Fortezza di Civitella del Tronto (Italian for Fortress of Civitella del Tronto) is a fortress in Civitella del Tronto, Province of Teramo (Abruzzo).
Description The Fortezza di Civitella del Tronto is a fortified structure erected as a stronghold aimed at controlling the territory, with tactical and defensive functions. This powerful structure was built to protect the strategic area it occupies, rising near the rocky ridge overlooking the urban center of Civitella del Tronto, the seat of the homonymous Abruzzo municipality, in the province of Teramo.L. Franchi dell'Orto, C. Vultaggio, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello: dizionario topografico e storico, op. cit., p. 706.M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 10.
The complex of the defensive settlement represents one of the most important strongholds of the Kingdom of Naples during the Spanish ViceroyaltyM. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 21. and imposing military engineering works carried out on the soil of Southern Italy.M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 7. Due to its size, it can be compared to the Forte della Brunetta, built by the Piedmontese near the city of Susa and the Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, with which it has been twinned since 1989. Its constructions extend for a length of about 500 meters and an average width of 45 meters, covering an area of 25,000 m2...
With its 45,000 annual visitors (2016 data), it has been the most visited monument in Abruzzo.
The site is primarily remembered for being the last bastion of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to surrender to the Piedmontese on March 20, 1861, three days after the coronation of King Vittorio Emanuele II.
Physical Geography The fortification was built at an altitude of over 600 meters above sea level in the area near the border line between the Ascolana and Aprutina countiesL. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, op. cit., p. 42. and rises its constructions in a dominant position over the inhabited nucleus of the town, on the hill between the Vibrata River and the Salinello River. From the ramparts, there is a wide panorama that stretches from the Salinello valley to the Vibrata Valley to the Tronto Valley. Also visible are the Twin Mountains, the massifs of the Gran Sasso, the Monti della Laga, the Majella, Monte Ascensione, and the Adriatic Sea.
History Historical sources attest to the existence of writings from the 11th century mentioning the village of Civitella. The year 1001 is mentioned, referring to a donation deed signed by Raterio, son of Giuseppe,L. Franchi dell'Orto, C. Vultaggio, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello: dizionario topografico e storico, op. cit., p. 710. describing the curtis of Tibitella, guarding the border of the Salinello between the Ascoli county and the Aprutina county. This was followed, in 1069, by another donation deed signed by Siolfo, son of Trasmondo and grandson of Trasmondo, who assigned the ownership of the castle of Civitellae to Stefano, Bishop of Ascoli.Civitella was positioned to guard the Salinello border, and in the centuries that followed, the vicissitudes of the defensive garrison saw the alternation of the retreat or advance of the territorial demarcation line dividing the sovereignty of the two jurisdictions.
On January 30, 1255, Pope Alexander IV confirmed the power over the fortress to Teodino, Bishop of Ascoli, and urged the Ascolans to fortify and repair the castle of Civitella.G. Rosa, Disegno della storia di Ascoli Piceno, op. cit., p. 98.
Later, Charles I of Anjou, organizing a defensive restructuring of the kingdom, decided to strengthen some castles, including the repair of Civitella in 1269.M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 114.
Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the fortress saw an increase in its inhabitants, from thirty in 1269 to sixty in 1271. In 1273, advanced ammunition and siege engines were brought there for the conquest of Castel Manfrino.A document from 1276, during Angevin domination, refers to a castle as "just built," probably indicating information about consolidation or renewal works of Swabian constructions.
Two parchments, kept in the Ascoli State Archive, confirm that after 1387, 13 probivi (governing officials) of Civitella publicly assembled and appointed two ambassadors to be sent to Ascoli to negotiate with the local "Council of Elders" to place their homeland under "obedience, protection, and defense" of the city jurisdiction.A. De Santis, op. cit., p. 478. A document from 1426 validates the payment of compensation "to four master carpenters and two transporters from Ascoli" for transferring a bombard to the fortress.L. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, op. cit., p. 43.
Around the mid-15th century, in 1442, control of the castle passed from the Angevins to the Aragonese. Alfonso I ordered the strengthening and expansion of the fortification, and by 1450, the defensive complex had its five towers. During these years, modifications were made with the installation of protective structures erected at the eastern end of the fortress, giving the site the appearance of a "fortified citadel of the early Renaissance."
