Chieti (Chjïétë or Chjìtë in Abruzzo dialect) is an Italian town
of 50 135 inhabitants, capital of the homonymous province in
Abruzzo. The inhabitants of Chieti are called Chieti or Theatines
from the ancient Latin and Greek name of the city, Theate or
Theghèate (Θεάτη or Θηγεάτη in Greek).
Located partly on a
hill, between the Aterno-Pescara river and the Alento river, and
partly on the Val Pescara, the city is located a short distance from
both the sea and the mountains. According to the legend, Chieti
would be among the most ancient cities of Abruzzo and Italy. In the
past it was the main city of the people of the Marrucini, a town
hall in Roman times, and in the Bourbon age, the capital of Abruzzo
Cithere. Furthermore, during the Second World War, Chieti was
declared an open city together with Rome and Florence.
The main street of the city is Corso Marrucino, which goes from
Piazza Trento e Trieste (also commonly known as Piazza Trinità), runs
along Piazza Gian Battista Vico, crosses Piazza Gian Gabriele Valignani
and ends on Via Arniense, in the heart of the historic center of the
capital theatine.
The town hall building is located in Piazza San
Giustino (once named after Vittorio Emanuele II), while the provincial
building is located along Corso Marrucino. The municipal headquarters is
currently located on Corso Marrucino near Piazza Valignani, inside the
former headquarters of the Bank of Italy - closed in 2009: the new
arrangement was made necessary following the damage suffered by the
historic municipal headquarters, in Piazza San Giustino, due to the
L'Aquila earthquake of 6 April 2009.
Cathedral of San Giustino
It is the main church of Chieti, as well
as the oldest, dating back to the 10th century. The church underwent
renovations in the Middle Ages, and until the 1920s it retained an
eighteenth-century baroque layout. Massive restoration work led the
cathedral to take on a neo-Gothic external appearance, except for the
baroque interior and the medieval Gothic crypt. The three-nave interior
has the central nave covered by a barrel vault with lunettes, and the
paintings are attributed to Saverio Persico and Ludovico de Mayo of the
Neapolitan school. In the altars there are stuccos by Stefano Mambrini
and the wooden furnishings belong to Saverio Mosca (18th century). The
Gothic crypt dedicated to Saint Justin of Chieti dates back to the 11th
century, and has maintained the appearance of the Gothic restoration of
the 13th century. It is divided into cross vaults with an iron bust of
the saint, the work of Nicola da Guardiagrele. There are fragments of
Renaissance frescoes, including the complete one of San Giustino. The
exterior has a very monumental appearance, the result of the
restorations of the 1920s and 1930s. It has a basilica plan with an
octagonal dome on the transept. The façade, which is not very visible
due to the mammoth bell tower, is gabled, with a rayed rose window. The
main entrance is on the side overlooking the square: a neo-Gothic portal
restored from the Baroque one, with a mosaic lunette and splays. A small
bell tower precedes a small ribbed portico and one side of the transept,
with a rose window. There are various battlements and corbels in white
stucco for decorations. The bell tower was partly rebuilt from scratch
in the twentieth century restoration, on the stone base of the old one.
It has a massive structure with Gothic mullioned arches and an upper
spire, inspired by the Abruzzo Renaissance bell towers of the Atri
school.
Oratory of the Sacred Mount of the Dead
It is a
historic archconfraternity dating back to the Counter-Reformation era,
which is based in the crypt of the Cathedral, in an annexed building.
Church of San Francesco al Corso
It is preceded by a wide
staircase, the second largest church in the city. It dates back to the
13th century, but was extensively modified in the 17th century, with the
presbytery of 1699. The medieval façade has only the rayed rose window,
surmounted by a classic eighteenth-century window. The portal is in
white stone with classical decorations. The single nave interior has
stuccos by Giovanni Battista di Gianni, who decorated the chapel of
Santa Caterina with stuccos. The canvases are by Giovanni Battista
Spinelli and Ercole Graziani. The church on the outside is recognizable
by its classic dome.
Church of Santa Chiara
The medieval
church (13th century, along via Arniense) was renovated in the 18th
century by Girolamo Rizza and Michele Clerici. The altars are by
Giovanni Battista Spinelli. It has a single nave with a barrel vault,
decorated by Lombard plasterers. The church was an important Poor Clare
monastery.
The central fresco of the vault is by Raffaele Del Ponte,
a Theatine painter of the early 19th century, depicting the Assumption
of Mary. The main altarpiece is by Giovanni Battista Spinelli, depicting
Pentecost, as is that of the third chapel on the right, depicting the
Madonna and Child between Saint Francis and Saint Joseph.
Church
of San Domenico degli Scolopi
The church was consecrated in 1672. It
has a single nave interior with side chapels and a square presbytery
with a barrel vault. There are paintings by Giacomo Farelli. The classic
Baroque stone facade dates back to 1720, and the bell tower is a sturdy
tower made of cobblestones and rough-hewn stone.
The facade is in
classic stone style divided into two orders. The bell tower, in
terracotta, dates back to the 18th century. The interior has a single
nave flanked by some chapels. The decorations recalling biblical themes
are by G. B. Gianni, a Lombard architect. In the first chapel on the
right the stories of the prodigal son and the expulsion of Adam and Eve
from the earthly paradise are represented, on the vault there is
depicted the sacrifice of Isaac by Job. In the second chapel there is
the birth and annunciation of the Madonna. Of the chapels on the left,
only the first has been frescoed with the stories of Saint Martin. The
altarpiece of Saint Joseph Calasanz was painted in 1790 by Giacinto
Diana. The picture of the holy rosary was painted by Giacomo Farelli in
1679. The pulpit is made with briar inlays, while the altar is in
polychrome marble. The organ dates back to the eighteenth century. The
nave has a barrel vault in which there is an ellipse that simulates a
dome. From the presbytery you can access the diocesan museum of sacred
art.
Church of Santa Maria Calvona
Once a country church built
above a Roman necropolis in the 15th century, today it has a simple 18th
century Baroque appearance. The plan is rectangular gabled, with a very
simple façade, adorned with a triangular gable frame and a bell tower.
The interior has a single nave and hosts a special brotherhood that
parades during Good Friday in Chieti.
Church of Sant'Anna
It
is located at the entrance to the cemetery. It dates back to the 13th
century but was extensively modified in the Baroque era, with a further
massive modification in the 20th century, so much so that it appears to
be in Art Nouveau style. It has a rectangular plan with a façade
preceded by an arched pronaos with two orders of lateral columns. Also
in the twentieth century, a chapel identical to the church was built,
located next to it at the entrance.
Church of the Sacred Heart
It is a 19th century church, built in neoclassical style, with a façade
restored in an almost modern style in the 1950s. The monumental façade,
punctuated by pilasters with white bands, with a classic portal in
pseudo-Romanesque style, with a lunette adorned with a bas-relief. The
ancient bell tower was demolished to build it from scratch in modern
forms. The interior has three naves.
Church of San Giovanni
Battista
It is a Baroque church, originally from the 13th century,
extensively modified in the 18th century, and is located on the edge of
Via dei Sette Dolori, towards Piazza Garibaldi. It has an adjoining
structure for the Capuchin convent.
The interior is composed of a
single nave, with a barrel vault with lunettes and four communicating
side chapels, located on the left side. the apse is rectangular, totally
occupied by the main altar; this altar is made of walnut wood, with
details in ebony and other precious woods, constituting the masterpiece
of the Marangoni friars. The cymatium contains the image of God the
Blessing Father; at the base of the columns two small ornate temples
reproduce the miniature of the overall design. The tabernacle is in the
shape of a multi-storey temple, with a small dome; the altarpiece is
from the sixteenth century, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary
in triumph among angels and saints.
