HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Torricella Peligna is a ''
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 ...
'' and town 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 ...
in the
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
region of[Italy.


History

The foundation of Torricella dates back according to local tradition to an exodus from the exiles of
Juvanum Juvanum or Jovanum was one of the chief cities of the Caraceni, a tribe of Samnites, the ruins of which are located in the communes of Montenerodomo and Torricella Peligna,_in_the_province_of_Chieti.html" ;"title="taly. History The foundatio ...
, during the Byzantine Wars of the sixth century AD, a Roman town near the nearby municipality of
Montenerodomo Montenerodomo is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The remote mountain hill town lies within the Maiella National Park. Montenerodomo is the birthplace of Tommaso F. D'Alessandro, father of former Bal ...
, however the first certain news is given since XII century when it was a fief of
Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: *Angel ...
and, later, of Accounts of
Manoppello Manoppello ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' in Abruzzo, in the province of Pescara, south-eastern Italy. It is famous for having a church which contains an image on a thin byssus veil, a sudarium, known as the Holy Face of Manoppello and which has ...
and Marchesi Celaia of
Chieti Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. ...
. The country was destroyed during World War II. The current name of the municipality is improper, as are the others of
Taranta Peligna Taranta Peligna (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is from Chieti. Located in the Aventino Valley, at the foot of the Maiella, in the past it was famo ...
and
Lama dei Peligni Lama dei Peligni is a '' comune'' and town in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy with 1,155 inhabitants. It is also part of the Aventino-Medio Sangro mountain community and the municipal territory is included in the Majella Nati ...
, as these centers rise in the eastern part of the mountain
Majella The Maiella (or Majella) is a massif in the Central Apennines, in Abruzzo, central Italy. Geography The mountain is located at the boundary between the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila. The highest peak is Monte Amaro at 2,793&nb ...
, and sit rovano lapped by the Rivers Sangro and Aventine. In ancient times the centers that existed on site, were inhabited by the Samnite tribes of Carricini, and bordered with the Peligni near
Field of Jupiter Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...
and the Frentani from
Guardiagrele Guardiagrele (; Abruzzese: ; la, Guardia Graelis) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around . Its population numbers ...
(the ancient Grele) to
Lanciano Lanciano (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Langiàne ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It has 36,304 inhabitants as of 2011. The town is known for the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic ...
(Anxanum); however, this incorrect toponym was added with the Unity of Italy in 1863. Torricella made national headlines during World War II. The Germans, in retreat in the
Gustav line The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section of ...
, made scorched earth of the country, and were fought in '44 by
Maiella brigade The Maiella (or Majella) is a massif in the Central Apennines, in Abruzzo, central Italy. Geography The mountain is located at the boundary between the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila. The highest peak is Monte Amaro at 2,793& ...
, in
Battle of Sangro A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. Many were displaced and the medieval castle was destroyed. Torricella was later rebuilt and is in the twenty-first century a tourist destination for mountain excursions. In 1744
Vincenzo Tobia Nicola Bellini Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...
, musician who died in Catania in 1829, grandfather and first master of the famous opera player
Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...
, was born there.


