
river. The ancient nucleus of
the village is around the parish
church that conserves the
beautiful XVII century wooden
case of an organ. Among the
houses one of the old entrance
gates stands out and some
buildings with striking
decorations from the XVIII and
XIX centuries.
Gioeste di Giovanni Di Rocco
Via dello Stadio 22
Gissi (CH)
0873 94 40 71
Vasto
Turning towards the coast we
follow on southerly along the
road 16 to then move up to
Vasto, last stage of our journey
to discover the masters of
ceramics. It is worth
remembering that the
Archaeological Museum, set up
inside the monumental Palazzo
d’Avalos, exhibits hundreds of
archaeological finds from the
Italic and Roman period, from
the ancient Histonium and,
from the territory, many of
which are in ceramic.
Creta Rossa
di Giuseppe Buono
Piazza del Tomolo 3
Vasto (CH)
0873 58492
67
The decisive strike of master of
wrought iron forging the red hot
metal.
he acquiring of the
capacity of working
metals was so important
and decisive for the evolution
of mankind that scholars
decided the passages between
the various periods, prehistoric
and historic, basing precisely
on these events. Indeed we
pass from the Stone Age to the
Copper Age, called Aeneolithic,
to then reach the Bronze Age
and finally the Iron Age.
Copper is a metal with elevated
malleability and ductility that
permits the transformation into
leaves and threads. It melts at
approximately 1,100 degrees
and can be found easily in
nature under the form of
various minerals of which in
Italy there are numerous
deposits. It can be worked by
hand with great simplicity and
the easy binomial hammeranvil is sufficient to create
complex forms such as basins
and vases. Bronze is an alloy
of copper and tin and is used
T
the
iron copper
masters
and
mainly to make objects with
the technique of fusion such as
statues and decorations. Iron
is the best metal for working,
melting at 1,500 degrees, it is
harder and more difficult to
work than copper. It offers
though more resistance and
toughness, above all, if used
for weapons, tools and
utensils. Working it with a
hammer requires a continuous
heating of the piece in the
furnace to make it malleable.
Evidence suggests that the first
to use iron were the Sumerians
and the ancient Egyptians who,
already 6,000 years ago, used
it to model points for lances
and for jewels; this metal came
from meteorites fallen to
earth. Some linguists put forth
the hypothesis that the English
word ‘iron’, used in many other
languages of northwest Europe,
is derived from the Etruscan
term ‘aisar’ that means ‘the
gods’, to signify exactly that –
a gift from the heavens. In
Abruzzo the first traces of
worked copper were discovered
in a prehistoric excavation in
Fossacesia. It came to our area
in the third millennium before
Christ in the wake of
migrations of nomadic groups,
who perhaps came to know of
it in the lands of the Middle
East where it was already
widespread and gave life to a
real revolution. Copper was
The traditional copper vessel with
ladle.
An ancient Italic sword in bronze with
sheath. At the moment of discovery
and then in museum after restoration.
69
On left: ancient balcony in wrought
iron from a church in Palena.
At bottom: an audacious cyclist in
wrought iron.
immediately used to make
vessels, utensils and, of course,
weapons. The same occurred
for bronze that, thanks to its
best characteristics, started to
find its place around 2,300
before Christ. About 1,300
years later, therefore more than
3,000 years, iron makes its
appearance to, slowly and
steadily, take over from bronze
in all sectors. Its better
resistance and toughness is a
winner and so weapons and
utensils ‘in primis’. In the Italic
period both iron and bronze
were employed, the former for
weapons and utensils, the
latter for vessels, jewels and
little statues of various
venerated divinities among
which Hercules who is the most
common. In decorative objects
and statues, bronze remains in
fashion, whether it be for the
low expense or for the
maximum facility of use due to
70
its fusion at lower
temperatures. In the Italic
period the Etruscans became
true masters in its working but
mainly in extracting iron from
the mines of Elba, exporting it
everywhere. The Romans
introduced new techniques in
the working and production on
a vast scale. All this is told to
us by the archaeological
excavations, even though
unfortunately old iron is
conserved in soil much less
than bronze. In the National
Archaeological Museum of Villa
Frigerj at Chieti there are on
display the most diverse
objects in bronze such as the
small splendid Roman statues
of Ercole Curino, armour disks
and Italic vases and coins from
all ages. Over the following
centuries too, up to recent
times, priority use of metals is
for weapons and in the
defending of these: lances,
swords, armour and shields and
then, after the invention of
gunpowder, for cannons and
rifles as well. But likewise,
gates and locks guide the
evolution of these materials
and techniques up to our days.
Referring to the use of iron in
the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, we may remember
the picturesque but
uncomfortable armour to
protect infantry, knights and
even horses, and the great
variety of weapons. In recent
times in our region these
millennia of tradition in
metallurgy have been made
solid in generations of
craftsmen specialized in the
artistic working of copper and
iron. In the province of Chieti
these are found in towns like
Altino but, above all,
Guardiagrele. It is therefore
only natural that our journey
to discover the workshops of
master metalworkers starts
from this old town at the foot
of the Majella.
Guardiagrele
Along the city walls that wing
the suggestive entrance gate
to the town there are
numerous craft workshops,
heirs of generations of
craftsmen and still active,
dedicated to the working of
iron and copper. The historic
centre is rich with architectural
details made in wrought iron
such as gates and balcony
railings, some dating back to
the XIX century.
Filippo Scioli
Via Occidentale 21
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 80 05 41
Domenico Di Sciascio
Via Marrucina
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 83 011
Fara Filiorum Petri
Approximately ten kilometres
from Guardiagrele we find the
old hamlet of Fara Filiorum
Petri, whose name clearly
reveals its Longobard origins.
The parish church of San
Salvatore merits a visit to see
the processional cross in silver
plate from the Guardiagrele
school and has inherited the
portal of the church of
Sant’Agata, dating back to the
XIV century but now destroyed.
