Villa Popolo

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Location of Teramo in Italy
Location of Teramo in Italy

Villa Popolo is a small village in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Torricella Sicura.

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[edit] Geography

It is located next to the small community of Ioanella and about 1.5 miles from Teramo, the provincial capital.

The village of Villa Popola is divided into three small localities: Villa Torre (site of most of the residences), Popolo Alta and Popola Bassa. The last two locations are dominated by small, often economically impoverished, clusters of farmsteads.

[edit] History

Villa Popolo is famous for the Church of Saint Bartholomew containing precious frescoes. Historical records from the year 1267 make mention of this important parish church and interior and exterior engravings suggest that a renovation was completed the 1684.

Inside the church of San Bartolomeo in Villa Popolo
Inside the church of San Bartolomeo in Villa Popolo

It is somewhat unusual for a church this small and isolated to have such frescoes dating back to this time period. Ceiling frieze decorations depict saints and martyrs in symbolic form. Notable is their having been painted in the style of the great Spanish cathedral in Toledo. They have been signed although it is not entirely clear if the names on the paintings refer to the master scenic artist or to an assistant. It goes without saying that such precious masterpieces of this genre are quite rare in the Abruzzo region.

[edit] Festivals

Each year, during the first part of June, the "Sagra del Formaggio Fritto" (Festival of Fried Cheese) takes place. In addition to a celebration of this famous dish, other delicacies and local wines are available for tastings. Exhibitions feature the transumanza (sheepherding migrations initiating in areas of Abruzzo and leading to Puglia, Lazio and other areas in more southern Italy). Various displays also depict the ancient professions of milling, cheese production, forestry, and woodworking.

[edit] Notes and references

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Abruzzo · Comuni of the Province of Teramo
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