The origins of Torricella

Very full-bodied are the finds of the Italic era dating back to the sixth century BC. near Torricella, in the adjacent districts, various archaeological discoveries have been made, the finds of which are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of
Chieti Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. ...
. In Sant'Antonio a tomb with a bronze helmet was found, the decoration on the shell of a deer or goat, preserved in the Archaeological Museum of the nearby ''
Juvanum Juvanum or Jovanum was one of the chief cities of the Caraceni, a tribe of Samnites, the ruins of which are located in the communes of Montenerodomo and Torricella Peligna,_in_the_province_of_Chieti.html" ;"title="taly. History The foundatio ...
'', a dagger, a collar, a spiral bracelet, four digital rings and an iron fibula. It is claimed that near Monte Moresco, between Torricella and Pennadomo, there are remains of a Samnite fortification, built above an even older settlement, attributed to the second millennium BC, from here comes a stone dagger, preserved in the Pigorini Museum in Rome. The area was regularly inhabited during the Samnite era, and after the Roman conquest of the tribe of Carecini (which occupied the area of Juvanum di Montonerodomo, Trebula di Quadri and Cluviae di Casoli); this tribe bordered sangro with
Frentani The Frentani were an Italic tribe occupying the tract on the southeast coast of the Italian peninsula from the Apennines to the Adriatic, and from the frontiers of Apulia to those of the Marrucini. They were bounded on the west by the Samnites, wi ...
, to the east with the Lucani located near Mount Pallano, up with the Pentri of Bovianum Vetus (Pietrabbondante), finally with the Peligni in eastern Majella. The main city of this tribe was ''
Juvanum Juvanum or Jovanum was one of the chief cities of the Caraceni, a tribe of Samnites, the ruins of which are located in the communes of Montenerodomo and Torricella Peligna,_in_the_province_of_Chieti.html" ;"title="taly. History The foundatio ...
'', still well preserved, before reaching the center of
Montenerodomo Montenerodomo is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The remote mountain hill town lies within the Maiella National Park. Montenerodomo is the birthplace of Tommaso F. D'Alessandro, father of former Bal ...
, the most practiced economic activity was agriculture along with pastoralism. The tratturo, still partly visible, developed along Colle dell'Irco, and connected to the Celano-Foggia tratturo, where a bronze of Hercules from the fourth century BC was found. From the discovery at the Le Coste district, it is assumed that the continuity of housing between Torricella and Juvanum had continued even after the period of decadence of the Western Roman Empire. The area was occupied by barbarians during the Greek Gothic War of the sixth century AD, in fact there is the discovery of an ''Spangehelme ostrogoto'' or a helmet with bands in gilded copper and iron in the locality of Santa Lucia, well hidden inside a cellar of late Roman origin for the construction material, located in a country farmhouse. This artifact is preserved in the Museum of Early Medieval Byzantine Abruzzo of the
ducal castle of Crecchio Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
(CH).


The castle

The phenomenon of the framing of the seventh-tenth century AD also affected Torricella. The first fortifications are located in the Monte Moresco area, next to the Roman town, which was finally abandoned in the 15th century. A castle is mentioned in some documents of
Pope Nicholas II Pope Nicholas II ( la, Nicholaus II; c. 990/995 – 27 July 1061), otherwise known as Gerard of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1059 until his death in 27 July 1061. At the time of his ...
who in 1060 assigned half of it by the Benedictine Monks of the
Tremiti Islands The Isole Tremiti, also called "Isole Diomedee" (Diomedes' Islands, from Greek ''Diomèdee'', Διομήδεες) are an archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula. They constitute a ''"comune"'' of Italy's Province of Foggia ...
. The Middle Ages is also the era of Christian affirmation in Torricella, near Juvanum arose the Abbey of Santa Maria in Palazzo (or Monte Moresco), of which the structure is preserved near the ruins; in the tenth century there is the semi-legendary testimony of the coming of St. Raynald, of the Order of the Basilians together with the monk , who settled at a hermitage in nearby Palena. In
Fallascoso Fallascoso is a frazione in the Province of Chieti 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 M ...
there is still in the twenty-first century the testimony of the hermitage of San Rinaldo. In the year 1173 dates back to the construction of the baronial chapel of Torricella, the mother church of San Giacomo, redone in the 19th century. From the historical photographs, it can be seen how the castle of Torricella occupied the entire upper area of the country, where the Obelisk of the Civilian Victims of War is located, since it was blown up by the Nazis, after it was occupied as the headquarters of the war operations.