Church of Sant'Agostino
It
is a historic church from the 14th century, modified in the 18th century
due to a fire in 1562, which irreparably damaged its original medieval
style, which can be seen in some walled-up Gothic windows. It has a
monumental rectangular plan, with an adjoining convent, which has now
become a physiotherapy and rehabilitation center as well as
semi-residential assistance and education for the disabled. The facade
has a large window and architraved portal with classical decorations.
The internal space has a single nave, covered by a barrel vault with
lunettes, and consists of a nave in which there are four side chapels,
richly decorated by Lombard craftsmen, including Michele Clerici
(1746-51), Domenico Poma (1735-36 ) and Vittore Fontana (1731). Clerici
used the sail roof instead of the dome, the artists Teodoro Padre and
Figlio instead created the high altar, together with that of the chapel
of the "Madonna della Cintura", by Ludovico Teodoro. The side panels in
the internal decoration are also of considerable importance,
illustrating the main Augustinian saints, as is the precious veil that
covers the entire vault, with dense stucco embroidery.
The bell tower
is a tower, with a rectangular plan.
Church of Sant'Agata
It
is a very old church from the 13th century, but transformed in the 18th
inside. It has a gabled façade with some medieval elements such as the
cusps and the Gothic portal, with an upper rayed rose window. The single
nave interior is in sober Baroque style, with an altar set in a frame of
columns.
Church of the Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims
The
structure dates back to the late 16th century, with baroque interior
decorations. It has a brick façade with a stone portal from 1602. The
bell tower has a spire with rounded lines. The internal chapels are
dedicated to Sant'Emidio, Maria Santissima Incoronata and the Santissima
Trinità. The wooden altar is by Fabrizio De Fabritiis (1770).
Parish of San Camillo de Lellis
It is a modern church from the 1980s,
built in reinforced concrete. Parish seat of the Filippone district, it
has a rectangular layout with geometric motifs that follow the curved
lines, and a bell tower.
Church of Santa Maria in Civitellis
Located in the Theatine district of Civitella near the archaeological
remains of the Roman amphitheatre, the church with its Celestine convent
was founded in 1295 by Roberto da Salle, and the structure was then
completed in 1304, while important modifications date back to the end of
the 16th century and to the second half of the 17th century. For
example, the altars inserted in the large niches of the nave, the four
statues of biblical characters resting on the pillars of the dome, the
vestibule, the lunette vault and the dome with an irregular ellipse
plan, which is lower than the previous one. Instead, the presence of a
single nave and the high lantern are typical characteristics of the
architecture of the mendicant orders and the Gothic portal created by
Nicola Mancino da Ortona in 1321 shows the influence of the Chieti area.
Other interesting aspects are the counter-façade, which features a
stucco drape and a statue by Roberto da Salle, and the fresco The Fall
of Lucifer painted in 1739 by Donato Teodoro
Church of
Sant'Antonio Abate
It is a 13th century church, restored in the 17th
century, with internal Vanvitellian architecture. The façade at the base
has medieval elements in the Gothic portal from 1375, the only original
element preserved. It is a typical Gothic entrance with splays and
twisted side columns. The bell tower is a tower; the interior has a
single nave, rather simple, representing, together with the facade, the
stylized canons of neoclassical art. The church is located in via
Arniense.
Church of San Gaetano
It is a 17th century Baroque
church, located not far from Corso Marrucino and the Piazzetta dei
Tempietti. It was founded in 1655 when San Gaetano Thiene became the
patron saint of Chieti, becoming the municipal chapel, with the coat of
arms of the saint and his congregation reproduced right on the entrance
portal. It has a Greek cross plan, unique in Chieti, with internal
stucco decorations by Lombard craftsmen. The pictorial furnishings were
created by Giuseppe Lamberti from Ferrara.
Church of Our Lady of
Sorrows
It is located in via Sette Dolori, and dates back to the 17th
century. Like the other churches of Chieti, it was decorated with
Baroque stucco by Lombard craftsmen. It has been awaiting restoration
for several years and is closed to the public.
Church of San
Francesco di Paola
A 17th century church, it was built together with
a convent, initially known as "Santa Maria de Contra". It shows brick
wall facings, partially plastered, with the facade characterized by a
simple central stone portal. It is dominated by a large window and a
clock added in the 19th century. Corner lese and stone cornice support
the upper triangular gable; the church has a longitudinal plan with a
single nave, with side altars and entrances to the various service rooms
of the former convent. The nave is covered with a round barrel vault,
with transverse arches. The covering is made with a gable roof,
decorated with a tile covering on which the small bell tower stands. The
internal Baroque decoration focuses on an order of Corinthian pilasters
that alternate with the arches, above which the molded entablature is
set.
Church of Mater Domini
It is located in the street of the
same name, and was built more recently, compared to the other Theatine
churches in the centre, as it is the result of a reconstruction
following the damage suffered in the Second World War. The original
temple was very ancient, presumably founded by the Lombards, and was
built when the Capuchins of the monastery of Santa Chiara were evicted
with the suppression of the order in 1866, and purchased a room adjacent
to the ancient church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, in 1899. However, the
new works in 1954, which rebuilt and enlarged the current parish, gave
it a more modern appearance, the current one. It preserves some sacred
vestments from the old church, such as a bas-relief of the Madonna and
Child.
Church of Santa Filomena
It is an 18th century church,
built as a private chapel, today included in the modern nucleus of
Chieti Scalo. The church has a simple appearance on the outside, of a
small gabled chapel, with a sloping ceiling. The interior with a single
nave is much richer, consisting of an entrance with a balustrade
supported by a double order of columns to support the organ. Near the
presbytery there is a false dome, where four arches open, two of which
surmount the two side altars. The main altar is characterized by an
idealized Greek-style temple, with the niche inside which houses the
statue of the saint.
Church of the Madonna delle Piane
It is
located in Chieti Scalo in via dei Vestini, near the "Gabriele
D'Annunzio" University. It dates back to the 17th century, with a
modern-style oratory located next to it. The church has a rectangular
plan with a single nave, with an eighteenth-century appearance, and a
portico with arches at the entrance. Characteristic is the bell tower
with the slender upper level of the clock cell. Towards the end of
April, the feast of the Madonna is celebrated in the church, which is
deeply felt by the people of Chieti.
Parish of San Martino
Vescovo
It is located in the district of the same name, dating back
to the 19th century, and largely renovated in the 1900s, with the
construction of the bell tower. It has a very simple structure. In 2015,
construction work began on a new parish church in the district, still
dedicated to San Martino, due to space issues and an increase in the
number of faithful.
Small temple of Santa Maria del Tricalle
It is one of the oldest, it stands on the medieval Santa Maria del
Tricaglio (or della Tricaglia), built in turn on an older building with
an octagonal plan; some scholars have hypothesized that it is a temple
dedicated to Diana Trivia and located on a branch of the Via Claudia
Valeria. The church was restored in the 19th century, and in the 1960s
incorporated into the modern Tricalle district, being managed by the
nearby parish of San Francesco Caracciolo. It has an octagonal plan,
originally circular, with the dome modified compared to the original
hemispherical one, being slightly flattened. The traces of the portico
that preceded the pointed arch portal have been eliminated. The interior
is in white stucco, with some fresco drawings by Francesco Paolo
Michetti.
