The Norman Conquest and the Fall of Neapolitan Reign (1100 – 1860)
Despite of its length and the variety of events, this period keeps a
structural unity: the extraordinary stability of geopolitical situation.
This factor strongly featured the Southern Italy, from Sicily to Tronto and
Garigliano, thanks to its Unification under the Norman Reign (1061-1144),
especially when Naples became the Capital City (1282). In these conditions
Abruzzo played as an important junction between North and South.
This long
historical period includes, concerning the Majella territory, different
phases and events. During these eight centuries of history several feudal
Lords took the control of these zones: at first they were local families
(the Counts of Valva, Sangro, Manoppello, Cantelmo, Caldora and others), but
then came some Neapolitan or Roman Family too..
"Fortifications"
During the Xth and the XIth centuries these territories shaped its final
planning structure. The increase of urbanization phenomenon, the need of new
inhabitants to protect themselves from the incursions of Saracens,
Hungarians, and Norman conquerors, the input of religious or aristocratical
potentates enabled the building of real dwellings, located in good positions
and endowed with walls. This is the so-called "incastellamento" (Fortifications)
, that points at the birth of villages (called “castles”). Their names often
preserve an element revealing a protected position: Pesco (from the Italic “pestlon”),
Pietra, Rocca, Pizzo, Penna.
This fact has been registered for the first
time IXth Century in Manoppello and other cases in Xth Century (Salle,
Cantalupo di Tocco da Casauria, Abbateggio, Pietransieri, Cansano). .
In qualche raro caso il fatto si documenta già nel secolo IX (per Manoppello),
in altri casi nel X (almeno per Salle, Cantalupo di Toccoda Casauria,
Abbateggio, Pietransieri, Cansano, il cui toponimo rivela però un antefatto
romano), nella grande maggioranza nell’XI.