From the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century

* 1390: Ladislaus of Durazzo invests Count Orsini of the County of Manoppello, and adds the fief of Monte Moresco or Santa Maria a Palazzo, but it is unknown from the privilege, if Torricella was also included. * 1400. Ladislao invests Giovanni Battista da Torricella of the fief of Monte Moresco. * December 15, 1459: Truce between Antonio Caldora and the city of Sulmona for the war of power: Antoninus of Castiglione, heir to Antonio de Sangro baron of Colledimacine, Baron of Torricella and lord of Bagnara, and appointed witness. So it is known that Torricella was part of the lordship of the De Sangro family, which had already fallen in the 16th century, which boasted numerous fiefs in the Peligna Valley. * 1534: the castle of Fallascoso and Bomba are confiscated from Antonio di Annicchino by
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
of Austria for his rebellion, and granted to Captain Pirro Colonna. * 1550: A corpse is mummified in the church of St. James, mummified spontaneously, and discovered in 1989 during the restoration of the church, and a miracle is shouted at, thinking that it may be the body of St. James the Apostle. * 1551: Caterina de Medici, widow of Pirro Colonna, asked permission for Charles V to sell the goods for the benefit of his daughters, and the fiefs went to Fabrizio Valignano di Chieti. * 1552: Mention is made of the sanctuary of Our Lady of roses outside the walls, the church is of great importance for towers. * May 25, 1568: Monsignor Oliva visits Torricella, describes the parish church of San Giacomo as a church outside the walls, a hypothesis that the walls embraced the highest part of the castle hill. * 1623: Severe famine affecting the center. * 1706: Severe Majella earthquake damaging Torricella and the centers around it. Torricella is called "university", begins a territorial dispute against Celaia Duke of Canosa. * 1733: the fiefs of Monte Moresco, Pescorutico (district of Santa Giusta) and Mastronardo, are added to the estates of Alvaro Celaia son * 1743: Torricella is recorded in the Land Registry. In 1782 the church of San Giacomo was extensively restored, as evidenced by the lintel of the portal * 1787: The fiefs of Torricella are removed from the assets of the Celaia family and given to the university. * 1805: Torricella is mentioned in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Naples, and reference is made to the trade in "tarantulas", i.e. silk cloths produced especially in nearby Taranta. * 1841: Strong earthquake damaging houses and the church. * 1861: plebiscite for annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, Torricella registers voters, 942 voters in favor * 1861: Torricella sees the suffix "Peligna" peligna added to avoid cases of homonymous with other centers of the state. But it is a coarse toponym, as well as for the Abruzzo municipality of
Canosa Sannita Canosa Sannita () is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo, central Italy. Economy is mostly based on agriculture (wine, olive oil, fruit). Craftmanship and summer tourism are also active. See also *Abruzzo (wine) Abruzzo ( ...
to distinguish it from the apulian municipality. * September 26, 1933: Strong Majella earthquake, damaging various centers on the eastern side, including Palena, Lama, Gessopalena, Taranta.