For the festival of Sant’Antonio
that falls on January 16th the
traditional ‘farchie’, twelve
enormous towers of dry canes,
one for each ‘contrada’
(quarter), are set alight at dusk
in front of the small church of
Sant’Antonio Abate.
Ferro Battuto Di Prinzio
S.r.l.
Via Sant’Eufemia s.n.c.
Fara Filiorum Petri (Ch)
0871 70 172
Pretoro
A few kilometres brings us to
another interesting village,
Pretoro whose notoriety is tied
to the tradition of wood craft.
Amongst the houses, still
Farchie (tall canes bound together) of
Fara Filiorum Petri.
The interesting workshop of a master
of wrought iron.
An artistic rose in iron.
evident today are medieval
traces that lend attractive
glimpses to the village. In the
church of San Nicola, a
beautiful XVI century sculpture
of the ‘Pietà’ is kept. Every
first Sunday of May the
procession of San Domenico
Abate is held in the village,
accompanied by a festival of
serpents, similar to the one
held in Cocullo, and is
concluded with the
representation of the miracle
of San Domenico and the wolf.
Nicolino Dell’Oso
Località Caporosso 175
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 83 823
71
On left: view of Pretoro.
Aerial view of Altino.
At bottom: curious stool for working
called ‘little horse’, used by masters of
beaten copper.
Tradition of San Michele in Liscia
wants the miraculous water to be
drawn with a copper ladle.
Argenferro di Fosco Roque
Via Cerrani
Pretoro (CH)
0871 89 82 76
Casoli
Returning to Guardiagrele, we
follow the 81 road to Casoli, a
suggestive village situated on
a hill dominating the valley of
the Aventino river. The
attractive historic centre has
numerous monuments among
which the castle and,
overlooking the hill and still
today visible from afar, the
parish church of Santa Maria
Maggiore built in 1455 on the
portico ‘Arco del Purgatorio’,
the old entrance to the castle,
stand out. On the bell-tower
and walls, friezes of engraved
stone are mounted. Inside
there are kept various canvases
amongst which a ‘Madonna del
Rosario’ from 1572, a ‘Madonna
del Carmine’, a ‘Madonna col
Bambino’, ‘San Giacinto’ and
‘San Domenico’ by F. M. De
Benedictis in 1848, and a ‘San
Gilberto’ from 1797 by
Pasquale Bellonio of Ortona.
The church of Santa Reparata
was destroyed by bombing in
1943 and was completely
rebuilt with a modern aspect
but it houses splendid works of
art such as the Renaissance
main altar, the XVIII small
statue of Santa Reparata, a
triptych from 1506 portraying
72
Santa Reparata and two angels
by Antonio di Francesco di
Tommaso of Fossombrone. The
numerous residences of noble
families such as Tilli, De
Vincentiis, De Cinque, Ramondo
and Ricci are of interest. Along
the road that goes down from
Guardiagrele we come across
the Casina di Capoposta, an
impressive rural noble
residence from the late half of
the XIX century, made up from
the master building and a
church of eclectic taste.
Mario Pietropaolo
Contrada Laroma, 46/A
Casoli (Ch)
0872 98 26 10
Altino
From Casoli to Altino it is only
a short ride. The medieval
hamlet was originally fortified
and now offers interesting
starting points for a cultural
visit beginning at the parish
church of Santa Maria del
Popolo, already mentioned in
documents from the XVIII and
XIX centuries. The road that
runs there takes us to the
piazza where there is the old
fortified garrison and today we
can admire the baronial
building. The church of the
Madonna delle Grazie, on the
road to Roccascalegna, holds
frescos from the XVI century
and an excellent image of the
Virgin painted on a wooden
board and dating back to 1335.
Michele Petitti
Via Nazionale Selva, 242
Altino (Ch)
0872 98 31 79
oppure 349 74 63 198
Liscia
Now we carry on for a
suggestive trip to the
highlands of Vasto that takes
us to cross through Atessa and
Gissi to reach Liscia, on the
slopes of Colle San Giovanni on
the left of the river Treste,
with origins as a fortified
village around the old church
of San Martino. At the foot of
the village we can find the
splendid grotto-sanctuary
dedicated to San Michele
Arcangelo that, on May 8th is
animated by a great
pilgrimage.
Vincenzo Antonio Lucci
Via Fontana, 53
Liscia (CH)
0873 93 02 22
Lanciano
This fascinating journey along
the route of master craftsmen
of iron and copper finishes, of
course, in one of the three
capitals of craft in the Chieti
territory, that is, Lanciano, rich
everywhere in superb examples
of wrought iron.
Tonino Ciccocioppo
Via Nasuti 162
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 02 82
73
The careful hand of an expert artisan
that shapes the warm wax of a
decorative candle.
he handicraft capacity of
man, and specifically
from Abruzzo, to give
shape to objects useful or
simply decorative, does not
apply only to substances such
as iron, wood or glass but also
takes on different roles
according to the context, even
local. It invests production
fields always new or retrieves
the outdated giving it new
life, vital lymph, by means of
innovative technology or
simply by introducing new
stylistic expressions. And so
candles, paper, soap, material,
wool become basic products to
create thousands of different
objects. Recycled materials are
mixed, giving life to incredibly
curious shapes with striking
appearances, almost bordering
on modern art. It is this craft
T
sector, so multi-coloured and
versatile, so mixed due to the
raw materials utilized and for
the products obtained, and
precisely for this reason,
fascinating and innovative. It
ranges from soap products
made following traditional
methods but with modern
forms, to artistic candles, real
masterpieces handmade one by
one, destined to disappear in
one evening; from the
restoration of paintings and
frames to the production of
furnishings in cloth, wool,
recyclable materials. There are
craft laboratories that work
with paper creating copies of
antique prints using the same
methods from centuries ago,
drawing up examples that have
nothing to envy of the
originals if not only the signs
Illumination on parchment from an
antique Renaissance book.
