COLLEDIMACINE IN THE AVENTINO VALLEY:

Historic-Geographic Facts

Amelio Pezzetta

Translated by Anthony Falcone

At 768 meters above sea level and on a broad plateau bounded by the streams of the Cupo and Torbido, both tributaries to the Aventino River, are the dwellings that comprise the Commune of Colledimacine.

Its territory extends approximately 11.4 Km² and for almost its entirety, consists of agricultural terrain; which every so often there are large rock outcroppings of various types. Within this is a calcareous platform on which the town is built. It seems that the various rock formations of the Colledimacine territory, all of which are sedimentary in origin, were created approximately 49-52 million years ago.

Observing the plan of the town, it is easy to recognize that via Roma is the principal street. It begins at the first houses and ends at Piazza Barbolani, the principal square of the town. From via Roma, almost at right angles depart other secondary streets that lead to streets more or less parallel to the first or to large open squares: Piazza Clemente di Leo, Piazza San Giovanni and Piazza Belvedere.

Based on existing documentation, only a partial reconstruction of the local history is possible. The nature of the town's name and the time of its coinage are unknown. In the "Catalogus Baronum," catalogue of feudal lands from the Norman period, there is reference to a community called "COLLE DE MAJO." But it is unclear whether this refers to Colledimacine. Several serendipitous discoveries suggest that prehistoric populations lived within the territory of Colledimacine. At the beginning of the 20th century in the Colle area, at the extreme south of the town's land, the following discoveries were made: foundations of straw huts, pottery shards, flagstones and remnants of pottery in Neolithic colors. Additional shards from the prehistoric and Roman periods have been discovered in the Pietra St. Angelo, S. Maria della Tomba and Casaleni areas. These reports may show that until the Roman period, there existed within the territory in question a sparsely occupied settlement completely distinct from the later town, a settlement that exploited the agricultural and pastoral resources locally available.

At some time during the Middle Ages it is supposed that, on the calcareous platform of the actual center of town, a castle was founded (probably over the present location of the Palazzo dei Conti Barbolani), the church of S. Nicola and the first compact nucleus in the vicinity of these two important edifices.

The first historic documentation regarding Colledimacine during the Middle Ages is from 1269, which lists the fiefdom of Colle delle Macine under the ownership of Rainaldo Galgano, Gualtieri di Galgano, Berardo d'Oderisio, Gentile d'Oderisio di Acciano and Andrea Cansano. All together this fiefdom would give an annual rent of 19 onces and 1 tali. From the entity of that rent, it is apparent that 24 families were living in Colledimacine.

In 1316, according to Antinori, one-eighth of the fiefdom of Colle delle Macine was owned by Ruggieri di Colledimacine while one quarter of Ruggieri's part was owned by Gullermo di Torricella. In a record book of the ***** due to the church collectors, for the years of 1324-1325 the clerics of Colledimacine for those ***** paid the sum of 4 tari. At that period of time there were three churches were in Colledimacine: S. Johannis, S. Nicolaj e S. Maria di Colledimacines. If the clerics paid 4 tari, it meant that the income of the local church during that time amounted to 40 tarì or 1.3 once corresponding to approximately 33 grams of gold.

In the census of 1447, ordered by the Aragonese, 30 families (207 individuals) lived in Colledimacine. During that time, the more common surnames of the locale were: Amici, Antonjj, Bianczardi, Cicharelli, Cicci, Ferrectus, Falcus, Giptius, Guillelmi, Joannis, Leonardi, Messere, Masiarelli, Mancinus, Nicolaj, Parza, Rajnaldi, Sacchecte, Sproveri.

During that census, the local archpriest Giovanni cohabitated with a woman whose name was Lella and two children ages 8 and 11. During this time, each family paid a tax called the "focatico," during but the ecclesiastics were exempt from it. The archpriest Giovanni cohabitating with Lella and the two children had to renounce the exemption and pay the focatico for his cohabitation.

The year 1499 is conspicuously carved into the stone sill of an apartment window. On the same street are other edifices that are supposed to be erected during the 16th century: another window and the portal of the archpriest's house. Other 16th century items that survived are conserved in the interior of the church of S. Nicola: two holy water fountains sculpted from local stone, a crucifix and the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie.

If the 16th century encroached Colledimacine with new edifices and works of art, at the same time the weight of feudal oppression continued to persist. In fact, in 1546, the fiefdom of Colledimacine was owned by Giovan Cantelmo d'Ugno e Ludovico Antonio Forte. In 1612, the ownership of Colledimacine's lands was assigned to Tiberio d'Ugno of Guardiagrele. In 1669 there was a new shift of the feudal benefits in the favor of Nicol'Antonio Trasmondi, marquis of Introdacqua, Laudonia e Francesco di Colledimacine. The marquis Trasmondi had from Colledimacine various feudal benefits some of which were jurisdiction of 1st and 2nd criminal cases. From a notary act of November 7, 1672, it transpired that the Abbot Don Valerio Ferdinando De Vega, resident of Naples, had various benefits in the lands of Colledimacine. From the cedolario between 1732 to 1766, a record book of the feudal possessions that was held in Naples results that:

1. 10% of the fife of Colledimacine was registered to the name of Camillo Sanità, heir of Eleonora Trasmondi

2. 20% and 3/7 of the same fife was registered to Domenico Trasmondi

3. 40% to Nicola Trasmondi junior

4. another 20% to Angelo, Bartolomea, Marianna Trasmondi and others.

The history of Colledimacine as a feudal vassal ended in 1806 when it became a free commune under the authority of the crown and his representative prefect.

The local population in 1532 was 92 families (approximately 480 individuals). In 1545 there were 102 families; in 1620, 131 families; in 1648, 120 families; in 1669, 39 families and in 1732 there were 160 families. One can observe that from 1648 to 1669, the town experienced a decrease of 81 families corresponding to a 76.5 % loss in the local population. This is attributed to the plague, which spread across the Kingdom of Naples during the middle of the 17th century. The plague, beside killing entire communities, forced the populace left or not contagious from the plague to abandon whole villages (in some cases) where they were born, for other locations thought more secure.

In 1860 after the dissolution of the Bourbon Reign, Colledimacine was annexed into the rest of Italy. In 1861, the town's population was 1496 individuals. The highest historical population of 1657 individuals was in 1901. Emigration quickly decreased this number during the subsequent years until 450.

Actually, there is only one church left for the public's worshipping. The archpriestal church of S. Nicola, of which as we have seen, we have first knowledge of from the 16th century. It has been reconstructed more than once and until 1806 was under the feudal directive because the local feudalists nominated the archpriest. In the past in Colledimacine, there were other edifices of worship in various parts of the town: the churches of S. Rocco, S. Vito and of S. Giovanni. The head of the local religious community has always been the archpriest of the Church of S. Nicola. Other edifices of historic/artistic interest other than churches in Colledimacine are: the Palazzo dei Conti Barbolani, the Clock Tower, founded in 1874, and the public fountain, made entirely of stone, founded in 1893.

Outside the town and still within the town's territory, one can see two stone mills and historic stone houses that conserve the characteristics of the local rustic architecture.