Church of Santa Maria de Cryptis
It is a church from
1568, in late Baroque style, and is located near Villa Obletter. It has
a characteristic bell tower with an "onion" spire, has a rectangular
gabled layout, with a semicircular apse, adorned with stained glass
windows showing scenes of divine wonders. For two centuries it was the
chapel of the Toppi family and other local families, as it has a crypt
with the tombs of the various members who succeeded one another from the
sixteenth to the nineteenth century.
Church of Santa Maria degli
Angeli
It is a modern reconstruction of the old eighteenth-century
church with a single nave. The current appearance dominates Piazza
Venturi, and follows the style of the Romanesque churches of Abruzzo
with a rectangular layout, with a facade surmounted by an octagonal
lantern that acts as a bell tower.
Church of San Fele
Located
on the street of the same name, it is a small place of worship from the
18th century.
Villa Frigerj
The National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo was
housed in the villa built by Baron Ferrante Frigerj and sold in 1864 to
the municipality of Chieti, in the neoclassical building, while the
enormous garden became the main public park of Chieti, full of
centuries-old trees, fountains, panoramic terraces over the city and
towards Mount Maiella.
The construction dates back to 1830 and
was designed by Errico Riccio. It dominates a small hill, originally the
family's agricultural land, located outside the city walls, near Porta
Sant'Andrea. In 1864 the building was a school site, to be precise the
Royal Technical Commercial Institute, one of the most renowned in
central Italy. In 1959, with the construction of the new headquarters of
the institute, and thanks to the interest of the superintendent Valerio
Cianfarani, the villa became the seat of the National Archaeological
Museum. On the outside the building is covered in smooth ashlar brick on
the ground floor and in simple bricks on the remaining levels. The
facade facing Chieti is crowned by a small temple, inside the most
important archaeological collection of Abruzzo is exhibited, accessible
through a museum itinerary set up in 2011 and expanded in 2014 following
criteria that aim to trace a history of the Italic people of Abruzzo, by
distinction of tribe. On the ground floor in a special room there is the
statue of the Warrior of Capestrano, and there is also a library room
with 13,000 volumes with explanatory panels for various in-depth
information. The installation was curated by Mimmo Palladino. On the
first floor there are various finds found in the Abruzzo area, arranged
in chronological order from the prehistoric phase to the late Roman
Empire.
Fasoli Palace
Located in Largo Gian Battista Vico, it
was remodeled in the 1930s and retains the balconies on the main floor
of the ancient structure. The latter, with stone decorations as well as
the portal, are characterized by the capricious rococo style copings
that surmount them. The rest of the façade is entirely plastered in the
shade of Pompeian red.
Bank of Italy building
Its curvilinear
façade overlooks Piazza Valignani, on the site where in the past there
was the noble palace of the Vacri family of the same name. Its
construction was imposed in 1913 on top of the old Palazzo Valignani,
due to the collapse of a pillar of the underlying Roman underground
cisterns[38]. The structure is divided into two sectors by a string
course cornice: the base is wrapped in smooth ashlar, featuring five
entrance arches to the portico, and the second sector has a loggia with
windows with triangular and semicircular frames. After the 2009
earthquake, the palace houses the municipal headquarters of Chieti,
awaiting the restoration of the Palazzo d'Achille.
Building of
the headquarters of the former Cassa di Risparmio of the province of
Chieti
With a small classical façade located on the square in front
of the Palazzo de' Mayo (along Corso Marrucino), it was designed to
house an institutional headquarters following the unification of Italy
and features a fake Corinthian pronaos from the 20th century. The whole
has a neoclassical appearance.
Palace of the Province
Also
called "of the Prefecture", it stands on Corso Marrucino, in the
location of the ancient Dominican convent, demolished in 1913 together
with the church. It has an elegant pseudo-sixteenth-century façade on a
portico supported by paired columns with Ionic capitals. In the splendid
historic halls of the Prefect's residence, among decorated ceilings and
period furnishings, various works are preserved, such as a canvas by
Basilio Cascella of Sound and Sleep (1894), and the painting by Valerico
Laccetti Christus Imperat (1883) from Vasto. .
Chamber of
Commerce building
Initially a guild hall, it stands on Piazzale G.B.
Vico, dates back to the 1930s and is inspired by the municipal buildings
of the Italian Middle Ages, in particular due to the presence of a tower
in the center of the main façade. The project by architect Camillo
Guerra consisted of an eclectic building, which drew from the Roman
Renaissance as regards the windows on the second floor, from the abbey
of San Clemente a Casauria for the portico on the ground floor and from
the palace of the Santissima Annunziata of Sulmona for the windows on
the first floor. Also characteristic are the decorative elements that
refer to the fascist regime, such as the imperial eagle resting on the
head of Mercury, god of commerce. The cornice is supported by corbels
under which polychrome ceramics on the professions practiced in the
region are placed.
Former OND building - University Museum
An
example of fascist architecture, also designed by Camillo Guerra, it was
built as the headquarters of the national recreational club above the
classical structure of the public baths, along Viale IV Novembre, and
wanted to celebrate the regime with its emblematic features, thanks to
the beams that rise in height from the building. It retained its
original functions even after the war, hosting for years the ENAL
cinema, then Gardencine, billiard rooms, a nursery school and a gym,
before being used as the seat of the museum of the history of biomedical
sciences of the Gabriele d'Università. 'Annunzio.
Palazzo
d'Achille - Municipal headquarters
It was built in the 19th century
on the old site of Palazzo Valignani overlooking Piazza Grande (now
dedicated to San Giustino), the seat of power. After the 2009
earthquake, recovery work began in 2015. It overlooks Piazza San
Giustino, Via Chiarini and Corso Marrucino at the church of San
Francesco: the façade is the most interesting element, punctuated by
Ionic pilasters and with two statues of illustrious Theatine figures at
the entrance. The interior of the block has a quadrangular cloister,
with a central column ending with the statue of Achilles on horseback.
Palazzo Majo (or de' Mayo)
With its size, the building imposes
itself on Corso Marrucino. The first nucleus of the complex dates back
to the 16th century. Subsequently, the Costanzo banking family carried
out a massive remodeling work in the 18th century. With the Majo
marquises there was a major restoration in the last decade of the 18th
century, which gave the building a strong reminder of the Neapolitan
villas of this period. The last restoration, between the end of the 20th
century and the beginning of the 2000s, was the work of the penultimate
owner, the CariChieti Foundation, which designated the building not only
as its own offices, but also as a museum and cultural centre. With the
incorporation of the CariChieti Foundation into the Banco di Napoli
Foundation, the building is currently the property of the latter which
has maintained its intended use. The right side of the building is
punctuated by a long series of windows interspersed with pilasters and
spread over two levels, while on the Piazzetta Martiri per la Libertà
there is a monumental eighteenth-century stone portal, although the
wrought iron rose above the door and which bears the Majo monogram is
later. The main façade is preceded by a courtyard, on whose cornice
there are marble busts. Characteristic of the building is the roof
terrace with pagoda roofs, reminiscent of the exotic taste of the
eighteenth century, just as the stork-shaped anemometer placed on the
central roof is unique.
Court Building
Overlooking the city's
main square, Piazza San Giustino, the court was historically located
near the cathedral and the town hall to symbolize the highest city
powers. Formerly the seat of the Royal Audience, at the end of the 19th
century its architectural appearance changed and took on its current
neo-Gothic connotations. In the 1880s the structure was enlarged, to the
detriment of the nearby three-arched door, Porta Zunica, which had to
give way. The portico on the ground floor is interrupted in the centre,
where the central balcony gives rise to a forepart with a pointed arch
surrounded by a stone balustrade.