Old wooden casket, decorated and
painted.
of time. Finally there are the
decorators, capable of
transforming pieces of old
furniture and flaking doors
into attractive and
extemporary masterpieces for
the home, of restoring
discarded frames but also other
objects and even the walls of
the house giving them a new
lease of life and colour.
paper
decorations
the
and
masters
75
This page: curious globe created by
knowledgeable hands of a master of
decorations; shaping of decorative
candles is obtained by subsequent
soaking in coloured waxes.
Chieti
Our journey in the colourful
world of decorative craft begins
in the province’s capital, a city
that has always been the
creative and productive source of
the territory and as such boasts
a great many craft workshops
active in various sectors.
Abracadabra
di Azzurra Matteucci
Via dei Frentani 12
Chieti
0871 34 71 19
oppure 329 60 31 345
Restauro Dipinti
di Cornelia Dittmar
Strada di Colle San Paolo 40
Chieti
0871 34 71 45
76
Lucia Del Ponte
Via Arniense 88
Chieti
0871 346232
Francavilla al mare
From Chieti to Francavilla it is
a short ride. From the
beginning of the XIX century
the seaside town could already
boast about being well-known.
Its economic and urban
growth has been rocketing
over the last decades and now
Francavilla can boast a quality
presence concerning craft, in
particular in the goldsmith
and decorative sectors. Art,
indeed, is at home in these
quarters since it was in the
so-called convent church of
Santa Maria del Gesù that the
famous artistic literary clique
Following page cloths and threads are
the basic material for decorative
objects.
of Michetti was founded. The
ex-convent, originally
dedicated to San Giacomo and
built in the XV century, was
then given the name of Santa
Maria del Gesù in 1548.
Abandoned by the religious
communities, it became
property of the local council
which sold it in 1883 to the
Abruzzo painter Francesco
Paolo Michetti. He welcomed
there one of the most lively
and unconventional artistic
communities of the late XIX
century. It shortly became a
true artistic-literary clique
whose frequenters were, apart
from Michetti himself, VIPs
such as the sculptor
Costantino Barbella, the
musician from Ortona,
Francesco Paolo Tosti, Gabriele
D’Annunzio, Edoardo Scarfoglio
and Matilde Serao. Another exconvent, one belonging to the
Dominicans in piazza San
Domenico, was renovated and
the museum named after
Francesco Paolo Michetti,
shortened to MuMi was set up.
Michele Scafetta
Via Adriatica Sud 86/A
085 81 64 80
Lanciano
We carry on along the Adriatic
road 16, or on the A14
motorway to Lanciano, one of
the capitals of craft on the
Chieti territory, a town with
age-old origins and millenary
traditions, strong from a long
craft tradition in all productive
sectors. Therefore it is not
surprising that in the
alleyways of its attractive
historic centre, among
churches and buildings of all
periods, various masters’
workshops have arisen mainly
in the sector of the creation
candles.
Arts Laboratory
di Patrizia D’Amico
Via dei Bastioni 85
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 74 49
Manufatti
via Tesauri 12
Lanciano (CH)
0872 44 944
Cereria
Eredi Vincenzo De Rosa
di Assunta De Rosa
Via dei Tribunali 53
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 51 49
Borrello
Our journey continues on the
A14 motorway in a southern
direction as far as the Val di
Sangro tollgate where we turn
onto the valley road heading
for the mountains to reach
Borrelli. Situated on a
promontory halfway up, in a
suitable position to dominate
the river Sangro valley below,
the village has a very old
history. Its original nucleus
was perched on a cliff, taking
advantage of the sheerness as
a natural defense. The village
was obviously fortified and
the entrance was possible only
through the characteristic
Porta Saraceni of which today
there are few traces. There is
the baronial building which is
now the offices of the local
council, and perhaps an
ancient castle and the church
of Sant’Egidio. The village was
seriously damaged by the
earthquake in 1933 and from
the fighting during the Second
World War. The Museum of
Peasant Art (Museo dell’Arte
Contadina), set up near the
77
Decorated and
personalized boxes by the
hands of a craftsman.
Decorated fountain with classical
Abruzzo basin in Borrello.
Below: Rio Verde waterfall in Borrello.
town hall, and the waterfall of
the Verde river, the highest
natural waterfall of the
Apennine range, protected by
a Regional Nature Reserve.
I Saponi di
Nicola Ascanio Di Gironimo
Via Silvio Spaventa 22
Borrello (CH)
0872 94 59 60
Atessa
Returning to the Sangro valley
road, quick and smooth, we go
back to the coast and then up
to Atessa. Seen from afar while
going up to the village, it can
be immediately seen how the
village was born from the
uniting of two hamlets originally
separated by a deep gorge. Quite
impressive are the numerous
gates that open still today and
that once upon a time allowed
entry to the centre, fortified and
protected by walls. Porta San
Nicola, also called Arco Adriano,
today can be appreciated with
its luxurious aspect acquired
after work carried out in the
XVIII century; whereas Porta San
Giuseppe shows its medieval
origins, while the more modest
is Porta santa Giusta. Finally,
Porta Santa Margherita is still in
fine condition on the west side
of the hamlet. In the area of the
ancient gorge, the place of
separation between the two
original hamlets, there is now
the town hall and the splendid
church of San Leucio, already
mentioned in official documents
from the IX century. To be seen
are Palazzo Spaventa from 1875,
Palazzo Ferri-Coccia, the church
of San Domenico, built at the
end of the XVI century with a
beautiful portal in marble from
the XVII century and finally, the
church of San Rocco with its
single nave and baroque
decoration. Inside there is a
canvas from 1603 that depicts
the Madonna del Carmine, an
interesting work of art of the
local artist Felice Ciccarelli.
