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CORFINIO
Corfinium
was the ancient capital of Peligni, people with Illiric origin
or derived by the ritual Sabino of the Ver Sacrum (sacred
Spring): young people with springtime was obligate to migrate
in order to found other cities.
Corfinio was at first adverse to the crescent power of Rome
but after its annexation to the republic (III sec. a.C.) fought
to its side against Pirro, Gaul people and Hannibal.
Corfinio lived the singular episode of being
besieged by Giulio Cesar. In 49 a.C, coming back from the
Gaulish War, declared public enemy by Senate, Cesar crossed
the Rubicone and reached Corfinio where Roman general Enobarbo
was stationed with the troops faithful to Pompeo. With the
escape of the general the city surrendered to Cesar who did
not inflict them any punishment.
After the fall of Rome Corfinio suffered the devastations
of Goths (552 d.C.) and Longobards
(682) and made part of the Ducato di Spoleto. Around the half
of the IX sec., it was annexed to the County of the Marsi.
Subsequently it suffered the attack of Saraceni
(881) and Ungari (937). Passed under the control of the Roman
church it was then besieged and conquered by the Normanni.
The archaeological visit of Corfinio passes
for the “murgèine”, that
is stones, rests funeral monuments dating back to the II sec.
d.C and for the diggings Saint Giacomo zone, of Sant' Ippolito
and the Sacred Via.
In the city can be visited the Basilica of S.Alessandro
(1075) whose apse accommodates an altar and two frescoes (1300).
It's worthy of visiting not far from the village the Romanesque
Basilica of S.Pelino (or Valvense) built in XI-XII
centuries on the ruins of a previous church and a pagan temple.
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