Palazzo Toppi
Located in the
Trivigliano district along Via Toppi, it is dominated by a
fourteenth-century tower with battlements, among the few examples of
medieval architecture in Chieti and the only remaining example of a
tower built to defend a noble palace, in addition to that of the
archbishop's palace. Following a fire suffered following the city riots
of 1647, it was almost completely rebuilt at the dawn of the eighteenth
century. The palace develops on Porta Pescara and preserves a large
smooth ashlar portal, which leads to a monumental staircase. The facade
was renovated in the 19th century to accommodate commercial premises on
the ground floor. The entrance portal from via dei Tintori is the only
surviving element of the Renaissance structure before 1647. Its ashlars
are cut with diamond tips and decorated with engravings with floral
motifs. On the lowered vault of the entrance hall there is a frescoed
coat of arms of the Toppi barons. The staircase has a double flight,
with Doric columns and monochrome plastic stuccos from the 18th century.
Palazzo Martinetti Bianchi
It overlooks Via de Lollis and was
built by the Jesuit fathers as a convent for the deconsecrated church of
Sant'Ignazio, transformed in 1818 into the Marrucino theatre. With the
suppression of the Society of Jesus, the palace passed first to the
Franchi family, then to the marquises Martinetti Bianchi. The access has
an extremely high arch, and is the widest portal among the Theatine
palaces. It can also boast monumental wooden doors and a panel always
made of the same material which bears the monogram in relief of the last
landowning family. The facade is punctuated by two orders of balconies
and windows arranged in a regular manner. In the entrance hall there is
a guardhouse to control access, while the ceiling bears the family
weapon, which as attested by the Visconti snake was of Lombard origin.
Around the courtyard there is a portico on three sides. The
representative apartment of the palace, with late eighteenth-century
decorations, was commissioned to the painter Giacinto Diano by the
Franchi in 1796. The scenes that the Neapolitan artist created concern
mythology and in particular the fable of Psyche welcomed by Jupiter into
Olympus . It currently houses the Barbella Art Museum.
Palazzo De
Pasquale
Located in the Trivigliano district in Piazza Sant'Agata, it
was the residence of the Sicilian counts of Alaneto. It was formed by
the merging in the 18th century of several buildings purchased over
time. The windows have simple stucco frames on the first floor, while
the window frames and balconies on the second floor are richly
decorated. The rooms within which the staircase ramps are contained are
covered by hemispherical domed cross vaults, supported by Ionic columns.
Before being used as municipal offices and municipal companies, it was
the seat of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Chieti and
Pescara.
Exedra of the fish shop
With its fan shape
overlooking Piazzetta Mario Zuccarini, the fishmonger's exedra recalls a
market from the classical age. The rooms intended for fish and meat
sellers are preceded by a Doric colonnade. The nickname lu richappe is
due to the fact that in the past the barbers' race ended in this little
square, an ancient palio in which horses without jockeys and finishes
took part, arriving there after galloping uphill along Via Padre
Alessandro Valignani and via Arniense (hence the local dialect proverb
"lu cavalle 'bbone s' ved' a lu richappe" since the spectator of the
palio could identify the winning horse or owner only by knowing the
Barbaresco, i.e. the person in charge of the animal). Currently the
exedra has taken the name of Piazzetta Teatro Mario Zuccarini, in memory
of the historic superintendent of the theater Marrucino.
Palazzo
De Sanctis-Ricciardone
It was created by a merger of several previous
houses in the second half of the 18th century and has an adjoining
chapel. It stands towards the end of via De Lollis (formerly dello
Zingaro), at the mouth of Piazza Matteotti. The noble apartment winds
around a monumental double staircase with an elliptical plan and topped
by a small dome and currently houses the Circle of Friends. The facade
is refined by a small portal that forms a single body with the curved
railing balcony above. The entrance hall, obscured by the jutting Art
Nouveau building, houses a small chapel, and in front of this there is a
window that leads into the apartment developed around a double
staircase. This is dominated by an elliptical space, covered with a
dome. Inside you can still admire the decorations of the vaults and the
large ballroom painted with mythological scenes.
Archbishop's
Palace
It is located in Piazza G. Valignani, and is the product of a
total renovation of various structures in the 18th century. The oldest
element is the tower from 1470 built by bishop Colantonio Valignani,
which shows similarities with the medieval structures of Tuscany. The
façade on the square is very simple and sober, divided into two sectors
by a stringcourse, with the upper floor intended for offices, and the
base one for the various shops. Only the monumental central portal
breaks the balance, which is accessed via a 1795 staircase commissioned
by Ambrogio Mirelli, from which you enter the courtyard. The palace
houses the precious Archbishop's Archives of the Theatine diocese.
Zambra Palace
it is located in via degli Agostiniani. With its
baroque lines, it is the result of a late eighteenth-century renovation
carried out by the Zambra family, merchants from Lombardy. It is
characterized by a red and yellow duotone and a round stone portal
within a mixed-line stucco frame and is delimited at the corners by
rounded pilasters. The peculiarity of the portal of this building,
compared to the others in the city, is that together with the window and
the balcony that surmount it they constitute a single projecting body.
Nowadays it is the seat of the Archaeological Superintendence of
Abruzzi.
Palazzo Lepri (formerly Monaco Valletta)
Located
close to the church of the Holy Trinity, it was the suburban villa of
the marquises of the same name, but originally the property belonged to
the Humani family, who were responsible for the construction of the
nearby place of worship. The main element of the building is the high
terrace overlooking Via Vernia, testimony to the nature of this palace
as a villa outside the city, while the interior was decorated in the
18th century on commission from the Humani and in the 19th century on
commission from the Monaco Valletta, who inherited the structure
following the marriage of Maria Maddalena Humani with Domenico Monaco
Valletta. The frescoes in the main hall can be traced back to the 19th
century Theatine painter Raffaele Del Ponte. At the end of the 19th
century the palace passed into the ownership of the Roman family of the
Marquises Lepri following the marriage of Maria Maddalena Monaco La
Valletta to Carlo Ambrogio Lepri. It is currently managed by private
individuals for events, demonstrations and shows of all kinds.
Midnight Palace of Santa Maria
The structure, located behind the
church of Sant'Agata, has a strong impact on the skyline of upper
Chieti. It dates back to the 18th century, and over the years it has
been divided into various rooms for apartments and association
headquarters. In recent years, bricklayers have worked in the caves on
the ground floor, uncovering arches that formed a double portico. These
caves are square-based entrance halls formed by gigantic walls. The
palace has an irregular rectangular plan as it folds into a semicircle,
having been created from the medieval walls. Divided into several
sectors by frames, it has a smaller central building which is divided by
frames and pilasters, ending in a triangle, with a rectangular turret
with windows next to it.
Midnight Palace
It is located in
Piazza San Giustino. It was built by Biase Mezzanotte in eclectic
neo-Renaissance forms in the late 19th century. The palace has a
quadrangular plan with four squat towers, connected to the rest of the
body by string course cornices. The base part is decorated with an
ashlar portico which also includes the towers, subsequently cornices
divide the two floors, with two simple orders of windows, interspersed
with pilasters with gilded Ionic capitals. The palace is known for the
war story of "Chieti, open city" and for having hosted Marshal Pietro
Badoglio during Vittorio Emanuele III's escape to Brindisi (September
1943). While the Savoys continued towards Crecchio (CH) from Rome,
Marshal Badoglio, having dissolved the General Staff, left at night,
alone, for Pescara, managing to board the ship Baionetta before the
royals; At 2.00 pm the royals left from the castle of Crecchio and the
General Staff left for Pescara, discovering that the ship was not there,
while the sovereigns embarked at the port of Ortona, a little further
south. The Nazis occupied the building as their headquarters, all the
tenants having been displaced and gone into hiding, and directed war
operations against the Americans. The palace, although Chieti was an
open city, was bombed on 26 September, suffering some damage.
