Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

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The countryside of Lanciano and the Maiella massif in the background seen from Torri Montanare

September 24th, 1843. Hereupon began a different world, for the district of Lanciano is a great garden, and after the cold mountain atmosphere all seemed delicious sunshine and warmth: the fig and the vine, and fruit-trees of all descriptions, were on either hand in great luxuriance, and everything seemed brilliant and flourishing as we came to the gates of Lanciano, anciently Anxano, and capital of the Frentani.
Edward Lear - Illustrated Excursions in Italy - 1846
Lanciano, the Anxanum of Ptolemy. This is the chief town of the most populous district of Abruzzo Citra. The neighbouring country and that generally along the shores of this mountainous province is remarkable for its fertility, and for its abundant vineyards and olive-grounds. (..) A species of malmsey (malvasia) is produced by the vineyards of the Lanciano district.
Murray - A Handbook for Travellers in Southern Italy - 1853

Lanciano Vecchia, on a hill at the north-eastern end of the town: (left) XVth century shop similar to those at L'Aquila: (centre) bell tower of S. Biagio (XIVth century); (right) Porta S. Biagio (XIIth century)

The small nation of the Frentani appears to have possessed a separate political existence independent of the Samnitic confederacy, though we are assured that they derived their descent from that warlike and populous race. Their history, in other respects, resembles that of the neighbouring tribes, the Vestini, Peligni, and Marrucini. (..) Whatever may have been their former extent of territory, we find it restricted by the geographers of the Augustan age to the tract of country lying between the mouths of the Aternus and Tifernus, which separated it from the Marrucini to the north, and from Apulia to the south. (..) The few cities of the Frentani with which we are acquainted appear to have been situated on the coast. (..) Anxanum, occupied the site now called Lanciano vecchio. It appears that Anxanum was a Roman colony.
J. A. Cramer - A geographical and historical description of Ancient Italy - 1826
Lanciano Vecchia is the oldest of the historical quarters of Lanciano. It does not retain monuments of the Roman period but it is that which has less been affected by the modernization of the town.

(left/centre) Torri Montanare; (right) Aragonese Tower

The entrance to the city is highly picturesque: a deep fosse surrounds its towered walls, and the plain beyond are exquisitely beautiful. For the rest, Lanciano is clean and well-paved, and the walls and out-skirts abound with scraps and picturesque morsels.
September 25th, 1843. To Lanciano I could devote but one day, which was a cloudless but a cold one, and I chose to spend it in drawing the view from the walls, and in wandering about the neighbourhood, which contains many pretty features. Lear
In 1060 the Normans of Robert Guiscard conquered Lanciano and in the following years they promoted the enlargement of the town by creating a new quarter (Civitanova) which was protected by high towers especially on the side facing the Maiella massif. In the XVth century the walls were upgraded to the needs of cannon warfare and new round towers were built.

Bridge of the Cathedral (S. Maria del Ponte) from Lanciano Vecchia

The great charms of Lanciano are for the architect; the facciate of two venerable Gothic churches have been frequently drawn, but the pride of the modern inhabitants of the city is the Cathedral, or Santa Maria del Ponte, built on a great bridge crossing the ravine which surrounds part of the walls. Lear
Lanciano is built on three hills, two of which are connected by a remarkable bridge referred to the 3rd century, and frequently called the Bridge of Diocletian. Upon this bridge the cathedral is built, and is called, from this circumstance, Santa Maria del Ponte. Murray
With the development of the town the area at the foot of Lanciano Vecchia and Civitanova became and still is the centre of Lanciano. The bridge which supports the Cathedral was built in the XVIth century on the remains of a Roman one.

Lanciano Vecchia - S. Agostino: (left) façade; (centre) portal; (right) painted statue above the entrance

The house of Anjou endeavoured to increase the prosperity of Lanciano, and conferred on it the privilege of coining money. Murray 1853
The Angevin kings promoted the holding of a fair at Lanciano in May and September, i.e. at the beginning and at the end of the transhumance period. A local magistrate (Mastrogiurato) was given special authority to handle the event. The wealth of the town led to the construction or redesign of churches in the early XIVth century. Francesco Petrini (or Perrini), an otherwise unknown local artist, left his name in an inscription at S. Maria Maggiore at Civitanova "HOC OP(us) F(ecit) FRAC. PRINI DE LANZAN.". The façade of S. Agostino (ca 1320) is attributed to him on a stylistic base.

Lanciano Vecchia: (left) bell tower of S. Giovanni and behind it that of S. Agostino; (right) rose window of S. Agostino with an eagle which is assumed to represent the patronage of the House of Anjou

In November 1943 Allied bombings caused the destruction of the deconsecrated XIIIth century church of S. Giovanni which stood very near S. Agostino, but its stout XVth century bell tower was not greatly damaged and today it is possible to access its roof to enjoy a view of the town. The rose window of S. Agostino is remarkable for its delicate tracery and for its unusual outer cusped frame.

