Caramanico Terme is a comune and town in the province of Pescara, located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Nestled on a hilltop, it lies near the confluence of the Orfento and Orta rivers, between the Monte Morrone and Majella mountains.[3] It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[4]
Caramanico Terme | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Caramanico Terme | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Caramanico Terme  | |
  Caramanico Terme Location of Caramanico Terme in Italy  Caramanico Terme Caramanico Terme (Abruzzo) | |
| Coordinates: 42°09′N 14°0′E / 42.150°N 14.000°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Province | Pescara (PE) |
| Frazioni | De Contra, San Nicolao, San Tommaso, San Vittorino, Santa Croce, Sant'Elia, Scagnano |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mario Mazzocca |
| Area | |
• Total | 84.55 km2 (32.64 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) |
| Population (2010)[2] | |
• Total | 2,030 |
| • Density | 24/km2 (62/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Caramanichesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 65023 |
| Dialing code | 085 |
| Website | Official website |
History
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The town takes its name from cara, meaning rock and/or arimannia, a Lombard establishment in the late Middle Ages. Then the name Terme was added in 1960 because of the presence of a spa nearby.[5][6]
The present settlement is recorded since Lombard times. Then it underwent a remarkable development in the 14th-15th centuries, under the D'Aquino family, and in that period many important monuments were built. In 1706, an earthquake nearby destroyed the town.
Main sights
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- Church of S. Maria Maggiore (15th century), with a Gothic exterior and an ogival portal with a depiction of the Coronation of the Virgin (1476). The exterior has also depictions of apostles, pilgrims and singers with 15th century musical instruments. The Assumption Chapel (17th century) has a Baroque interior.
- Romanesque church of St. Tommaso, founded in the 13th century in honor of Thomas of Canterbury. It was built above a 9th-century pieve. It has a nave and two aisles, with different levels. The façade has a rose window and single mullioned windows, three portals and four semi-colons from a never built portico. The side portals have with floreal decorations, while the central one has a high-relief of the Twelve Apostles and Christ Enthroned (1118). The interior, with a nave and aisles divided by composite columns (right) and square columns (left). The interior houses also a Corinthian column (known as Colonna santa) which has alleged miraculous properties.
- Archaeological Museum "P. Barrasso"
- Museum of Abruzzo and Italy Fauna
- Hermitage of San Giovanni all'Orfento
References
edit- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Caramanico Terme in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo". abruzzo2000.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Abruzzo" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Le Terme".
- ^ "Baths of Caramanico".
External links
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- Photo Gallery (in Italian)