Archi ( Abruzzese: ') is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

province of Chieti The province of Chieti ( it, provincia di Chieti; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Chieti, which has a population of 50,770 inhabitants. The province has a total population of 387,649 ...

, Abruzzo, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It is part of the Valsangro mountain community.

Geography

The town of Archi is located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Val di Sangro and Valle dell'Aventino. It covers 2818 hectares, and borders with the municipalities of Perano, Atessa,

Tornareccio Tornareccio (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy, known for its Apiary, apiaries and archaeological significance. It is the site of phase III of the Sangro Valley Proj ...

, Bomba, Roccascalegna and

Altino Altino ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. It is located on a rock spur commanding the valley of the Aventino river. The valley is richly cultivated with orchards, fruit, grap ...

. The

Sangro The Sangro is a river in eastern central Italy, known in ancient times as Sagrus from the Greek ''Sagros'' or ''Isagros'', ''Ισαγρος''. It rises in the middle of Abruzzo National Park near Pescasseroli in the Apennine Mountains. It flows ...

river flows in the area.

History

The area Archi was already inhabited as early as the 11th-7th centuries BC, as testified by the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

Fonte Tasca site, whose defensive works still existed in the Hellenistic age. In the Middle Ages, Archi was a fortified center that, together with

Casoli Casoli ( Abruzzese: ') a ''comune'' and town in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is situated on a foothill of the Majella mountain, at the base of which runs the Aventino River, tributary of the Sangro. As of 31 December ...

and Roccascalegna, constituted a defensive triangle that blocked the passage from the eastern Maiella to the

valley In the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

period, the town was entrusted to two soldiers managed by one Marsilius Trogisii. Later,

Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the Capetian House of Anjou, second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and County of Fo ...

gave it for thirty ounces a year to one Berardo. Later he was held by various families including: Carafa, De Secura, Guevara, Crispano, Pignatelli, Cardone and finally the Adimari marquises of Bomba. After their last heir died without heirs, Archi returned to the royal direct control.

Main sights

*Sanctuary of San Rocco *Parish church of Santa Maria dell'Olmo *Church of St. John the Baptist *Church of Madonna del Rosario *ChuSantissimo Salvatore. *Remains of the medieval castle. Characterized by a 16th-century tower, the castle was almost square with cylindrical corner towers. The construction is in local stone and mortar. Some elements of the castle show that the structure has been remodeled over time. In World War II it was used as a military outpost by the British, and was partly destroyed by the Germans. *Remains of the fortified walls of the town *Baronial Palace. It is a fortified quadrangular building with corner towers and bastions. It is located in the historic center in a dominant position on the town itself. *Palazzo Cieri *Palazzo Angelucci-Cangiano *Palazzo Lannutti *Palazzo Pomilio *Archaeological site of Fonte Tasca (11th-7th century BC)

References

{{authority control Cities and towns in Abruzzo