The Warrior of Capestrano and an Impregnable Fortress

The Warrior of Capestrano, Archaeological Museum, Chieti, Italy

If you have never heard of the warrior of Capestrano or the fortress of Civitella del Tronto, or the location of the cleanest river in Europe, well you will find them all in the fabulous region of Abruzzo. Abruzzo or Abruzzi, as it is sometimes spelt, is a very mountainous region in central Italy looking down on the Adriatic sea.

It was here in this rugged and green region that in 1934 Michele Castagna, a farmer working his land near the village of Capestrano, found the buried statue of a warrior. This statue is 209 cm and has been carved out of a single block of stone and marble. It shows a man with his arm crossed on the front and a large Mexican style hat. The hat is actually removable, and its shape has led archaeologists to think that it may have been a shield, worn on the head perhaps during ceremonies. The statue dates to the 6th century B.C.

There are many oddities and mysteries about this figure. The figure has swords, daggers and other weapons carved onto its body - this is why the statue is called 'guerriero' , 'warrior. Yet, the lower part of his body has the shape of a woman's body.... A narrow waist, wide hips and posterior all give the figure an androgynous looks. Another mystery is the presence of a mask which is carved into his face. Was the mask there to hide a deformity, or does the statue show a man wearing a death mask? More imaginative people have come up with very fanciful theories. What is certain is that the statue dates to the pre Roman period when Abruzzo was inhabited by different tribes. Perhaps the warrior was a king, or a leader whose figure was meant after death to represent both genders.

Near the warrior a female torso was also found and other fragments of statues. All this material is now at the archaeological museum in Chieti. The female torso has been called 'The Lady of Capestrano' and archaeologists have put forward the theory that she was the lady companion of the warrior. This area is called 'Cinericcio', which is close to the Italian word 'cenere', i.e. ash. So perhaps this area had been used since antiquity for burials.

The warrior has his arms crossed at the front and people have highlighted similarities with the statue of Akhenaten in the Cairo museum.... If you google the warrior of Capestrano you will come across lots of material, and some fanciful and amusing theories.....

The Warrior of Capestrano, Archaeological Museum, Chieti, Italy

Civitella del Tronto

In the northern part of Abruzzo, near the border with the Marche region, you can visit the picturesque medieval village of Civitella del Tronto (Citadel of Tronto) with its imposing fortress. Village and fortress are perched 600 metres high on a spur of mountain made from travertine marble. There has been a fortress here since the 11th century, but the present one was built by Philip II of Hapsburg in the 16th century to defend his territories from potential aggressions by neighbour states, among which was the papal state! Civitella is one of the largest fortresses in Europe, it covers 25,000 sq. metres and it is truly impressive! What's more, as you look around you have 360 degrees views of rocky mountains, green valleys and snowy peaks for most of the year.

Abruzzo has not one but three national parks and the Apennines here reach the dizzy height of 9,553 feet (2,912 metres) with Corno Grande, the tallest mountain. You will also find rare birds (for example the griffon vulture), Marsican brown bears, wolves and chamois, which are the animal symbol of Abruzzo. Not far at all from Capestrano, the village of the warrior, you will also find the river Tirino, which has been labelled as the cleanest river in Europe. Tourists come here to canoe and practice other water sports.

From Civitella you can see twin mountain peaks (Monti Gemelli) and between them a deep and spectacular canyon, which is the Gola del Salinello. Here tourists also come for trekking, abseiling and canyoning.

Many fascinating historical events have taken place in Civitella del Tronto. Here in 1806 the Irish commander, Matthew Wade, defended the fortress against the attack of the Napoleonic troops. Civitella was also the last bastion of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the wars of Italian Independence. The Savoy troops laid siege to the fortress which eventually had to surrender as all the other territories of Italy had been conquered. In more recent times, during WW2, the inhabitants of Cittadella bravely helped the Jews interned in a concentration camp nearby. For this reason Civitella del Tronto was recognised and honoured in 2011 by the Italian state.

So much history and beautiful nature - if you haven't visited Abruzzo yet, I strongly recommend you do! L'Aquila, its main city, is slowly being rebuilt after the earthquake that struck it twelve years ago. Other historical cities and towns, such as Chieti and Sulmona also very much worth a visit.

I am off to pack my case - continue to keep well, everyone!

Civitella del Tronto, the fortress that was never taken, Abruzzo, Italy