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Amatrice

Coordinates: 42°37′37″N 13°17′41″E / 42.62694°N 13.29472°E / 42.62694; 13.29472
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Amatrice
Comune
Comune di Amatrice
View of Corso Umberto I in Amatrice before the 2016 earthquake
View of Corso Umberto I in Amatrice before the 2016 earthquake
Coat of arms of Amatrice
Coat of arms
Location of Amatrice
Map
Amatrice is located in Italy
Amatrice
Amatrice
Location of Amatrice in Italy
Amatrice is located in Lazio
Amatrice
Amatrice
Amatrice (Lazio)
Coordinates: 42°37′37″N 13°17′41″E / 42.62694°N 13.29472°E / 42.62694; 13.29472
CountryItaly
RegionLazio
ProvinceRieti (RI)
Frazionisee list
Government
 • MayorAntonio Fontanella
Area
[1]
 • Total
174 km2 (67 sq mi)
Elevation
955 m (3,133 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[2]
 • Total
2,500
 • Density14/km2 (37/sq mi)
DemonymAmatriciani
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
02012
Dialing code0746
Patron saintFiletta's Madonna
Saint dayAscension Day
WebsiteOfficial website

Amatrice (Italian: [amaˈtriːtʃe]; Sabino: L'Amatrici) is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Rieti, in the Italian region of Lazio, and the center of the food-agricultural area of Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. The town was devastated by a powerful earthquake on 24 August 2016. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ('The most beautiful villages of Italy').[3]

History

[edit]

Archaeological discoveries show a human presence in the area of Amatrice since prehistoric times, and the remains of Roman buildings and tombs have also been found. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area became part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto, included in the comitatus of Ascoli. The town of Matrice is mentioned in the papers of the Farfa Abbey in 1012 as commanding the confluence of the Tronto and Castellano rivers. In the year 900 the pope was from Amatrice.

The medieval and early modern periods

[edit]
Church of Sant'Agostino in May 2011

In 1265, during the reign of Manfred of Sicily, Amatrice became part of the Kingdom of Naples. After the capture of Naples by the Angevins, Amatrice rebelled but was vanquished by Charles I of Anjou in 1274, although it maintained some sort of autonomy as an universitas.

In the 14th and 15th century, Amatrice was frequently in conflict with the neighbouring comuni of Norcia, Arquata, and L'Aquila, and its troops took part in the siege of L'Aquila under Braccio da Montone. In the course of the conflict between Angevins and the Aragonese for the possession of the Kingdom of Naples, Amatrice sided with Naples.

The Church of Sant'Agostino (pictured left) was built in 1428.

In 1529, Amatrice was stormed by troops of Philibert of Chalon, a general in the service of Emperor Charles V, who gave it to its general Alessandro Vitelli.

The city was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1639.

Later, Amatrice was held by the Orsini and the Medici of Florence, who kept it until 1737.

The modern period

[edit]

After the unification of Italy in the 19th century, Amatrice became part of the province of L'Aquila in the region of Abruzzo, eventually being annexed to Lazio in 1927.

On 24 August 2016, a powerful earthquake struck Amatrice,[4] devastating the town and killing at least 295 people.[5] Sergio Pirozzi, at the time the mayor of Amatrice (in March 2018 he was elected in the Regional Council of Lazio[6]), said that the town "is no more".[5] Later, Pirozzi said that "three-quarters of the town was destroyed".[7][8] Nearby Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also devastated.

Historical buildings

[edit]
Historical buildings and their condition after the 2016 earthquake
Building Completed Status Additional elements / notes
Civic tower 13th century ‡
Church of Sant'Agostino 1428 † Includes a Gothic portal and some frescoes, including the Annunciation and Madonna with Child and Angels.
Severe damage after the earthquake: part of the roof and the upper half of the façade, including the rose window, collapsed.[9]
Church of Sant'Emidio 15th century †
Church of San Francesco late 14th century Includes a marble Gothic portal and 15th century frescoes in the apse.
Church of Santa Maria Porta Ferrata †
Gothic church † Located in the frazione of San Martino
Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie 15th century † Located on the alleged site of Marcus Terentius Varro's villa
Sanctuary of Icona Passatora late 15th century † Located in the frazione of Ferrazza
Oratory of Santa Maria di Loreto late 16th century † Located in the frazione of Rio[10]

‡ Withstood the 2016 earthquake
† Did not withstand the earthquake

Cuisine

[edit]
Bucatini all'amatriciana[11]

Amatrice is especially famous for a pasta sauce, sugo all'amatriciana,[12] usually served with a long pasta such as spaghetti,[13] bucatini,[11] or rigatoni. According to popular tradition, numerous cooks of the popes down the centuries came from Amatrice.[citation needed]

People

[edit]
  • Nicola Filotesio (1480 or 1489–1547 or 1559), Italian painter, architect and sculptor of the Renaissance period
  • Giovanni Domenico Roberto Minozzi (1884-1959), Italian Roman Catholic priest who founded Opera nazionale per il Mezzogiorno d'Italia
  • Elio Augusto Di Carlo (1918–1998), Italian ornithologist, historian and physician
  • Sara Pichelli (born 1983), artist

Frazioni

[edit]

Frazioni (hamlets) of the town include Aleggia, Bagnolo, Capricchia, Casale, Casale Bucci, Casale Celli, Casale Masacci, Casale Nadalucci, Casalene, Casale Nibbi, Casale Sanguigni, Casale Sautelli, Casale Zocchi, Casali della Meta, Cascello, Castel Trione, Collalto, Collecreta, Collegentilesco, Collemagrone, Collemoresco, Collepagliuca, Colletroio, Colli, Conche, Configno, Cornelle, Cornillo Nuovo, Cornillo Vecchio, Cossara, Cossito, Crognale, Domo, Faizzone, Ferrazza, Filetto, Fiumatello, Francucciano, Le Forme, Moletano, Musicchio, Nommisci, Osteria della Meta, Pasciano, Patàrico, Petrana, Pinaco Arafranca, Poggio Vitellino, Prato, Preta, Rio, Retrosi, Roccapassa, Rocchetta, Saletta, San Benedetto, San Capone, San Giorgio, San Lorenzo a Pinaco, San Sebastiano, Santa Giusta, Sant'Angelo, San Tommaso, Scai, Sommati, Torrita, Torritella, Varoni, Villa San Cipriano, Villa San Lorenzo e Flaviano, and Voceto.[14]

See also

[edit]

Media related to Amatrice at Wikimedia Commons

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Lazio" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ^ "'This used to be my home': Italians in shock after devastating earthquake". The Guardian. United Kingdom. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Italy earthquake leaves 159 dead; towns ruined". CNN. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Composition of the Regional Council of Lazio". regione.lazio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Italy earthquake: Death toll rises to at least 159". BBC News. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Italian town of Amatrice badly hit by quake, people under rubble – mayor". Thomson Reuters. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Amatrice, il crollo della chiesa di Sant'Agostino". askanews (in Italian). 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Italian officials probing if high earthquake death toll result of building code infractions". CBC News. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Best Bucatini all'Amatriciana". La Cucina Italiana. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  12. ^ Brigit Binns (2004). Sauce. Chuck Williams (editor). Simon and Schuster. p. 63. ISBN 9780743261876. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "Gli Spaghetti all'amatriciana" (in Italian). Comune di Amatrice. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  14. ^ Pulsoni, Gianfranco. "Comune di Amatrice(RI), 49 frazioni, 2.630 abitanti (ISTAT 2013)". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
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