Torricella in the Second World War

After the armistice of 8 September, due to its strategic position, Torricella was already occupied by the Germans in October 1943 and threatened by Allied bombing. On the one hand, anti-fascist intellectuals, such as
Ettore Troilo Ettore Enzo Fimiani Troilo (10 April 1898 – 5 June 1974) was an Italian Resistance leader during World War II. Biography Early life The son of a doctor, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Great War at age 18, fighting as an artilleryman; he w ...
, had already spontaneously left the country in September because they were considered insecure, on the other, already on 3 September 1943, German planes collided with the allies, but without attacking, as they were headed towards Sulmona to bomb the station. The English prisoners of the Fonte d'Amore internment camp in Sulmona passed through Torricella and found refuge with the inhabitants. On October 19 Torricella was officially occupied by the Germans, who in trucks, requisitioned as many men as possible for the fortification works of the Gustav line, rounding up about 100 people, and installing the garrison of the general command in the baronial castle, at the top of the town, where the Obelisk to the Civil War stands. While Casoli was freed by the British on 4 December, Torricella was evacuated, and the villagers took refuge in the country houses, the same night Ettore Troilo came out of his hiding place to go to the allied command of Casoli to propose the birth of the Maiella Volunteer Corps. The German presence in Torricella was marked by repeated harassment, threats and acts of violence, of which the massacre of Sant'Agata (February 1, 1944) is remembered, even if this concerns the villagers of nearby Gessopalena; so they gave more impetus to the Casolani, backed by the British to begin the liberation operations of Torricella.
Another grim episode of Nazi barbarism concerns the "Tre Confini massacre". In January 1944 both Torricella and the nearby village of Fallascoso were in German hands, on January 5 the spouses Tranquillino Di Paolo and Concettina Cianci, hidden among the graves of the cemetery, were discovered and brutally killed; on 11 January Antonio Mancini was machine-gunned in the La Morgia district while he was going to visit his wife who had given birth in a farmhouse where she was hidden, and on the same day Giovanni Del Duca was killed in the district of San Venanzio. The real massacre concerned the Teti Di Riga family: the head of the family Giustino was discovered by the Germans while hiding in the farm so as not to be taken for the fortification works, and was robbed of his animals. Giustino Di Riga reached the English command of Roccascalegna, to try to request military action, since he knew well the daily route of the Germans along the Torricella-Fallascoso road to carry out the raids. The British accepted, and on the night of 11 January they stationed themselves at the Piccone furnace, and upon the arrival of the Germans, the guerrilla warfare began, with the victory of the British, who returned to Roccascalegna, however not considering the presence of another patrol in Colle of the Irco, who launched rockets for help. The Nazi revenge was ruthless against Torricellan civilians, especially towards women, the elderly and children, since the men had either been taken or had fled to the surrounding villages. The Germans set fire to the farms and the elementary school, triggering panic, so that the Germans could more easily machine-gun them: 15-year-old Antonietta Crivelli, her 6-month-old brother, Carmela D'Ulisse, Giuseppe, Rosina and Rosa Porreca, Nicola Nunziato died Rossi, Costanza Uggè, Maria Antonia di Martino and other young children. Because of the impassable road, specially destroyed by the Germans, it was difficult for the "maiellini" casolani to reach Gesso, and subsequently Torricella at the end of January 1944, because the road had to be rebuilt almost anew, and upon arrival, the partisans found the semi-destroyed town, specially mined by the Germans, especially the baronial castle was blown up.


From the post-war period to the twenty-first century

Torricella has recovered quickly with the reconstruction, although the historical building fabric has suffered a lot from the destruction, so much so that a small part is preserved in the original appearance. In the following years the economy suffered an impoverishment due to the isolation of the villages, with strong emigration. In the 1970s, with the construction of the Honda Sevel industrial hub of the Val di Sangro things improved, but Torricella, to get out of anonymity, invested in the memory of the courage of citizens during the Second World War, and in addition to the project of memory, he woven relations with America, about the figure of the writer
John Fante John Fante (April 8, 1909 – May 8, 1983) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his semi-autobiographical novel ''Ask the Dust'' (1939) about the life of Arturo Bandini, a struggling writer in Depre ...
, whose father was torricellano; one of the main events of the village is the Festival "John Fante - The God of my Father".