Frentania Stamperia d’Arte
di Pier Giorgio Di Giacomo
Via Brigata Iulia 35
Atessa (CH)
349 76 29 943
San Salvo
The last stage of this journey
amongst the craft masters of
decoration is San Salvo, on the
extreme border of the region
towards Molise. It is easy to
reach thanks to the A14
motorway tollgate, Vasto SudSan Salvo. The town is mainly
modern, rebuilt after the war
following the devastation
caused by bombardments. It
still has an interesting historic
centre in the higher part,
around the church of San
Giuseppe, built on a more
ancient medieval abbey. Recent
excavations have brought to
light how the piazza in front
was really the interior
courtyard of a fortified
quadrilateral, built on
buildings from the Roman
period. Today Porta della Terra
gives access to the Piazza and
also the Civic Museum, an
interesting underground route
in the antique secrets of San
Salvo. San Salvo Marina is a
busy seaside resort.
Giovanni Cipolla
Via Bramante 4
San Salvo (CH)
Above left: The archaeological Museum
of Quadrilatero in San Salvo.
Above right: San Salvo, the church of
San Giuseppe.
Below: Painting on paper is often the
base to realize sohpisticated
decorations.
79
Expert hands of a master of textiles
working precious materials.
Refined decoration of antique
vestments.
ost likely the first
clothes that prehistoric
man tried to cover
himself with were animal skins
wrapped around the body and
held in place by vegetable ties
or animal tendons. Steadily and
slowly human intelligence
urged on the dexterity in how
to improve the working
techniques such as the
cleaning of the skins with
blades of sharpened flint,
tanning with natural products
and not just simply drying
them under the sun, and with
the cutting and sewing by
means of needles of bone. The
coming of agriculture and
sheep-farming, a consequence
of the transformation of nomad
tribes into settlers, brought
forth the discovery of natural
fibres and wool.
In tombs dating back to
thousands of years ago before
Christ there were already
details of terracotta such as
whorls that formed frames for
weaving, a sign that already
3,000 years ago the Italic
people used textiles and cloth.
Leather, too, had reached a
good degree of working and
therefore a great amount of
articles were moulded such as
footwear, horse tackle, shields
and belts with bronze buckles,
the sort found at Campovalano
(Te) and Comino near
Guardiagrele (Ch).
M
leather, textiles
embroidery
the
masters
and
The Romans then gave a strong
impulse to sheep farming and
sources tell us of sheep
transhumance of flocks of tens
of thousands from which the
rich owners obtained enormous
quantities of wool.
The strong productive imprint
characterizing the Roman world
brought to a high level of
quality and quantity both the
working of leather used for
footwear, armour, shields, bags
and many other everyday
objects and decorations plus
that used from ships’ sails to
great tents to shelter theatre
spectators, from clothes to
home linen.
The Romans introduced in
massive dimensions the vogue
of colouring materials, the
well-known purple obtained
from shells, so much so that
there were artisans’ workshops
called ‘fullonicae’, forerunners
to the modern dry cleaner’s. In
this period silk from China was
already well-known but its
diffusion came about only after
550 when the breeding of
silkworms was started in the
west too.
In the Middle Ages some
aspects of the working of these
materials were developed
further but also the decorating
with embroidery and
interventions in the design
during weaving, such as in the
famous tapestries, exploded in
all their magnificence at the
end of this historic period and
the following Renaissance.
The necessity to produce even
richer and more extravagant
materials for the clothes of the
élite and the major prelates
brought about the introduction
of extremely refined techniques
such as working with gold
threads that feature in
vestments for the ceremonies
with great pomp. Examples of
these sacred clothes may be
admired in almost all the oldest
churches in the province of
Chieti but in particular in the
Museum of the Cathedral of
Guardiagrele and the Diocesan
of Lanciano.
The introduction of machinery
and the consequent
industrialization of the
productive activities radically
changed the sector of the
textile and leather production,
diversifying the products from
those mass-produced and the
handmade. Nowadays,
obviously, no craftsman would
tan the skins by hand or weave
81
At top: yellow hoods and black tunics
of the Brothers that animate the
celebrations of Good Friday in Chieti.
At bottom: antique leather packsaddle in Costume Museum in
Guardiagrele.
Francavilla al Mare
Our journey along the route of
the master leather and textiles
craftsmen starts from
Francavilla al Mare, a seaside
town with an economy based
on tourism and, of course,
qualified productions from
workshops.
At top: aerial view of Francavilla.
At top right and at bottom: two
stages of working of hides. Cut and
punching.
threads to create fabrics. Their
qualified handiwork is
concentrated in the creation of
the models, the cutting, sewing
and the finish of the products
82
that remain however exclusive.
It is exactly this minute detail
that reveals the profound
difference that distinguishes
them from the industrial
articles. In Abruzzo as in other
Italian regions, embroidery
deserves particular attention,
being one of the most
traditional activities of our
land. It is a real and proper art
that among the country folk
was handed down from mother
to daughter and now it is
learnt in workshops like
apprentices of centuries ago.
Decorative techniques such as
pillow lace and tatting are part
of the genetic heritage of
Abruzzo craft, representing the
most excellent proposals in
articles typical to many historic
centres over the territory.
Atelier Sole Luna
di Benedetta Tocco
Via Nazionale Adr. N. 84/C
328 45 94 775
San Giovanni
Teatino
Take advantage of the A14
motorway, exit at Pescara
Ovest-Chieti or carry on along
the state road to reach San
Giovanni Teatino, the old
Forcabobolina, situated on a
hill that dominates the Pescara
river valley. The modern town
has developed over recent
decades growing around the
industrial area of Sambuceto
along the ancient Roman
consular road Tiburtina Valeria.
It is possible to visit the XIX
century parish church and the
Natural Science Museum.