Sirolli Palace
Overlooking Piazza San Giustino, located next to the
Palazzo d'Achille. The building was built in the second half of the 16th
century: today it is called Sirolli and was born as the property of the
Sante Spinelli family, a Lombard merchant, father of the painter
Giovanni Battista. The palace housed the station of the electric railway
(the trolleybus) from 1900 to 1902. It has an austere baroque
appearance, with a round arch portal with a smooth ashlar frame.
Post and Telegraph Building
Designed in 1920 by Beniamino Angelozzi,
it was inaugurated in 1930 during the completion of the redevelopment of
the San Paolo district, creating the new Via Fratelli Spaventa. It
presents a classical style that harks back to the 19th century, with the
main façade adorned with a central balcony, supported by eight Doric
columns in travertine, which characterizes the entire structure. The
structure has a rectangular plan, divided by frames into three sectors:
the base level has regular square windows, the first floor has a regular
order of windows with two types of architraved frames, the central
sector above the balustrade supported by the Ionic columns has
triangular gables, while the others are all curved. The final sector has
a simple order without frames, and the cornice has dentil decorations.
At the corner corners there are reliefs that represent the symbol of the
Italian Republic.
Henrici Palace
Late nineteenth-century
construction along Corso Marrucino, linked to the Palazzo d'Achille on
one side, and characterized by ashlar bands with neo-Gothic style
windows very similar to those of the Palace of Justice. The building
houses a private institute managed by the D.O.G.E. English Universal
School College. It is divided, by means of frames, into four sectors,
the base part has large round arches with smooth ashlar frames, as is
the entire exterior wrapped in this material, the other sectors are
punctuated by a regular order of windows ashlar mullioned windows, those
on the first floor connected by large balconies, while the others by a
balcony for each. The last sector has simple round lancet windows, and a
series of hanging arches decorates the roof cornice.
Tabassi
Palace
The palace is located on Corso Marrucino and was built by the
Carosi in 1717 over the old Lannutti palace. In 1774, in one of the
large rooms of the upper quarter, a painting was found on the vault of
the room depicting the noble coat of arms of the ancient Carosi house,
consisting of a blue shield with a dark brown head depicting a comet.
Above there is an open helmet with a crown above from which a lion
emerges. As evidence of the discovery there was a public deed by the
notary Giuseppe Angelo Marone. The palace was composed of two very
distinct parts which bordered on the main street for the entire length
of the façade of 150,000 palms and a height of 70,000 palms; transformed
into a noble residence, it was part of that circle of noble homes of the
Durini, Henrici, Mayo and Valignani families. During the French
Revolution the palace was owned by Giampiero Tabassi and became a
cultural circle, especially during the Risorgimento, and in the late
nineteenth century it was a school in which the painter Francesco Paolo
Michetti also participated.
Palace of the Diocesan Seminary
Located between via Arniense and the beginning of Corso Marrucino, the
palace was built in 1568 by Monsignor Gianni Oliva, and enlarged in the
eighteenth century. The façade is completely made of brick with stone
inserts in the large semi-columns and at the base of the pillars of the
portico; on the façade overlooking via Arniense it shows two imposing
foreparts, decorated with a baroque cornice, divided by a terrace.
Inside there is a private chapel, decorated in Rococo style, as well as
a small theater named after Alessandro Manzoni.
"Giovan Battista
Vico" Boarding School Palace
The boarding school is the oldest
educational institution in Chieti, whose origins date back to the
establishment of the Piarist College in 1640. The noble Francesco
Vastavigna and the baron Tommaso Valignani allowed its construction near
the convent, leaving a substantial legacy upon their death; until the
19th century, this college was owned by the Piarist Fathers and the
Pious Schools. In 1742 the jurist G. Antonio La Valletta donated his
assets to the municipal library for the maintenance of the school, which
continued to be managed by the fathers until 1817, when Ferdinand I of
Bourbon transformed it into a "Royal College", i.e. boarding school with
attached secondary schools. From 1822 to 1854 the college was governed
by secular priests, subsequently it was elevated to the "Royal Liceo
dell'Abruzzo Citeriore" with the enthusiasm of the Theatines towards
Ferdinand II of Bourbon, and therefore in the same year it became the
"Royal Liceo dell'Ordine Universitario", with the establishment of
teaching subjects in juridical, chemical, pharmaceutical, surgical,
natural, mineralogical, geological and botanical sciences. In October
1861 with the annexation of Chieti to the Kingdom of Italy, on 12
September the institute became a National Boarding School, with its
first rector Antonio Iocco. Until 1908 the boarding school was always
thriving, so much so that it built a palace near Castellammare Adriatico
for the summer holidays of the boarders, which has now become the "Tito
Acerbo" Technical Institute. Among the various prestigious scholars of
the school were Edoardo Scarfoglio, Angelo Camillo de Meis, Giovanni
Chiarini and Filippo Masci. In 1878 the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio also
studied there briefly, before moving to Prato.
The building has a
rectangular plan with two main entrances with white plaster frames, the
first for the boarding school and the diocesan museum, and the second
for the classical high school, with an adjoining library and central
square-shaped vegetable garden. The building has eighteenth-century
features with exposed bricks, and is also used in events commemorating
the "Mozart Week".
Regional Pontifical Seminary "San Pio
It is
located near the municipal villa, next to the former Military Hospital
(built from the former convent of Sant'Andrea degli Zoccolanti). Pope
Pius On 19 October 1908 in a subsequent meeting, the bishops of Chieti,
Lanciano, Teramo and Penne decided to relocate the diocesan seminary in
Chieti. The management of the seminary was entrusted to the Congregation
of the Mission, following an agreement stipulated by the bishops, with
the visitor of the Roman Province of the Priests of the Mission. Father
Domenico Andrei was thus the first Rector from 1908 to 1917, before the
transfer of the definitive headquarters to Villa Nolli. The projects for
the new headquarters began in 1909: the designer was Cavalier Giovanni
Battista Della Marina from Udine, with work starting before the winter
of 1911. The new seminary was inaugurated in 1914, entitled "Regional
Seminary of Abruzzo". The complex has a rectangular plan, with other
smaller buildings attached, showing a larger building for the school,
and the smaller building used as a church.
Palazzo del Toro (Largo Santa Maria)
Palazzo De Sterlich (Piazza
De Laurentiis)
Frigerj Palace (via Arcivescovado)
Palazzo Paone
(Piazza Umberto I)
Palazzo Olivieri (Corso Marrucino)
Palazzo
Durini (Largo Barbella)
Obletter Palace (Piazza San Giustino, via
Asinio Pollione)
Palazzo Cetti (via Asinio Pollione, home of the
Fasoli jewelry store)
Palazzo Croce (Piazzale G.B. Vico - Corso
Marrucino)
Palazzo Verlengia (modern reconstruction in place of the
demolished Palazzo Lanciano on Piazza Tempietti)
San Camillo de
Lellis Institute Palace (on Corso Marrucino)
Palazzo De Felice (Corso
Marrucino)
The two buildings in Piazza Valignani, built in the
mid-19th century, which act as a scenic curtain over the square from
Corso Marrucino
Former UPIM building, built in the 1960s by
inexplicably demolishing the historic Palazzo Lepri (Corso Marrucino,
the first from Piazza Valignani))
Nolli elementary schools, in Piazza
De Laurentiis
Palazzo Veneziani, historic seat of the old theater
before the new "San Ferdinando" of 1818 (Larghetto Teatro Vecchio)
The Capuchin Elementary School Building, at the entrance to Via Arniense
from Piazza Garibaldi, is an interesting example of scholastic
architectural eclecticism
Villino by Felicetti Giuliante, an eclectic
neo-Gothic construction located in the Borgo Marfisi district.