Churches, shrines and heremes

* Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Roseto. It is located in Madonna delle Rose, just outside the village, in a mountain that looks in the direction
Gessopalena Gessopalena (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Twin towns * Porto San Giorgio, Italy * Cupramontana, Italy * Sambreville, Belgium References
C ...
. The construction of the sanctuary took place in
1550 __NOTOC__ Year 1550 ( MDL) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 6 – Spanish Captain Hernando de Santana founds the city of Vall ...
as reported by the
lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
of the major portal; has undergone a restoration. The façade is Renaissance and has a hut profile with crowning with a sloping convex. In the center of the roof there is a sail bell tower. The façade is completely plastered and the only stone pieces are the façade under the portal, the corner stones, the sail bell tower and the small windows on the sides of the sail portal. The interior is a single chamber divided in two by two spans of which one of the two sections has the functions of presbytery. The presbytery is elevated by the rest of the church and houses the high altar made entirely of stucco painted in imitation of marble. In a niche there is a statue of the Madonna and Child. * Hermitage of San Rinaldo. It is located in the Fallascoso district. It was built in front of the cave where, in the
9th century The 9th century was a period from 801 ( DCCCI) through 900 ( CM) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Carolingian Renaissance and the Viking raids occurred within this period. In the Middle East, the House of Wisdom was founded in Abbasid ...
he would live San Rinaldo. The bell tower is made with a natural rock pinnacle and is made directly from the rock that supports the bell. * Church of St. Nicholas. It's located in the Fallascoso district. It dates back to
18th century The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 ( MDCCI) to December 31, 1800 ( MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. During the century, slave trad ...
when it was built on ruins of a medieval palace of which not many traces can be seen apart from a portal with an ogival arch on the main façade. However, the architectural style of the building dates back to the 19th century, when the church was rebuilt or restored after an unknown calamity. the main façade faces the town and the bell tower towards the
Maiella The Maiella (or Majella) is a massif in the Central Apennines, in Abruzzo, central Italy. Geography The mountain is located at the boundary between the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila. The highest peak is Monte Amaro at 2,793&nb ...
. The façade is hut. Above the portal are two monofore. The portal has jambs with classic decorations. The interior has three naves with endo nartece All the walls are plastered in the late Baroque style. * Church of St. James. It is located in the upper part of the historic center, it is the parish church of Torricella. Nothing is known about its construction, other than that it already existed in 1173, and that it underwent heavy restorations in the eighteenth century, and then in the mid-nineteenth century, with the refurbishment of the bell tower. Partially destroyed in the last world war, the church was affected by a drastic restoration. The church is renaissance style. A,
eardrum In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is the extern ...
crowns the façade. Three portals give access to the respective aisles. The bell tower is decorated with a frame, the upper register is characterized by a monophore on each side. The naves are separated by pillars to which paraste are leaning. Stuccoes are white and golden. *New Church of St. Anthony. Located in Via Peligna, in the suburb of Sant'Antonio, it dates back to the seventeenth century, but was destroyed by the Germans, when from the photos it showed a simple style of plastered hut, with Romanesque portal. Only the niche with the statue of the saint remained intact. In the twenty-first century it is a modern church with the architectural style of the 60s, in stone and concrete, with a hut roof. * Church of San Camillo. It is located in Via Bellini, a cross street of Corso Umberto I. It is a private church of the Piccone family, built in 1855. The style of the façade suggests that the church was built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The window above the portal is in baroque style as well as the
cantoria Cantoria is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonom ...
of the church. The façade has a hut profile and angular red bricks. The crowning is composed of a triangular eardrum. The portal is framed by hoists. The interior has a single nave with a sail vault while the walls are plastered in blue and white tiles. * Church of Sant'Agata. It is located in the Colle Zingaro district on the road leading to
Roccascalegna Roccascalegna is a ''comune ''and town in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of Italy. Main sights *Medieval village * Castle of Roccascalegna Castello di Roccascalegna (Italian for ''Castle of Roccascalegna'') is a medieval ...
. It was built immediately after World War II. On the bezel above the portal is depicted the saint.


Palaces

*Birthplace of Vincenzo Tobia Nicola Bellini, is located at the intersection of Corso Umberto I with via Coste, at the church of San Giacomo. It is the birthplace of the grandfather of the Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini is in mixed style, between the late nineteenth-century neoclassical and the rural style in plastered stone blocks. * Palazzo Persichetti. It is located in Corso Umberto I. It's a noble palace. From the style of the façade overlooking the course it can be seen that the palace was built between the 19th and 20th centuries. The post-war restorations maintained the original style. The outer walls are made of bricks in the
ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
style. Portal frames follow piedritti. The cornice is a jutting pore. At the corners there are paraste. The palace is divided into three floors. *''Fallascoso Baronial Palace''. Located in the Fallascoso district, on the hill there is the small town, it is presumed to have been built in the seventeenth-eighteenth century above the castle, for the presence of fortifications at the base. It features traces of garitte at the corners.


References


External links


Torricella Peligna: its people, culture, genealogy
{{authority control Cities and towns in Abruzzo