Moda In
di Marcella Menichini
Via Mazzini 3
338 27 05 493
Drago di Beniamino Fortuna
Via P. Nenni 2
085 44 62 264
Chieti
And so we move up to Chieti,
capital of the province and one
of the craft centres in the
Chieti territory. A city of
ancient origins and a long
entrepreneurial tradition that
boasts the presence over the
territory of numerous artisan
workshops, many of which
active in the leather, textile
and embroidery sectors.
Eva e Maria Tatasciore
Viale Amendola 9
Chieti
0871 34 74 88
Antonietta Barbarossa
Via dei Frentani 152
Chieti
0871 34 71 56
Casa del Cuoio
di Miriam Recchia
Via Arniense 46
Chieti
320 94 50 620
Guardiagrele
The nearby Guardiagrele, that
can be reached quickly thanks
to the fast 81 road, is one of
the other three capitals of
craft in Chieti.
It also boasts a strong
tradition in the embroidery
sector and the working of
textiles.
Miglianico
Turning back to the coast on
the 263 road to visit the
panoramic village of Miglianico
that sits on a hill near the
confluence between the
Dentolo torrent and the river
Foro, surrounded by a
suggestive panorama of hills
and cultivations. The village is
the centre of a very important
Lilianatelier Sposa
di Liliana Sabia Riso
Via San Biase 34
Guardiagrele (CH)
0871 83 264
83
At top: salvaged old loom in Costume
Museum in Guardiagrele.
Below: belts of various fashions from
modern craft production.
Opposite page, at top: aerial view of
Atessa.
farming production and is
dominated by the profile of the
parish church dedicated to San
Michele Arcangelo and can
boast an interior decorated by
splendid XVIII century
stuccoes. In the old days the
village rose around a medieval
castle unfortunately damaged
by second world war
bombardments. It is a pity that
the rebuilding, after the war,
completely changed its original
aspect. Every year in the
village a festival in the honour
of San Pantaleone is
celebrated; this inspired so
much the painter Francesco
Paolo Michetti that he used it
as an idea for his painting ‘Il
Voto’ (the Vow) and Gabriele
D’Annunzio mentioned it in his
novel ‘Novelle della Pescara’.
Simonetta Porzi
Via Montupoli - Foro 8/A
Miglianico (CH)
Ortona
Moving down to the sea passing
through Tollo to then reach
Ortona with its beautiful castle
and the panoramic promenade
that opens onto the sight of
the large commercial port.
Danilo Giancristofaro
Via Sapienza 69
Ortona (CH)
085 90 65 952
Lanciano
The Adriatic road 18 takes us on
a suggestive, panoramic route
that twists and turns along the
high rocky coast. Going through
Marina di San Vito, a seaside
extension to San Vito Chietino,
a small, suggestive town, we
84
come to Lanciano, the third and
last capital of craft on the
Chieti territory.
Eleonora Pomponio
Corso Bandiera 72/A
Lanciano (CH)
0872 71 44 23
Atessa
Last stage of this enthusiastic
itinerary to discover workshops
where leather and materials are
still worked by hand is Atessa.
From Lanciano, it is easy to
reach on the A14 motorway, exit
at Val di Sangro and then follow
the smooth valley floor road. In
May the town is animated up by
a fascinating sacred rite which
is the ‘ntorcia’ of San Martino
where the devoted start off from
Atessa carrying a huge wax
torch and they head towards the
distant Fara San Martino. The
pilgrims move up the valleys of
the Sangro, Aventino and finally
the Verde to reach the gorge of
Santo Spirito where there are
the ruins of the monastery of
San Martino in Valle. On the
road from Atessa to Tornoreccio
we can visit the convent of San
Pasquale and the church of
Santa Maria in Vallaspra. They
were built in the XV century and
the church was then extended
over the following centuries
with the addition of an aisle on
the right. Not to be missed is
the impressive cloister of the
convent in the middle of which
is the so-called ‘well of miracles’.
The story goes that the year
1709 was exceptionally dry and
this had caused a drought that
was bringing agriculture to its
knees. The Saint, evoked by the
people’s prayers, made water
miraculously gush from the well.
DCR di Rita del Conte
Contrada Saletti
Atessa (CH)
0872 89 70 42
Below: working of traditional Taranta,
warm wool cover from the village of
Taranta at the foot of the Majella.
85
Hammer and chisel are the only tools
the master carver uses to give form to
wood.
ood is, together with
stone, one of the most
common natural raw
materials. It is therefore
obvious that these were the
first resources of prehistoric
man. We know a lot about stone
but a lot less about wood since
it rarely conserves when
finishing underground. This is
why, compared to other organic
substances, in ancient tombs
there is no trace. Every now and
then we come across traces of
what were wooden objects and
this leaves important data. Only
in clay and muddy soil, or in
peat, wood can be better
conserved: in the area of Paludi
di Celano, on the banks of what
once was Fucino lake, trunks
have been found dug out by
populations who lived in this
area more than 3,000 years ago.
They were used as coffins for
burial on palafittes not far from
their village. Wooden sticks
made from branches were the
first hunting weapons of
primitive man and the handles
of rudimentary stone axes and
lances were made of wood.
Branches and logs were used for
frames for tents for nomadic
populations then for huts for
the first groups of farmers and
stock-breeders settled in one
place. In Italic and Roman
times, when houses made out of
stone, mud or brick were first
made, wood was used for
W
the
wood
masters
beams, roofs, doors, windows,
stairs, partitions and floors but,
above all, for furniture which
was though rather poor and
bare, also in terms of typology,
compared to ours. In houses
this was widespread and so,
together with the vast use of
oil lamps, explains the large
amounts of fires. The Romans
used enormous quantities of
wood for ships, war machinery,
shields, chariots and bigae but
also for scaffolding and building
machinery. Wood has
Delicate inlay in wood carved by hand
of antique altar.
