Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium
The
Benedictine
Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium is situated on the bank of
Tirino river. The church was built in 752 by the
Lombard
king
Desiderius.
It is a church with a nave, two side aisles and a choir. Onto
the romanic portal there are two marble relief with the figures
of David and St. Vincent Deacon. The façade has a marble square
inscription in enigmatic Latin: SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS,
that mean "everywhere - operates - holds - plow - sower". It is
the anagram of the prayer "Pater Noster".
Piccolomini or Mediceo Castle
The castle was
built in the XIII century, on the hill next to the Tirino river
and the Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium in a strategic position
at 505 m on the sea level. The first document of 1284, when King
Charles I of Sicily
gave the castle to Riccardo d'Acquaviva, marquis of Capestrano.
In 1462 the Castle passed on to Marquis Antonio I Todeschini
Piccolomini d'Aragona (14? - 1493) nephew of
Pope Pius II,
which enlarged the castle with new towers with battlements. In
1579 Marquis Costanza Piccolomini daughter of Innico, sold the
castle to
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of
Tuscany. In 1743
the Castle passed on to
Charles III of Spain
as Charles 3th Borbon King of Naples and two Sicilies. In 1860
the Castle passed on to Savoia King of Italy.
Antiquity
In the
necropolis the statue of the "Warrior of Capestrano" (4th
century BCE) was found during the work in a field by a farmer.
The 2,09 m (6.9 feet) tall statue depicts an early Italic
warrior in full gear. Now the statue is on display in the
National Archaeological Museum of the Abruzzi in
Chieti.
Notable people
Pulpit of John Capistrano at the Stephansdom in Vienna
- The
Italian-born American composer
Dalmazio Santini
(1923-2001) was born in Capestrano.
Twin Cities