Palace
of the "Luigi di Savoia" Technical Institute (via Gaetani-D'Aragona)
Building of the "Filippo Masci" Scientific High School (via Nicoletto
Vernia)
Former "Principessa di Piemonte" nursery school, another
interesting example of Art Nouveau eclecticism of an educational
building, built in the early 1920s in what is now Via Principessa di
Piemonte.
Il Casone, noble residence of the Valignani, in the central
square of the Brecciarola district
Former "Sant'Anna" female nursery
school, near the former church of Santa Maria Maddalena in via De
Attiliis
Former Barracks Pierantoni, in Largo Santa Maria, was
created in the mid-19th century from the convent of Santa Maria
Former military hospital of the Bucciante barracks, near the municipal
villa, converted from the convent of Sant'Andrea
Even if it doesn't seem like it today, Chieti had a well-defined wall
circuit, especially with the urban expansion that took place from the
Normans onwards. After the demolitions of the mid-19th and early 20th
centuries, today it is still difficult to read the perimeter of the
walls precisely, except with the help of ancient seventeenth-century
prints, such as that by Pacichelli. The walls were well defined in the
Angevin age, restored in the fifteenth century, with control towers and
access gates, 9 in total, although today only one remains, Porta
Pescara. The other doors were:
Porta Zunica or Colle Gallo,
demolished at the beginning of the 20th century, equipped with three
arches since it was rebuilt in the eighteenth century, also known as Tre
Porte or Piazza Grande, because it led to the churchyard of San
Giustino.
Porta Bucciaia on via Arniense, behind the Cathedral, near
Piazza Zuccarini.
Porta Pescara, still existing, which allowed access
to the city from the north, towards the sea, in the Trivigliano
district.
Porta Santa Maria or San Pietro, near the Pierantoni
Barracks, where a convent was located.
Porta Sant'Angelo, also called
Porta Sant'Antonio, Porta Minerva or Porta Sant'Anna, located at the
level of Piano Sant'Angelo, today Piazza Matteotti. It was part of the
Terranova district, built by the Lombards around the church of
Sant'Antonio Abate and then the monastery of the Poor Clares.
Porta
Orientale or Porta Monacisca, or Porta San Giovanni: it was located at
the height of the church of Materdomini, and today a base of a palatial
wall is preserved.
Porta Santa Croce, or of the Three Crosses, or
even Porta Sant'Andrea: it was located at the height of the church of
the Trinity. It was a medieval door, demolished in the 19th century with
a monumental reconstruction project that never took place, and traces of
it remain in the Suffrage chapel of the church, created from one of the
large bastions of the fortified entrance.
Porta Nuova, also known as
Porta Reale or Porta Napoli: was the access from the north-west, at the
San Paolo district, near the area of the ancient Roman theatre.
Porta
Santa Caterina, also called Porta de Nuculis or "of a single eye": it
was the access from Viale Asinio Herio, to the north, to the San Gaetano
district.
After the construction of the Sulmona-Pescara railway
line, upper Chieti also saw a large demographic increase and therefore
an urban expansion outside the walls, which were definitively
demolished, or incorporated into civilian houses. The remaining gates,
such as Porta Zunica, still existing at the beginning of the 20th
century, were definitively dismantled, while new neighborhoods such as
that of the Sacred Heart or Borgo Marfisi took shape outside the
centuries-old borders. The fortified elements still visible today are,
together with modern military structures:
Porta Pescara
the
only one remaining of the original nine medieval gates, it was built in
1250, in the Angevin period. The original structure is a simple Gothic
pointed arch in stone. The simplicity of the shape is embellished with
small leaf-shaped shelves, which line the interior. The medieval gate at
the entrance to the street is preceded by an 18th century triumphal
arch, in neoclassical style. The decoration is in metopes and triglyphs,
with the main arch, and a turret with a triangular architrave,
embellished with a central clock.
Francesco Spinucci barracks
It is located in Piazza Garibaldi, initially named after Vittorio
Emanuele II. It was built in the mid-19th century, in a neo-Gothic
castle style. The main structure is slightly rectangular, with four
crenellated corner towers, and a central clock tower near the facade.
The windows are pointed, in typical Gothic style.
Cathedral Tower
it certainly also constituted an element of control and sighting, being
the tallest tower in Chieti, located at the highest point of the city.
The tower was built in the 12th century, and in a 16th century print it
is very similar to its current shape. In a seventeenth-century print the
top of the tower is ruined, and the monument was further damaged by the
earthquake of 1703, so much so that its current appearance is the result
of neo-Gothic style restorations carried out first in the mid-19th
century, and then, as regards the spire, continued until the 1950s, when
the spire was rebuilt from scratch. Inside the tower there is an Angevin
inscription which says A.D. MCCCXXXV h.op.fec. Bartholomeus Jacobi. The
first level was built in squared stone ashlars, while brick was used for
the other levels. The three levels were built in 1335. The prism of the
belfry was completed in 1498 by the master Antonio da Lodi, inspired by
the churches of Atri, Campli and Teramo, but the current spire is a late
reconstruction. In fact, although the decorative techniques are typical
for example of the tower of the Teramo Cathedral, with hanging arches,
small oculi with set enamels, central oculus for the clock under the
bell arch, above the octagonal drum of the dome, after the earthquake of
1703 in the early 1900s a circular dome was built, and in 1934, with the
restoration of the cathedral in neo-Gothic style, the spire was built,
damaged in the Second World War, and then restored.
Toppi Tower
The original tower is from the 14th century, with additional battlements
from the Renaissance period. The tower was not part of the city walls,
but was a fortification of the noble palace of the Toppi, together with
the tower of the archbishop's palace. It has an irregular rectangular
plan, with an upper porthole and battlements on the cornice.
Tower of the Archbishop's Palace
The tower is crenellated, made of
brick, dating back to 1470, decorated with hanging arches, embellished
with polychrome majolica cupels. It was built by the bishop Monsignor
Colantonio Valignani. It is linked to the archbishop's palace, which
currently houses the Diocesan Archives.
Valignani Tower
It is
located in via De Lollis, and represents a reworking of a private
residence control outpost. The tower has a fifteenth-century style, with
an irregular quadrangular plan, with bastions, slits, and a crown of
battlements.
Torre Anelli Fieramosca
It is located in the
cemetery area, and dates back to the fifteenth century, built by the
Anelli Theatine family, then passed to the Fieramosca in the sixteenth
century. The tower has a quadrangular plan, made of masonry and bricks,
with a crenellated upper crown.
Corso Marrucino
main street of the historic centre, it winds from
via Arniense, skirting the church of San Francesco al Corso, the crooked
alley of the San Ferdinando theater (i.e. the Marrucino theatre),
arriving in Piazza Gian Gabriele Valignani, with the Marrucino theatre,
recently embellished by a luminous fountain. The course continues along
a straight line up to Piazza Trento e Trieste, skirting the diocesan
palace, the provincial and court buildings, the Bank of Italy, the de
Mayo palace, the Fasoli palace, and lastly the Chamber of Commerce
Palace . The second church crossed by the course is the one dedicated to
San Domenico, with the "Giambattista Vico" classical high school next to
it.
Piazza San Giustino
formerly Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, is
characterized by the imposing mass of the Cathedral of San Giustino, and
then by the Palace of Justice, the Town Hall and the Palazzo Mezzanotte.