An antique bust relic box in carved
wood, painted and gilded.
87
At top: little statue in wood from
antique altar.
At bottom: modern craft decoration in
engraved wood then gilded, pestles
and mortars to crush salt, from
Costume Museum in Guardiagrele.
maintained more or less the
same kind of use in the Middle
Ages and in the following
centuries up to our times.
What has definitely increased
over the centuries is the
degree of refinement in the
working and in the quality of
decorations. From the simple
kitchen table in the house of a
poor peasant of the Middle
Ages, we have come to the
incredibly elaborate dressers
from the France of Maria
Antonietta, from the
floorboards in Roman houses
to the tiled parquet in the XIX
century noble residences. A
certain continuity is to be
noticed, in certain areas of
Abruzzo for example, in the
decorative styles. Imaginary
animals, graphic symbols,
monograms, stylized faces have
practically remained unchanged
from Italic times to present
day passing almost intact
through the filters of history.
The same goes for everyday
articles such as spoons, large
forks, hair clasps, pestles and
small furnishings and for tools
used on the land or in sheepfarming. The shapes moulded
today by the hands of the
modern craftsman recall those
in use centuries and centuries
ago. The Museum of the Genti
d’Abruzzo in Pescara offers an
interesting cross-section of
these articles, as do the
various museums of popular
traditions amongst which the
well-supplied one in
Guardiagrele.
Walter Zuccarini
Via A. Nicolodi
Chieti
0871 34 63 67
Il Tarlo di Marco Di Muzio
Via G.e B.D’ Andrea 15
Chieti
347 29 54 437
Melanino Orlandi
Via Pianell 15
Chieti
0871 66 891
Alberto Del Rosario
Via S. Baroncini 1
Chieti
0871 61 361
oppure 347 78 53 487
Bucchianico
From Chieti, crossing through
the Alento river valley, we
come to Bucchianico.
Chieti
The journey in the fascinating
world of the master craftsmen
of wood starts in the capital
that, due to its role as the
landmark city of the territory
and its long millenary history,
boasts a tradition rich in this
sector too.
Arte Legno
di Camillo Cocco & C. Snc
Via Piane 13
Bucchianico (CH)
0871 38 20 11
oppure 0871 38 29 65
Casacanditella
We go down towards Val di Foro
and climb the opposite side to
come to Casacanditella, a small
farming village where a
suggestive tradition curiously
connected to wood is evoked.
The festival of Santa Maria
Assunta, also called the
Madonna della Quercia, is
celebrated on 15th August every
year in honour of the Virgin
Mary who, according to folklore,
miraculously appeared in an oak.
In this place today’s sanctuary
was built and to honour the
Virgin a splendid procession
takes place with floats decorated
with wheat and various gifts.
Laboratorio D’Arte
di Franco Di Virgilio
Via Marrucino 56
Casacanditella (CH)
0871 80 73 30
Pretoro
Now down to Fara Filiorum
Petri then up to Pretoro that
could be defined as the capital
of woodcraft, such is the
tradition in this sector and so
great the mastery of the artists
and the number of workshops
still active.
Antonio Filoso
Via Casere
Pretoro (CH)
0871 89 85 05
At top: view of Casacanditella.
Cav. Silvino Filoso
Via Ospedale
Pretoro (CH)
0871 89 81 12
Above: products from workshop of a
master of wood in Pretoro.
At bottom: old jointer plane from last
century.
Roccamontepiano
CO.Pi.Scale
di Pierino Pietro Colasante
Via Cerrani
Pretoro (CH)
0871 89 82 44
Fernando Marcantonio
Via Purgatorio 7
Pretoro (CH)
0871 89 81 19
A short trip takes us to
Roccamontepiano, a rather
curious village since it is really
a numerous group of farmhouses
scattered over the slopes of
Monte Piano. The original
village arose higher up than the
present one but was destroyed
by a landslide in 1765. Nearby
is a convent of the Caracciolini
Fathers that dates back to the
XVIII century, and the remains
Claudio Di Rocco
Strada Villaggio del
Fanciullo 61 - Chieti
0871 34 65 35
89
of the monastery of San Pietro
of the Majella.
Jolly Arreda
di Nicola Buffone & C.
Via Salara 7
Roccamontepiano (CH)
0871 77 164
Orsogna
The itinerary through the world
of woodcraft workshops carries
on going back to Pretoro,
through Guardigrele to then
follow the 538 road as far as
Orsogna, a modern country
village that arose on one of the
View of Orsogna.
Incredible quantity of different chisels
used by masters of wood.
most important sheep tracks in
the area. Orsogna is mainly
modern because it was
completely destroyed during the
last world war. One of the
surviving monuments is the
parish church, San Nicola built in
a baroque style in 1780 following
the project of Giovanni Antonio
Fontana, only finished after 1810
by Aniello Francia, and the
façade was completed after the
mid XIX century. In the near
‘L’Annunziata’ Equipped Territorial
Park it is possible to visit the
beautiful Convent observant of
the Annunziata; in the refectory
XVII century frescos can be
admired. On the Tuesday after
Easter the famous ‘Talami’ parade
through the streets of the village,
a procession of floats with groups
of young people acting out
biblical scenes.
La Bottega dell’Artigiano
di Francesco Carullo
Via R. Paolucci 40
Orsogna (CH)
0871 86 687
oppure 335 63 77 340
Moment of the working of wood.
Aerial view of Tollo.
Fine example of modern craft
furniture.
Ari
Turning back for a short
distance on the 538 road, we
turn towards Filetto to reach
Ari, a picturesque hamlet
sitting on the crest of hills
surrounded by vineyards and
orchards, where we can admire
the baronial building from the
sixteenth century and the
church of the Madonna delle
Grazie, with its beautiful
statue of the Madonna with
Child in wood from medieval
times.
