Roccadaspide is situated on a rocky buttress. According to a legend it was founded by the followers of Spartaco.
The landscape is wild and beautiful, it is crossed by Calore river. The most typical product is the chestnut, especially the marrons, to which a nice Festival is dedicated at the end of October. The “Borgo delle meraviglie” is a very interesting event: many artists and musicians arrive in the town, there are music concerts and paintings shows together with a gastronomic festival (July).
In Roccadaspide there are very ancient churches. Sant’Antonio Monastery is very interesting. According to tradition, one of his abbots was Felice Perretti from Grottammare, who became Pope in XVI century under the name of Sisto V. The monastery is near the town but it is a very silent place, the perfect image of the Franciscan ideals of poverty and silence. The building is very simple and today only some ruins remain. In a niche, outside the portico, there is the small stone statue of Madonna del Latte.
Monuments and natural beauties...
- Santa Sinforosa, the Patron, Church built in 1450. The Saint is portrayed with his husband, San Getulio Zotico, and their seven children with whom she was martyrized during Adrian’s empire. There is a procession, called “Scanno” that celebrates a miracle by the Saint who freed the town by a terrible invasion by grasshoppers
Fontana dei delfini, a fountain with dolphins
The castle built around 1245. A tradition tells that Federico II Barbarossa lived there in the period of Capaccio Conspiracy
Carmine, o dei Morti Church, in rococo style with interesting paintings
Natività della Beata Maria Vergine Church, built in 1600, best known as the Assunta Church. There are three naves with interesting paintings and a precious statue of Santa Sinforosa. The bronze portal is beautiful and it is 100 quintals heavy. It portrays episodes taken from the Evangels and important events in the story of the town
Remains of Carmelite Monastery and of Santa Maria dell’Arco Church, built in the first decade of XVII century
Sant’Antonio Monastery, it is very interesting. According to tradition, one of his abbots was Felice Perretti from Grottammare, who became Pope in XVI century under the name of Sisto V. The monastery is near the town but it is a very silent place, the perfect image of the Franciscan ideals of poverty and silence. The building is very simple and today only some ruins remain. In a niche, outside the portico, there is the small stone statue of Madonna del Latte. The portal was built in XVI century and at its side there are two lions. The walls and the cross-vault are richly painted with the Saints of the Franciscan order and the town of Rocca d’Aspide
Santa Maria delle Grazie Church (1495), with a precious painted tabernacle. Our Lady of Graces, whose statue is in the middle of the Tryptich, was invocated by the inhabitants against drought
Falconara bridge
History...
According to some documents, the town was founded around 70 b.C. by some rebels of Spartaco (71-73 a.C.), that arrived in the area where today there is the castle. The most ancient names of Roccadaspide are Casavetere di Capaccio and San Nicola de Aspro replaced in XII century by Rocca (so, there was a tower) dell’Aspro (1597) and then dell’Aspide (from Greek “aspìs”, shield or defense). Since 1850 the town has been known as Roccadaspide. The story of Roccadaspide developed around the castle built in 1245. The castle was a property of princes Filomarino from Naples and in 1800, of Giuliani family whose descendants keep its treasures.
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