In the years that followed, the people of Civitella did not always have optimal relations with the castle commanders. They petitioned King Ferrante I of Aragon for the removal of Commander Leone Gazull with a formal request in 1475.L. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, op. cit., p. 45. In 1481, the University of Civitella raised funds to restore the walls of the Terra, while in 1485, Alfonso d'Aragona, Duke of Calabria, inspected the fortress.L. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, op. cit., p. 44. Four of the five towers of the fortress were destroyed by the people of Civitella in 1495 due to widespread discontent and "to avoid the insolence of the castle inhabitants."L. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, op. cit., p. 46.
Odet de Foix, commanding French troops, occupied Civitella in February 1528, when the fortification had only one tower suitable for defense, with the other four not yet rebuilt. These were repaired in the following years, and by 1557, the restored fortress was ready to withstand the assault of the War of the Tronto. In 1557, it endured a siege led by the Duke of Guisa and Antonio Carafa.
In 1734, the Bourbons established themselves as the new rulers of the fortress, replacing the previous Habsburg sovereignty, making new structural modifications that allowed the fortification to resist French and Piedmontese sieges.
In 1798 and 1806, it endured sieges by French troops during Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaign,M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 23. damaging the structures to the point that in 1820, the fortress was completely restored while maintaining its Renaissance character. The last siege, most notable in historical chronicles, occurred between 1860 and 1861 and marked the beginning of the end of the garrison's function.
These vicissitudes led to the cessation of the fortress's function, followed by a long period of abandonment and progressive dismantling of the defensive complex. There were also thefts, carried out by the Civitella inhabitants who used the ruins "as a quarry for construction materials."M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 39.
Significant restoration work was undertaken from 1975 to 1985, sponsored by the Superintendent of Fine Arts of L'Aquila, the Cassa del Mezzogiorno, and the local municipal administration. This not only largely restored the use of the fortress and its premises but also preserved its character as a fortified citadel of the early Renaissance, particularly significant for its historical, cultural, and military importance.
Sieges
Siege of 1557 French troops commanded by Duke of Guise Francesco I di Lorena, general of Enrico II, allied with Pope Paul IV and Antonio Carafa, Marquis of Montebello, nephew of Pope Paul IV,L. Franchi dell'Orto, G. Ronchi, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello, voll. IV, 1, p. 82. subjected the pre-existing castle to a fierce siege beginning on April 24, 1557, and concluding on May 16 of the same year.L. Franchi dell'Orto, C. Vultaggio, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello: dizionario topografico e storico, op. cit., p. 718. This military episode underscored the strategic importance of the site. The strengthened fortification successfully withstood the assailants.
Three perspective plans from engravings of the siege camp provide a good approximation of the fortress's structure at that time. The complex appeared enclosed on three sides by crenellated walls punctuated, at regular intervals, by five crenellated towers with projecting works, all in excellent condition. The eastern side features curtain walls, partly without crenellation, walkways, a tower with a scarp base, and a bastion guarding the entrance. Beyond the entrance gate are depicted the oldest structures, enclosed within the walls.
Siege of 1798 The siege of 1798 concluded during the night between December 7 and 8 of the same year, when command of the garrison was handed over to the French under Giovanni Battista Rusca by the military governor Giovanni Lacombe.L. Franchi dell'Orto, C. Vultaggio, Le valli della Vibrata e del Salinello: dizionario topografico e storico, op. cit., p. 720.
Siege of 1806 On January 22, 1806, the French army again besieged the fortress. Commanding the Civitella stronghold was Irish military officer Matteo Wade, in service to the Kingdom of Naples army. Wade had a contingent of 19 cannons, a mortar, 323 men, and provisions to withstand three months. He rejected surrender demands from French generals, who bombarded the fort and captured it on May 21.
Siege of 1860–1861 The siege of 1860–1861 was led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Curci, with 400 garibaldini volunteers, and Navy Major Renzo Carozzi commanding another 400 men. Major Luigi Ascione led 430 men within the fortress. The siege lasted from October 26, 1860, to March 20, 1861, with the Bourbon militias surrendering three days after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy.
Architecture There are no traces of the layout of the older defensive urban fortress construction. It is hypothesized, however, that it had a fortified core enclosed within a city wall.The fortification gained substantial form during the Swabian period and later under the rule of the Angevins, owing to its strategic position near the border between the Kingdom of Naples and the emerging Papal States.
From 1564, the structure of the fort underwent modifications and expansions to achieve its current configuration, as ordered by the King of Spain and Naples, Philip II of Habsburg, who reinforced the earlier Angevin fortifications and the Aragonese fortress.M. Latini, P. Franci, P. Cialini, Civitella del Tronto – Guida storico-artistica alla fortezza e al borgo, op. cit., p. 12.