Via Arniense
second main street of Chieti, which connects to
Corso Marrucino and at the opposite end to Via dei Toppi. It winds from
Piazza Garibaldi to Largo Cavallerizza, encountering the monuments of
the churches of Sant'Antonio and Santa Chiara, passing through the
Carabinieri barracks.
Largo Cremonese
suggestive square in the
historic center, with eighteenth-century buildings.
Garibaldi
Square
initially conceived as a Piazza d'Armi in the late 19th
century for the "Vittorio Emanuele" barracks, during the 20th century it
was embellished and surrounded by civil structures, and today it
constitutes the access to the historic center via Via Arniense coming
from the Sacro Cuore district . The Spinucci Barracks overlook it on one
side, and the historic headquarters of the Cassa di Risparmio della
Provincia, created from the former Capuchin convent, on the other.
Viale IV Novembre
it was built in the early 1900s as a backdrop
to the municipal villa of Baron Frigerj. It is accessed from Piazzale
Trento e Trieste, near the church of the Trinity and the University
Museum, and is adorned with a series of lime trees, which lead to the
square of the Villaggio del Fanciullo, and then to Piazzale Mazzini, the
heart of the municipal villa, with the nineteenth-century fountain.
De Laurentiis Square
square overlooked by interesting eclectic
buildings from the late nineteenth century, such as Palazzo Massangioli
and the Nolli elementary schools.
Luminous fountain: it is located in Piazza Valignani, and was built
in 2010. It is a circular travertine basin with a wrought iron perimeter
for seating. The fountain represents an attempt to redevelop the
historic center, but at the time it aroused controversy because it was
built over an ancient Roman sacred well, since the square is
historically called Largo del Pozzo.
Fontana dei Cannelli: it is
located in the Tricalle district, near the police station. It dates back
to 1663, built by Baron Antonio Valignani, and consists of a brick
front, built from a retaining wall of the hill, and nine basins
separated by buttresses, also in bricks, which close upwards, becoming
pilasters. The central ones are higher and decorated, above the middle
basin the wall forms a tympanum without frame and architrave, on which
the stone coat of arms of Chieti is inserted, with the warrior Achilles
on horseback. Above the other eight basins runs a brick band, which
delimits for each one a surface in which a sign is inserted indicating
the respective function: the first basin is first, the second serves as
a drinking trough, the third for drawing, the fourth for watering. On
the right, the first tub is indicated for rinsing, while the others are
considered for washing.
Fonte Grande: it dates back to the 2nd
century, when the thermal complex was built, as it is located close to
it. The Teate water reservoir capable of carrying 3,566 cubic meters of
water is one of the best preserved in Italy, and leads the water to the
fountain. The source was restored in 1956 and consists of a brick
retaining wall with two large round arches, from which the water flows
into the base basin.
Monument to San Giustino: dates back to 2005,
the work of the artist Luciano Primavera, located under the bell tower
of the Cathedral. It represents, on a Greek column with pedestal, the
hypothetical figure of the saint, in bronze, in the act of blessing,
while holding the crosier with another hand.
Monument to Saverio
Selecchy: it is a very recent work, from 2017, located in front of the
Palazzo de' Mayo. A wavy wrought iron column, on a pedestal, supports a
violin, in memory of the Theatine composer of sacred music, who wrote
the famous Miserere intoned in the Good Friday procession.
War
memorial: located in the municipal villa, built in 1924 on the
anniversary of the victory of the Great War. The monument is
characterized by two subjects: on top of a large marble pedestal there
is a soldier waving a flag, exulting in the liberation of the unredeemed
lands of Trento and Trieste, as reported by the dedicatory inscription;
below there is a lifeless soldier, and between the two a bronze pedestal
worked on all faces of the marble block. On the front there are winged
victories flying over the fleet of ships, on the right side you can see
the Arena of Pola, emblem of the feat of Raffaele Paolucci and Raffaele
Rossetti on 1 November 1918 in Istria; on the left side you can glimpse
the Buonconsiglio castle of Trento and on the rear a knight in a wreath.
As a counterpoint to the glorious infantryman there is a rocky spur
between the trench bags. The naturalistic rendering of the soldier's
face is valuable, described in details that reveal the psychological
movement.
Statue of San Michele Arcangelo: it is a statue from the
early 2000s, created in Piazza Matteotti, on a column with a pedestal,
in memory of the foundation of the Terranova district of Piano
Sant'Angelo by the Lombards, of whom he was the patron saint.
Municipal villa: composed of several terraced levels, the most
upstream part, near the museum, is composed of an Italian garden on one
side and a small forest on the other; in the intermediate terrace there
is an Italian garden and a monumental fountain, downstream the walks
among the greenery and the illuminated lakes, with walkways and stone
bridges, and a small peninsula for mini shows surrounded by water. In
the center is Piazzale Mazzini with the monumental fountain and the
arches with benches that display in front of the main entrance. Along
the avenue there is the Monument to the Fallen of the 1915-18 War
created by the sculptor Pietro Canonica and inaugurated on 19 June 1924.
The villa is adjacent to two other large green areas, fenced, the area
of the former military hospital and that of the Pontifical Regional
Seminary of Saint Pius
Giardino dei Semplici: botanical garden
managed by the Gabriele d'Annunzio University, located within the
university campus of Madonna delle Piane. It is recognized as a site of
regional interest given the presence of endemic species of the Abruzzo
flora, including plants at risk of extinction.
Obletter Park: is
located in Chieti Scalo and represents the largest playground equipped
for children in the municipality, in addition to the two small
playgrounds in the municipal villa.
According to studies carried out on archaeological finds, the hill
was inhabited starting at least 3500 years ago and the first significant
nucleus dates back to the Iron Age. Signs of the importance assumed by
the ancient Teate Marrucinorum, especially after the social war, are the
archaeological remains of three small temples, a theatre, an
amphitheater and a thermal complex.
Roman amphitheater of
Civitella
The main find was brought to light during archaeological
excavations in the 1960s at the foot of the Civitella hill. The
discovery revealed architectural terracottas, fragments of bronze
statues and ornaments and mosaics, some deposits in a favissa, forming
part of some temples from the 2nd century BC. and demolished in the
following century and now exhibited in the La Civitella archaeological
museum. The terracotta finds have allowed us to hypothesize the
conformation of the temples of the acropolis. The temples stood on a
podium accessible via a staircase placed at the front which led to the
portico with a colonnade which in turn led to a cell. The place of
worship was decorated on the front with statues and covering plaques.
Later the buildings of worship were dismantled and the decorations were
brought further downstream when a porticus was built in the Caesarian
age, then the pagan religious functions were transferred to the center
of the ancient city near the sacred area of the well modernized in the
first half of the 1st century AD and incorporated into the temples. The
ruins of the amphitheater dating back to the 1st century AD have
recently been reported. and aimed at gladiator fights. The amphitheater
is elliptical in shape and was connected to the road system to the north
and the extra-urban roads to the south. The excavations revealed part of
the wall that surrounds the arena and the grandstand with a bichromatic
opus reticolatum structure with brick recesses.
Roman theatre
Outside the Civitella district and heading towards the center of Chieti
you can notice, at the intersection of via di Porta Napoli and via
Generale Pianell, the ruins of the theater dating back to the 1st
century AD. The buildings surrounding the theater have completely hidden
the orchestra and the proscenium. The north-eastern side of the cavea
wall in opus mixtum is currently visible. The cavea is partly located on
the slopes of the Civitella hill and partly covered by barrel vaults.