Civitanova - S. Maria Maggiore: (left) the two façades; (right) XVIth century façade (ca 1540)

The façade of S. Maria Maggiore was designed Francesco Petrini in 1317, but the interior of the church was enlarged and redesigned in the XVIth century because in 1515 Pope Leo X created the diocese of Lanciano, carving it out from that of Chieti and S. Maria Maggiore was designated as its cathedral. The orientation of the church was changed and the two façades actually lead to the rear part of the building. In the XVIIth century the Cathedral church of Lanciano was moved to S. Maria del Ponte which was located in a more central position. The interior of S. Maria Maggiore was redesigned in the 1850s in a Neoclassic style and again in 1969 in a bare medieval style (similar to what occurred at S. Maria di Collemaggio).

S. Maria Maggiore: details of the façade by Francesco Petrini

The church was deconsecrated in the 1960s, but it is still a property of the Roman Church (Conferenza Episcopale Italiana). In recent years it was decided to restore/ rearrange the building to place there the Diocesan Museum and a conference hall. Works were expected to be completed by August 2021, but two years later scaffoldings were still in place and admission to the interior was forbidden.

S. Maria Maggiore: (left) bell tower; (centre) portal adjoining the bell tower; (right) side portal

The church was founded in the XIIIth century and both the tall bell tower and a simple portal belong to that period. Owing to its position at the top of the hill and to its design it is likely that the bell tower had also a defensive purpose.

Borgo - S. Lucia: (left) façade; (centre/right) details of the rose window

Borgo is the third historical quarter of Lanciano and it stands on a hill (Colle Pietroso - Stony Hill) south of S. Maria del Ponte. Its name indicates that it was outside the walls which protected Lanciano Vecchia and Civitanova. In ca 1257 a parish church was built for its growing population. Francesco Petrini worked only at its rose window because the simple portal had already been built. The rose window greatly resembles that of S. Agostino, but retains its division into twelve sectors and has a simpler outer frame.

Borgo - S. Francesco: (left) rear part of the church, the oldest one: (centre) XIIIth century bell tower with an XVIIIth century dome; (right) site of the miracle beneath the church

The Franciscans built a convent at Lanciano in the 1250s. It stood on an earlier one which had housed Basilian monks. In the second half of the XVIth century, at a time of a renewed religious fervour, it was first reported that a miracle similar to that of Bolsena had occurred in the VIIIth century to a Basilian priest while celebrating Mass. In 1993-1994 excavations in the rear part of the church led to the identification of the early medieval structures and of a Roman cistern. A reliquary inside the church displays the evidence of the miracle (a piece of flesh and five blood dots).

Fontana del Borgo (XVIth century - you may wish to compare it with Fontana delle 99 Cannelle at L'Aquila)

The padrone of the Locanda to which I went dared not receive me without my passport being first examined, so I was obliged to present me at the house of the Sindaco, who was sitting in a room full of people, before which assembly I had to give an account of myself. These people cannot imagine one's motives for travelling to be simply the love of seeing new places, &c.; and the more one strives to convince them that it is so, the more certain are they that one has other designs. "Dove vai!" they scream out, if one goes but a foot's length out of the high-way to seek a point for drawing. After this public examination I was purified in the eyes of the city, and fearlessly received accordingly by Vincenzo Montarelli, a civil fellow, whose Locanda was tolerable, and his dinner excellent, especially in the article of wines and fruit; for the melons and grapes of Lanciano are famous in the Abruzzi. Lear

Cathedral: (left) façade; (right) detached bell tower

The façade was designed in 1819 by Eugenio Michitelli, a local architect, in the Neoclassical style which was in fashion at the time (see a façade in the same style at Terracina). The bell tower was built in 1610-1626 by Tomaso Sotardo from Milan. The church was enlarged and modified many times.

Cathedral - ceiling: 1790s frescoes depicting Old Testament subjects by Giacinto Diano, a Neapolitan painter

The image used as background for this page shows a detail of the Renaissance portal of S. Chiara in Borgo.

Go to:
Introductory page to this section
Alba Fucens
Amatrice
Amiternum
Antrodoco
Atri - the Town
Atri - the Cathedral
Avezzano
Borgocollefegato and the Cicolano
Carsoli
Celano
Chieti
Chieti - Roman memories
Cittaducale
L'Aquila - the Vale
L'Aquila - Historical outline
L'Aquila - S. Maria di Collemaggio
L'Aquila - S. Bernardino
L'Aquila - Other churches
L'Aquila - Other monuments
Leonessa - The Town
Leonessa - The Churches
Luco and Trasacco
Montereale
Penne
Pescara
S. Benedetto dei Marsi and Pescina
Roman Sulmona
Medieval Sulmona
Renaissance Sulmona
XVIIIth century Sulmona
Sulmona: Easter Day Ceremony (La Madonna che scappa - The Fleeing Madonna)
Tagliacozzo
Teramo
Appendix - Other excerpts and illustrations from Lear's book covering minor towns and sites