FAL.CO di Mauro Costantini
Via Sant’Antonio 105
Ari (CH)
0871 71 85 44
Tollo
Immersed in the same
countryside landscape, after a
short car trip, we reach Tollo, a
town of traditions, well-known
90
for its excellent wine
production and superb edible
grapes. It is possible to visit
some of the numerous
vineyards in the area to either
purchase bottles to replenish
your cellar or to admire the
huge wooden barrels used in
the production of wine.
Paolo Tenaglia
Viale Principe di Piemonte
21
Tollo (CH)
0871 96 11 94
oppure 328 88 70 020
Ortona
From Tollo we go down to
Ortona, the most important
commercial port in the region,
a centre for exchange and
trading including various kinds
of national and foreign timber
that take advantage of
shipping cargoes as an
economic way of delivery.
Osvaldo Galardi
Villa San Tommaso
Ortona (CH)
Frisa
From the coastline we move
inland once again towards the
countryside, travelling along
the crest of the hills that
separate the valleys of the
Moro and Feltrino torrents and
so reaching Frisa. Here,
important traces of the past
are conserved such as the old
baronial building and the
church of Santa Maria del
Popolo, built in the XVII
century along a sheep track.
Inside there is a baroque altar
with a painting by Pietro
Annigoni that portrays the
Madonna with Child. This
unfortunately substitutes a
sixteenth century painting
La Bottega dell’Artigiano
di Raffaello Pacaccio
Contrada Foro
Ortona (CH)
085 90 66 290
oppure 347 34 51 131
91
Casoli
stolen many years ago. In
Badia there is the church of
Santa Giovina that still
conserves the remains of a XIII
century painting concealed in
the attic.
A town with a millenary history
and rich in ancient traditions in
all sectors of craft. Its
numerous churches are filled
with splendid examples of
really true art in the working of
wood such as portals, statues
and decorations. A few of these
treasures are housed in the
Diocesan Museum near to where
there is the church of Santa
Giovina with a splendid organ.
Guglielmo Galardi
Via per Lanciano 27
Frisa (CH)
0872 58 268
Gabriele Amoroso
Via Iconicella 186
Lanciano (CH)
0872 45 098
Angelina Teti
Corso Vittorio Emanuele 30
Casoli (CH)
0872 98 17 83
Treglio
Palena
Above on left: castle of Casoli.
Above on right: historic centre of
Palena.
At bottom: polishing of craft furniture.
Lanciano
It is quick to reach Lanciano
from Frisa, one of the capitals
of craft on the Chieti territory.
The road that goes down to the
A14 motorway tollgate leads to
Treglio, a small town centre
that arises in a truly panoramic
position within sight of the
Feltrino torrent valley. Here we
can stop to visit the parish
church and the old bishop’s
residence that dates back to
the eighteenth century.
Vincenzina Antonietta Cece
Contrada San Giorgio 85
Treglio (CH)
0872 54 248
To continue in this long,
fascinating journey in the
Chieti territory it is a good
idea to get onto the motorway,
heading south, and exiting at
the next tollgate Val di Sangro.
We then travel along the
smooth Sangro valley floor
road as far as the junction for
Altino and so move easily up
to Casoli.
Leaving Casoli behind us we
venture towards the mother
mountain, the Majella that
bewitched D’Annunzio with her
age-old spell. We travel along
the beautiful road that crosses
through Lama dei Peligni and,
accompanied by a breathtaking
panorama, takes us to Palena.
It has really old origins but
very little evidence is left
since during the last war the
village was crossed over by the
Gustav line, last defense of the
retreating Germans. In spite of
the bombardments’
devastation, the historic
centre still offers elements of
artistic merit with portals of
noble buildings and the XVIII
century fountain that
welcomes visitors at the
entrance of the medieval heart
of Palena. The old ducal castle
called Castel Forte shows the
recent restorations and houses
the Geopalaeontologic Alto
Aventino Museum, a collection
of fossils cared for by the
enthusiastic Erminio Di Carlo.
In the church of the Madonna
del Rosario a sculpture in
wood of the Madonna with
Child dating back to the
beginning of the XVI century,
various incredibly beautiful
wooden furnishings and two
altar-pieces. In the old days
At top: view of historic centre of Archi
with castle; below: Bomba lake from
the plane.
Archi
the church had a wooden
organ delicately engraved and
gilded by the famous artist of
Palena Ferdinando Mosca, but
all that remains today is only
the case. Close by is the
sanctuary Madonna dell’Altare
built in the XIV century on an
almost inaccessible cliff,
extending an age-old
hermitage of Celestino V.
Returning to Casoli, we cross
through the Sangro river valley
and go up to Archi, an ancient
hamlet perched on a hill and
dominated by the ruins of the
Lannutti castle and the outline
of the Church of Santa Caterina.
Porta Cieri is the only remaining
defense wall of the village that
offers a visit to the parish
church of Santa Maria dell’Olmo,
that holds a splendid Madonna
dell’Olmo, a painting on wood
from the XV century and a
wooden crucifix by the sculptor
Gioacchino Pellicciotti of
Perano.
Antonio Domenico Pulsinelli
Via Frentana 41 bis
Palena (CH)
0872 91 87 26
Gabriele Iovacchini
Contrada Caduna s.n.c.
Archi (CH)
0872 89 61 75
93
Castiglione
Messer Marino
This page, at top: aerial view of
Bomba; at bottom: modern tools help
craftsmen in working of furniture,
masters of wood give shape to every
kind of object for the house.
Bomba
The road along the Sangro
valley takes us rapidly to our
next stop, Bomba, a
picturesque village on the
slopes of Monte Pallano
looking over its artificial lake.
