Villamagna is a comune and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of south-eastern Italy.
Villamagna | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Villamagna | |
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Location of Villamagna  | |
  Villamagna Location of Villamagna in Italy  Villamagna Villamagna (Abruzzo) | |
| Coordinates: 42°20′N 14°14′E / 42.333°N 14.233°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Province | Chieti (CH) |
| Frazioni | Innesto, Pian di Mare, Serepenne |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Renato Giovanni Sisofo |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.73 km2 (4.92 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 255 m (837 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2021)[2] | |
• Total | 2,154 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Villamagnesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 66010 |
| Dialing code | 0871 |
| Patron saint | St. Margaret |
| Saint day | 13 July |
| Website | Official website |
History
editOriginally a Roman settlement, the town's name derives from the Latin words villa ("farm") and magna ("large" or "important"). In the Middle Ages, its name was written as Villa Magna. Several bronze artefacts from the Roman necropolis near the town dating from the 5th century BC are held in Chieti's archaeological museum, "La Civitella".
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the settlement came into the possession of the Order of Saint Benedict, which built the Convent of San Severino here. The convent was abandoned in the 11th century, and the land and its settlement were ceded to the Normans. By 1461 it was under the control of Ferdinand I of Naples who gave Villamagna to Chieti, after which it came under a succession of local lords. Throughout the Middle Ages, the town was also subject to frequent raids by Saracen invaders which did not cease until 1566. The local legend is that the town's patron saint Santa Margherita miraculously appeared and turned back the Saracens at the city walls, an event reenacted each July in the town's main festival.[3][4]
During the Italian Campaign, the American 88th Infantry Division took over Villamagna on the 13th of June 1944.[5]
Economy
editMuch of the area surrounding the town is used for growing wine grapes. Villamagna's red wine received its DOC appellation in 2011.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
- ^ Porcaroli, Fabrizio (ed.) (2010). S.O.S. Arte dall'Abruzzo, pp. 58–60. Gangemi Editore. ISBN 8849291957
- ^ Comune di Villamagna. "La Storia. Retrieved 11 February 2016 (in Italian).
- ^ "88th Infantry Division". 31 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini d’Abruzzo. "Villamagna DOC". Retrieved 11 February 2016 (in Italian).
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