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History of Abruzzo
The Renaissance and the Baroque period
The Angioini dynasty was followed by that of the Aragonesi when, in 1442,
the Kingdom of Naples fell into the hands of Alfonso d'Aragona.
L'Aquila's resistance was inefficacious in trying to impede the
transition of power, and it was subdued in 1492. After a brief period
of French domination, Abruzzo followed the fate of the Kingdom of
Naples which had passed into the hands of Ferdinando the Catholic in
1504. The struggles between Ferdinando's successor, Carlo V, and the
King of France, involved Abruzzo in numerous serious military clashes.
The cities of Abruzzo, and L'Aquila in particular, sided with France
but were drastically punished by the Spanish monarch who, by splitting
up the rural areas around the city and subjecting the latter to harsh
repressive measures in 1529, ordained a decline which was then
impossible to stop.
Under Spanish domination numerous fortification works were built.
These were a testimony to the strategic importance that Abruzzo had in
the dispute between France and Spain. The Spanish entrusted the plans
for such works, amongst which there were the Castle of L'Aquila, and
the Fortress of Pescara, to the architect, Pirro Luigi Scrivā, who was
also responsible for the Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples. Furthermore, the
ancient castles were transformed from simple defensive building into
residences which were architecturally more complex. One of the most
significant examples of this is the Celano Castle (Aq), which has a
squared plan and a precise geometric structure built around an arcade
decorated with open galleries; however one must not forget either the
Balsorano Castle (Aq), the Piccolomini Castle of Ortucchio (Aq), and
that of Gagliano Aterno (Aq).
During the
15th century the slow introduction of Renaissance forms affected sacred and
civil buildings as well as castles. Building work that was more airy and
open was grafted onto medieval forms as in the case of the church of the
Annunziata in Sulmona (Aq) or in many noble palaces in Sulmona, L'Aquila,
Popoli and Tagliacozzo. These were enriched with spacious courtyards,
flights of steps and arcades which were of a scenographic nature. The Tuscan
Renaissance style was so widespread in Abruzzo that the church of S.
Bernardino in L'Aquila (1415), is planimetrically reminiscent of the church
of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence; whilst San Flaviano in Giulianova (Te)
and Santa Maria del Tricalle in Chieti are likewise examples of the
attention that was given in Abruzzo to the temples with center plan of the
Tuscan Renaissance.
The Baroque
period, which developed after the plague of 1656 and the two earthquakes of 1703
and 1706, took the forni of a time of reconstruction and developed both in the
construction of new buildings like the churches of Santa Caterina and
Sant'Agostino in L'Aquila, and - more often-in the internal decoration of
antique medieval churches. Nearly all of them were enriched with costly Baroque
ornaments, and, thanks to the strong artisan tradition of carved wood, made
precious with valuable furnishings and ligneous ceilings as well as spectacular
and imposing organs. Amongst the most prominent Baroque achievements there are
the Badia Morronese, (Morronese Abbey), near Sulmona (Aq), the church of the
Annunziata in Penne (Pe), and that of Sulmona, the church of the Suffragio in
L'Aquila, that of Santa Maria Assunta in Castel di Sangro and the church of
Santo Spirito in Teramo.
Courtesy of
Regione Abruzzo Tourist Office
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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