This village is a well-known
summer resort dominated by an
important parish church of
Santa Maria del Popolo, rebuilt
in the XVIII century with a
94
beautiful side portal in 1742
and a panoramic parvis. The
interior offers the viewing of a
majestic walnut choir and
confessionals, the work of
Domenico De Simone of
Agnone and the splendid
canvases by the Neapolitan
painter Ludovico De Maio. In
the historic centre we can see
Palazzo Spaventa, residence to
the family of the famous
brothers Silvio, well-known
politician and patriot and
Bertrando, philosopher, born in
Bomba. It is worth visiting the
Ethnographic Museum and the
sanctuary of San Mauro,
founded in the XVII century,
destroyed during the second
world war and rebuilt in the
Vallecupa area. It houses the
XVII century statue of the
Saint in painted terracotta,
worshipped in all the valley
because it is believed that he
was the author of miraculous
cures of bone disease.
Domenico Pagliarone
Via Roma 72/a
Bomba (CH)
0872 86 03 35
oppure 328 47 68 099
We go to Colledimezzo to then
follow on to Castiglione Messer
Marino, feud of the Caracciolo
family since the XV century.
Porta Sant’Angelo is to be
admired with its evidence of
ancient city walls, noble
residences of the families
Chinni and Lonzi and the
parish church of San Michele
Arcangelo. Out of the centre
we can find the rural church of
the Madonna del Monte,
annexe to a convent.The
village is famous for its
carnival, animated by the
recurrent mask of Punch.
and art, but characterized in
recent years by the rapid
development of an imposing
industrial area that has not,
though, wiped out the age-old
flavours of traditional workings
by the local craftsmen.
I.L.M.E.A. Srl
Contrada Saletti
Atessa (CH)
0872 89 78 91
Gissi
From Atessa a winding but
panoramic road takes us to
Gissi into the heart of the
Vasto highlands, a village with
ancient origins and solid craft
traditions.
Lino Vitullo
Via Vallancello
Castiglione Messer
Marino (CH)
0873 97 88 66
Giustino Cappella
Via C. Battisti 14
Gissi (CH)
0873 93 76 23
Atessa
Cupello
Returning along the Sangro
valley road we go down towards
the sea to reach Atessa, an
important town rich in history
Last stage of this enthusiastic
journey to discover the
artisans of wood is in Cupello,
a village behind Vasto. It can
At top: Castiglione Messer Marino.
At bottom: slowly and steadily the
chisel engraves rough wood and
shapes decorations.
be reached by following the 86
road from Gissi or crossing at
the foot of the castle of
Monteodorisio. Cupello went
through its maximum
development at the end of the
eighteenth century when
Palazzo Boschetti was built and
then between the end of the
XIX century and the beginning
of the following. Along the way
for Monteodorisio, we can see
the Travaglini-Fiori, Di StefanoMuzii houses and the villa and
park of the King.
Artigianlegno
di Giuliano Del Negro
Zona Industriale - Contrada
Polercia - Cupello (CH)
0873 31 82 76
95
Other craftsmen of the provincie of Chieti
Iron and non-precious metals
Wood and restorers
Adriano Ferri
Via del giardino 63, Guardiagrele
0871 82091 - 0871 800405
Art Wood di Fernando D’Innocenzo & C.
Contrada Sterpai, Pretoro
0871 898261
Armando Marrone
Via Satriana 5, Guardiagrele
0871 85845- 0871800053
Vincenzo D’Angelo
Via Cona 7, Pretoro
0871 898230
Giuseppe Milanese
Contrada Vidorni 3, Casalbordino
0873 907213
F.lli Pellegrini di Pellegrini Rodolfo & C.
Via Del Mezzo, Pretoro
0871 898188
Jewellery and similar
Giancristofaro Luigi
Via Delle Speranze 50, Ortona
085 9063370
Gabriella Cericola
Via Italia, Gissi
0873 93323
Tonia Tomassetti
Contrada Colle Marcone 106, Bucchianico
0871 402363
Anna Ersilia Di Battista
Via Nazionale 73, Castel Frentano
0872 569897
Clothings and Textiles
Lorenzo D’Onofrio
Corso Marrucino 2, Chieti
0871 321664
Astra di Adele Franceschini
Via Marcianese 25, Lanciano
0872 43606
Bruno Palucci
Via Adriatica 390, Francavilla al Mare
085 4914509
DCR di Rita Del Conte
Contrada Saletti, Atessa
0872 897042
Stone
Rina De Iuliis
Via Unità d’Italia 226/A, Chieti
0871 560540
Leo Di Credico
Via Fieramosca, Chieti
0871 349065
Nicola Marinucci
Contrada Fonte Grande 9, Villamagna
0871 300255
Tonino Santeusanio
Villa Tucci 193/4, Crecchio
0871 936220
Antonio Ferrara
Via Madonna del Freddo 104, Chieti
0871 347589
Vera Pelle Italia di Paola Cocco
Via dei Marsi 3, Castel Frentano
0872 569501
Paper and decorations
Giovanni Cipolla
Via Bramante 4, San Salvo
Ceramics
Antonino Vitacolonna
Via Madonna di Carpineto, Rapino
0871 84400
Texts
Giovanni Lattanzi
Photographic Service
Giovanni Lattanzi
Graphics and pagination
Andreas Waibl
Waibl & Di Luzio
Map of Province of Chieti
Moby Dick
Ortona
Integration of iconographic material
Archivio Carsa Edizioni
Roberto Colacioppo
Edoardo Micati
Marco Minoliti
Roberto Monasterio
Giovanni Tavano
Gabriele Amoroso
Nicola Carideo
Federico Deidda
Marco Di Muzio
Leonardo Landolfo
Magie in Oro
Mario Polidoro
Angelina Teti
Walter Zuccarini
Printing and preparation
Grafiche Di Prinzio
Guardiagrele (Ch)
10th october 2007
Translattion by
A.P.VIAFAX traduzioni

edited by Giovanni Lattanzi - Camera di Commercio di Chieti

Transcription

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