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Frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

, motto = , image_skyline = Pietransieri1.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Abruzzo#Italy , pushpin_label_position = bottom , pushpin_mapsize = , pushpin_map_caption = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 =

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

, subdivision_name1 = Abruzzo , subdivision_type2 =

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

, subdivision_name2 = L'Aquila , subdivision_type3 =

Commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

, subdivision_name3 =

Roccaraso Roccaraso is a town and ''comune'' in central Italy, in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region. History Founding The town of Roccaraso dates back to around 975 AD, and is located near the Rasinus stream, from which some believe it ...

, government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_title = , leader_name = , established_title = , established_date = 975 , area_magnitude = , unit_pref = Metric , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = , area_land_km2 = , population_as_of = 2004 , population_footnotes = , population_note = , population_total = 467 , population_density_km2 = , timezone =

CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast En ...

, utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST =

CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...

, utc_offset_DST = +2 , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 1359 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = , blank_name = , blank_info = , website = , footnotes = , name = , population_demonym = Pietransieresi Pietransieri ( it, Pietransieri) is a

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of

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 ...

. It is included in the mountain community of the Alto Sangro and the Cinque Miglia plateau.

History

The village was built around 975 AD on a small rocky outcrop. The village changed its name several times (Pietra d'Anserio, Pietranziero), before the current name was adopted in the 16th century. The village was an independent municipality until 1811, when it passed to the administration of Roccaraso.

Overview

Pietransieri is situated at an altitude of 1359 meters, on a side of the Tocco mountain. It leans behind a big rocky stone (in Italian ''la Pietra''). This village is known mostly because of the Limmari Massacre during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. This massacre was committed as a retaliation by

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

on 21 November 1943 because of the suspicion that the inhabitants were helping the partisans. 128 inhabitants were killed, including 38 children, and the corpses were left in the woods. There is an annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the massacre. In November 2018, on the 75th anniversary of the massacre, the mayor of Roccaraso, Francesco Di Donato, promoted a conference of jurists and historians about the event and also announced a project to create a Memorial Park in Pietransieri.

Honors

The village of Pietransieri was among the locations awarded the

Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The fac ...

for the sacrifices of its people and for its activity in the partisan struggle during the Second World War.

References

Frazioni of the Province of L'Aquila Roccaraso {{Abruzzo-geo-stub