Italic civilization

The building of typical fortified megalithic dwellings that protect heights and pastures, goes back to the beginnings of Italic Civilization (IXth–VIth Centuries b.C.). Several remains have been found around the major massives, from the surroundings of Sulmona (Mount Mitra; Colle delle Fate) to the Northern Valleys (Colle Civita in Roccamorice, Civita Danzica in Rapino); from the Aventino Valley (Lettopalena, Lama dei Peligni, Montenerodomo) to the Plateaux (Pescocostanzo, in the locality of Quarto del Mulino; Rivisondoli, Serra Castellaccio; Roccaraso, along the Via della Carrozza; Castel di Sangro).

In the following centuries (550 b.C.-VIth Century a.C.), the sociopolitical organization of the populations living around Majella is featured by the progressive change from a “royal period” into that republican type called “Toutas”.

The people who created this culture are well-known thanks to several epigraphic and archaeological evidences and to foreign historians (Romans): Peligni, Marrucini, Carricini and, for the Plateaux area, Pentri. Around the Maiella massif stand some important cities, the names of which were known in their latinized forms: Corfinium, Sulmo, Interpromium, Cluviae, Iuvanum and, for the Pentri, Aufidena. Moreover, many important sanctuaries have to be added to these cities: from the Sanctuary dedicated to Hercules Curino, at the foot of the Mount Morrone, to that one part of a series of discovered shrines next to Cansano and many others located in the Northern valleys (Santa Maria di Arabona, San Tommaso di Caramanico and more). We know the most spread worship, among these populations, was that one devoted to Hercules, the God of Strength. His effigy is reproduced in several small Italic-Roman bronze statues coming from different zones (many of which coming form the votive stipe of San Tommaso) and it was immortalized with the Hercules Curino statue, preserved in the Archaelogical Museum of Chieti. This handicraft, probably by Lisippo, was purchased in Greece in the I Century b.C. and then was given to the Sanctuary in Morrone by the merchant and ship-owner Marco Attio Peticio, because his family came from the same area.

From the beginnigs of IIIrd Century b.C. these populations gradually adopted the Roman ways, so it is difficult to pick out the different habits. However, it deserves to be remembered their last strong opposition against Romans - the "Social War" (from 91 to 88 b.C.) - when Corfinium became with the name of Italica (Italia or Italicum) the Confederation Capital.

The Italic cities gained a greater importance inside the Roman context. Their fast development was supported by a strong increase of sheep farming in the surrounding mountains and the improvement of road network. The famous bas-rilief, founded and preserved in Sulmona (I b.C.), surely refers to these resources: there are pictures of sheep farming, carriage and trade of foodstuffs.

The final merging of peninsular territories, carried out by Romans, fostered the practice of horizontal Transhumance: during the Roman period the network of cattle-tracks (“calles”, while the shepherds were called “callitani”) was improved. The same it can be said about the main roads: the main axis was represented by the roads called Tiburtina, Claudia and Valeria. These roads connected Rome to Hostia Aterni (Pescara) through Alba Fucens, Corfinium, Interpromium and Teate. This axis was crossed by a longitudinal one: from the North (Amiternum) the Claudia Nova and from the South the road passing through Corfinium, Sulmo and Templum Jovis Larene (shrines discovered in Cansano, close to Sant’Antonio Pass) reached Aufidena. From Sulmo came also a road that, through the Mount Morrone, San Leonardo Pass, reached the Orta Valley and Interpromium.

Rural dwellings called “Vici” or “Pagi” were built all around the Maiella, especially in the areas of Orta and Lavino rivers. Some praedial toponyms such as Bolognano, Scagnano, Trovigliano, Cusano, Flagiano and Arcessano (the word “fundum” is understood) are important evidences of this phenomenon. This is also the area in which developed the mining activities of chalk and bitumen (a bitumen pat, dating back to the Ist Century a.C., was found in Lettomanoppello probably with the cave contractor’s name).
According to the evidences discovered in Cansano shrines, during the IVth Century a.C. began the Christianization of “Peligno” territory and then the phenomenon spread towards the mountains.