A Visit to the village
The square St. Maria della Valle which is next to the church bearing the same name is the centre of tourism as well as the main entrance to the village. The gate Porta St. Maria raised here and it was one of the three leading to the dwelling centre which was once enclosed with walls. It was knocked down at the beginning of the century together with Porta della Cadacchiola or Porta di St. Antonio while Porta della Croce is the only gate among those three which has remained until today St. Maria della Valle's parish church was built in 1568 following the structure of the medieval St. Maria di Scanno's church which was recalled in the letters
of Pope Adriano IV of 1156 and of Clemente III of 1188.
While going from the church down to the street Via Abrami, on the left it is possible to see the former Church of Purgatory also named church of "holy souls". It was built in 1720, closed in the second half of the century and then used as public theatre which in 1792 was considered as one of the most important of the Naples reign. The church was consecrated again during the first 10 years of 1800 while around 1860-1870 it was closed again. The building, which was occasionally used until its recent restoration (1988), is now a place for fairs, meeting and various kinds of events.
In front of the church, it is possible to admire the fountain Fontana saracco (XVI and XVIII century) which is made of two arched parts: one on the left dating back to 1549 which was used as drinking trough for animals; the other surely of later years has four masks and the bearing surface very high so that after filling their basins with water, women could put them on their head quite easily. On the right side, a basrelief of 1732 reproducing the Annunciation is embedded.
Going on to Via Abrami, the square of St. Rocco is reached and on the left there is the small St. Maria di Costantinopoli's church. The year of its construction is unknown but it must surely date back to the early 1400. Inside, a wonderful fresco of 1478 "Our Lady enthroned with child" can be admired.
At the square, when turning into the street 2, Giuseppe tanturri/Calata St. Rocco, Palace Mosca (XVI century) can be seen with a beautiful baroque portal and a magnificent frame adorned with puttos. St. Rocco's church also called Madonna del Carmine because the confraternity having the same name stay there looks on to the walls enclosing the square. On the left side of the church, the avenue Largo dell'Olmo starts and it takes its name from the tree under which public popular assemblies took place. In the past, the Town Hall and St. Rocco's church looked on to the square.
Beyond the medieval arch which is surmounted by the Old Tower this is the highest and oldest area of the village there is St. Eustachio's church, who is Scanno patron, also called St. Maria di Loreto's. It is the most important among the two churches that Scanno had during the Middle Ages; as the other one, St. Maria di Scanno's it is recalled in the two chorographic letters of 1156 and 1188 already mentioned above. Inside, the statue of "Our Lady with a swarthy face" of XV century can be admired.
From the square Piazza dell'Olmo, it is possible to observe the imposing Palace of Rienzo (XIX century) which was built on the area of the old feudal palace. It holds works and documents about Scanno, a coin collection, remains of excavation and a painting by Teofilo Patini "Le Orfanelle".
Following the street Via Silla, on the right we find St. John the Baptist's church. The inscription on the façade states that the church was built in 1631 by Giuseppe and Antonio Ciancarelli but this date must be considered as the time of a radical restoration. In actual facts, the church must have been built during the fist half of 1500 latest. In the same street, there are several eighteenth-century palaces.While going down to the lane Vicolo Istofumo, we reach the district bearing the same name which is one the most interesting areas thanks to many arches and to "cimmose" which are architectural patterns mainly of the Middle Ages. In the small square, there was a chapel devoted to St. Maria of the Assumption.
Going back to Via Silla next to Via Ciorla, we find the former Madonna delle Grazie's church (XVI century) which was abandoned at the beginning of this century and is now used as mill.
On its left, the harmonious Arch of Nocella can be admired. Originally, these arches were built to connect two buildings and keep them firm so that they could resist against frequent earthquakes. They are about 20 in the whole village. Going up to Via Ciorla, we reach Porta della Croce, the only gate which has left. This gate leads to the street Via Napoli at the end of which there was the old graveyard with a church devoted to St. Marta.
Going down again at 5, Via Ciorla there is St. Antonio Abate or Barone's church, a small church belonging to the old abbey which rose out side the walls of Scanno and was founded in the Middle Ages by the Order of Chierici Ospedalieri of St. Antonio di Vienne.
At 3, Via Ciorla there is the seventeenth-century Palazzo Tanturri de Horatio with excellent architectural patterns such as the elegant, marble portal (XVIII century) which was added later by the barons Angelis, the windows and the ceilings inside with cross and woden vaults. The little, suggestive court is to be admired.
When Via De Angelis has been crossed, turn into Via Federico Ciarletta to the left and here is St. Maria delle Grazie's church, where the confraternity with the same name is. The church was next to the College of Scuole Pie which was run by the Scolopis and was established during the first half of 1700 thanks to the legacy of Scanno doctors Mr. Donatangelo and Alessandro Roscelli.
Once Via Abrami has been crossed, turn into Via del Vallone, which is entirely full of typical, eighteenth-century buildings adorned by beatiful portals, especially the one at no. 48. Down to the left, in St. Maria del Lago's square (already Codacchiola's square), Palace Serafini (XVII) is reached; the door is surmounted by the family coat of arms made of three seraphs.
A little farther, the fountain so-called Pisciarello (XVIII century) is reached and it is surmounted by the coat of arms made of three towers and the motto "Universitas terrae Scannis". St. Antonio da Padova's church, near there, is the last place of the village to be visited. It was built in 1950 and the façade has the same features of St. Maria Della Valle's but of minor proportions; the rosette is also the same master. The portal made in 1596 matches better with the façade, much more than the Burgundian portal of the parish church. The three frescos adorning the ceiling of the church are works of remarkable artistic value and were painted in the XVIII century by G.B.Gamba.
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