The theater was composed of two levels as demonstrated by part of the
semicircular corridor that blocked the floor above. The stands could
hold around 5000 spectators. The theater measured approximately 80
meters in diameter. The main entrance led to a stepped climb replaced by
vico II Porta Reale, so you entered a corridor which was located above
the auditorium, probably concluded by arches.
Roman thermal baths
They are located in the eastern area of the city. They date back to the
2nd century AD. Access was permitted via a staircase that led to an
oblique corridor with a mosaic floor depicting black crosses on a white
background. The corridor led into an entrance hall with columns with
mosaic flooring depicting Neptune. Subsequently it was possible to reach
various environments represented by three rooms raised by a suspensurae
which represented the calidarium. In front of the square atrium there
were semicircular basins covered with marble and, at the bottom, there
was a larger one relating to the frigidarium. The eastern area was
destroyed due to the instability of the ground, the water was supplied
by a cistern located near the spa. The cistern was located in an
underground environment made up of nine communicating rooms leaning
against the hill. The rooms were structured to withstand the pressure of
water and soil through niches placed around the nine rooms.
Roman
temples
They are located in Piazza dei Templi Romani. They are
commonly called small temples of San Paolo. They were identified with
certainty by Desiderio Scerna with the excavations begun in the 1920s
(Dr D. Mancini fact sheet). In 1997, during restoration work on the
temple complex, a further underground environment was brought to light.
This is the oldest place of worship in Chieti and consists of three
neighboring temples. The first two consist of a cell with pronaos and
crypt, while the last is composed only of a cell and crypt. Some
elements suggest that they were built in the Roman period, including the
concrete walls of the first and second temples and the use of the opus
reticolatum. The third temple appears later, in the 3rd century when a
Roman colony was established in Teate and it became necessary to build a
capitol with three traditional divinities, namely Jupiter, Juno and
Minerva, however the foundations testify to an earlier period dating
back to the 5th century.
Chieti boasts, in addition to the numerous remains of the ancient
Roman civilization, an entire underground city located right under the
current historic center. With the aim of satisfying the needs of the
population in ancient Teate, a complex system of cisterns connected by
tunnels equipped with ventilation holes was created, which is still
partly intact, so much so that some underground rooms were used as
anti-aircraft shelters during the Second War world.
The tunnels
are located in the Trivigliano district, under Porta Pescara, Largo
Sant'Agata, via dei Tintori, a cistern is located under Piazza dei
Templi Romani, another under Piazza Valignani and under the Bank of
Italy, a third under Largo dei Carbonari in via Selecchy, then there is
the underground complex of via Tecta, which passes under Corso Marrucino
and reaches the eastern part of Fonte Grande with the underground
aqueduct (viale Amendola) and the Roman baths.
The tunnels are of
two types, which corresponded to two different functions: those covered
by opus caementicium were used to transport water from the cisterns
placed in a higher position towards the others, while those with a
capuchin vault were useful for collecting water by dripping. The water
entered the cisterns also thanks to manholes surrounded by an opus
spicatum floor of suitable inclination and those intended for drinking
use were filtered with calcium carbonate plugs. The function of the via
tecta, an underground road more than four meters high, which has walls
of opus mixtum and a vault of opus caementicium, has not yet been
understood with certainty. In the Middle Ages this system of cisterns
probably continued to be used, but other underground environments were
built later and the ancient legacy was partly abandoned.
Chieti is located in the central-eastern part of
Abruzzo, 330 meters above sea level, on a hill that divides the
waters of the Aterno-Pescara river basin (to the north) from those
of the Alento river (to the south).
The city enjoys a
favorable geographical position, both because it is close to the
Adriatic coast and the mountain masses of the Majella and Gran Sasso
with the related and imaginable landscapes (it has been defined "the
terrace of Abruzzo" and "the aerial city"), and because it is served
by the main transport networks on the Adriatic side of Central
Italy.
The city is divided into two main centers, Chieti Alta
and Chieti Scalo.
Chieti Alta is the oldest part of the city
and includes the historic center which, located on the hill, houses
numerous remains and buildings in various styles that tell of the
many historical phases crossed by the Theatine capital.
Chieti Scalo is instead the most modern and industrial part of the
city. Located north of the hill and extending to the right bank of
the Aterno-Pescara river, it developed mainly following the route of
the ancient via Tiburtina Valeria (which in the urban section is
renamed and divided into via Aterno, viale Abruzzo, viale Benedetto
Croce and viale Unità d'Italia) and the Rome-Pescara railway.
Through the development of this part of the city, Chieti has merged
and integrated into the Pescara-Chietina metropolitan area, which
reaches a total population of about 350 thousand inhabitants.
The Chieti Scalo area in particular hosts numerous university
students from the campus of the "Gabriele d'Annunzio" university in
via dei Vestini.
The climate is typically
Mediterranean, and benefits from the influences of marine origin
(the city is just over 10 kilometers from the sea in the Chieti
Scalo area), but at the same time is affected by the influence of
the Majella, which is about 25 - 30 km away. The temperatures are
neither excessively high nor too rigid, and the temperature
variations between day and night are decidedly contained, as only in
some Abruzzo towns along the coast.
In the month of January
(the coldest) the average temperature is 6-7 ° C, with the minimum
of 4-5 ° C and the maximum of 9-10 ° C. In winter it can sometimes
happen that with currents from south-west Chieti finds itself under
conditions of favonium (or föhn), capable of causing a sudden
increase in temperature, which can even reach 25 ° C, and a decrease
in temperature. relative humidity. From the analysis of numerous
data, found at the offices of the municipality, the minimum winter
night temperatures have recorded remarkably high values, which are
perhaps equal only to those of the Vasto promontory: in fact it does
not appear that the absolute minimum has ever touched the -10 ° C,
while in the surrounding area it was possible to reach peaks of -10
° C and more. In winter, snow can fall abundantly, often with peaks
of up to one meter, due to the arrival of perturbations from Eastern
Europe: in fact, due to currents from the north-east Chieti is
affected by both stau, which causes generally weak, more intense
precipitation if accompanied by a depression, both of the Siberian
buran.
In the hottest month (July) the minimum temperature is
around 20-21 ° C, while the maximum is around 30-31 ° C, especially
in Chieti Scalo, and as is happening more and more frequently, due
to the influence of the North African anticyclone , it may happen
that at night the thermometer does not go below 20-22 ° C, while
during the day it can reach maximum values even of 35-36 ° C,
values exasperated also by the high humidity that usually
accompanies them.
Precipitation is decidedly abundant if
compared with that of other areas of the Adriatic Abruzzo (about
600-700 mm per year, which can be found at the Scalo, more than 800
in the hilly part) thanks to the good exposure of the relief to the
perturbations, mainly north-western and north-eastern and
concentrated mainly in autumn and winter. However, unlike many
cities in Northern Europe, the rains are distributed in fewer days
(approximately 80-100 days a year), this means that very often there
are storms of exceptional vigor, not infrequently accompanied by
hail or lightning. A certain dryness and scarcity of rainfall can be
found in summer, when the good weather is interrupted only at long
intervals by rains and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon,
caused by cyclonic depressions that cross the Alps from the North
Atlantic, breaking up the dominant regime of high pressure. Towards
the second half of August, the first significant rainfall appears,
and the maximum annual rainfall peaks are recorded between October
and November.
The wind is often intense, but at the same time mitigates the
summer temperatures. Due to its peculiar hilly position Chieti is
one of the windiest cities in Italy, winds are frequent especially
in winter, during which they are cold (Siberian) and bring snow and
frost, and in spring, during which they bring the particular hilly
breeze.
The diurnal humidity values are usually not high,
even if, especially in July and August, there are long and very
sultry periods, mainly due to the North African anticyclone and the
proximity to the sea.