https://sites.google.com/site/prayersofreconciliation/,https://sites.google.com/site/godintheuniverse/,
https://sites.google.com/site/menfrancoreconciliation/, www.catholic.org/,www.catholic.org.au/, www.catholic.org/bible/, www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html,
http://diybrickwork.com, http://manneedsgod.co.uk, http://frankmenchise.com
This blog can be found at this link, The Norman castle of Monteserico.
More Monteserico castle historic events
Now we are going to look at some
historic event that can help establish the history of Monteserico castle, but there
isn’t real written history about this Monteserico castle, so, we are going to
rely on search done about sixty years ago from this writer Ettore Lorito, who
has done some search and written a book about Genzano including the castle of
Monteserico:
The writer Ettore Lorito suggests
that the beginning of the castle is ancient, but nobody knows when it was
started: anyhow, we want to tell you what he has written in this very shortened
translated version; we are doing this since the original is written in Italian.
Now if there are people that want to read the original Italian version they
should go to this link; http://genzanoit.blogspot.com/,
to navigate to this link, first of all click on the link above, once you have
reached the blog, you need to navigate down the left side column until you
reach Home pages, in Home pages find the link, Genzano in Italiano, (it 1)
and click on it, go down the page and then click on the link, Scrittori e
poeti, a few names of writers come up, click on Ettore Lorito, some links for
two books come up, click on GENZANO DI BASILICATA Cronografia; within this book
there is also the story of the castle of Monteserico.
Now that I have explained how to
find the Italian original version, let me tell this version in English.
It is thought that very early at
the place where the castle is today, there were caves below it that the local
people used to live in; so, that was already a start for people to continue to
live there. So, very likely when the Romans conquered southern Italy, they
might have built a villa, this was only natural as this gave them the control
of the countryside, this is one of the possible ways how this castle was
started. It is also believed that Spartacus and his Roman slave’s friends have
been in this country and fought with the Romans, and also that even the Roman
council Marcello and Hannibal have fought on this territory, but there is no
mention of the castle in those times.
Some people say that the castle
was built before 900 AD. because they have found some written story; one of
this is the following.
The writer Deblaisiis in his
Norman Conquest said that in the year 929 AD Guaimaro and Ladolfo to repay the
Norman for the help they had given at Monte Serico and Monte Peloso gave them
some castles including one in Spinazzola; so, the castle of Monteserico was
already there, perhaps it had been there as a villa at the beginning and then
modified into a castle after the fall of the Roman empire, when most localities
had to look after themselves, since there was not a Roman army to guard the
country. Anyhow, because in 929 the castle was already there, it was not built
by the Norman as some people believe.
Now to make this story shorter,
let us go to when the Norman had got possession of the castle of Monteserico
after many battles, you see even today after a thousand years there is a hill
called (Serra della battaglia) this laterally means “the hill of the battle”
But even though the Norman and their allied won that battle on this hill, they
were not able to take the castle this time, because the castle was well
defended; but they got there some years later.
Anyhow, we know that Robert
Guiscard, a Norman by birth became duke in southern Italy owned this castle;
then other people, but for me to name them is hard to do, unless I find an
historic list, but we can say that through marriages, exchanges and other
things the castle of Monteserico was ruled from this Spanish princess Aquilina
Sancia around 1300 AD.. In those times there was also a village near the
castle, but it slowly disappeared around 1400 and 1430 AD.
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Imagining
the history of Monteserico
Let us imagine how Monteserico
castle was built, since nobody knows who, when or the reason it was built, but
from what we have found, we can say a few things, about this castle history.
In the beginning there were
people of this region living in the caves where today stands the castle, they
could have been local shepherd or other people; these people could have come
from Greece or somewhere else, they came up the valley of the river Bradano and
settled here in Monteserico and in the town of Genzano, since in Genzano even
today there is this chasm called the Greek chasm.
Anyhow, the history during the first millennium is not known. Some
people say that this part of Southern Italy has seen many battles; they even
suggest that Spartacus with his other slave friend have been here, while they
were in Southern Italy, as history tells us when the slaves rebelled and formed
their own army under their leader Spartacus, they went to live near the Ionian
Sea, now Monteserico is part of the territories that runs into the Ionian Sea
through the river Bradano and its tributaries; then in Genzano there is the
Greek chasm, the only thing this can mean is that there was a Greek colony
living in this chasm; and Spartacus being Greek for sure was attracted to this
Greek community, so, even Spartacus must have come to Genzano and Monteserico
territory.
Now let us talk about the Roman Era
with their conquest of southern Italy, followed by their conquest of the known
world. So, the Romans ruled over this part of Italy for a very long time;
during that time some of the Roman leader may have started a holiday villa or a
building to live in and rule over the countryside, that is what the Roman did
best, they would build something wherever they went, so that they would run
that part of their conquest easily, at the same time bring civilization to the
people in that region. So, we believe that since the Roman times there has been
a building there that the Roman used; after that, it might have grown bigger
and modified many times.
When the Western Roman Empire
collapsed around in 475-76 AD, when the German Odovacer deposited Romulus
Augustulus, and in affect became king of Rome.
After the fall of the Roman
Empire there wasn’t any real peace in Italy, so, people had to try to protect
themselves the best way they could, this in affect made people build castles,
so, this villa or whatever was built in Monteserico started to take the form of
a castle.
The first time that a castle or
fort is mentioned is in the 800 AD. You see there were many wars so Monteserico
castle and other castles in this part of the region became fortified forming a
line of defence against the enemy; please note that this is before the Norman
came to southern Italy, so, when Robert Guiscard came to this part of Italy the
castle was already there, as we can see from some important battles that
happened in those times.
Anyhow, the castle of Monteserico has changed many owners, and some of
which we are going to mention here; one of the best-known owner for the
inhabitant of Genzano is Aquilina Sancia queen of Monteserico. The reason for
this is that while Aquilina Sancia was there she built a monastery of the
Clarisse in Genzano and this monastery attracted people that lived around this
monastery, for this reason Genzano town is said that Aquilina Sancia is the
founder of the existing Genzano. But there is historic evidence that the town
of Genzano has existed since the Roman times.
---------------------------------
More known Monteserico history.
Anyhow, now let us mention the owners that we know that have owned the castle of Monteserico, So, let us start with
famous owners like Robert Guiscard duke of southern Italy in 1047 of Apulia and
Calabria and later on the Two Sicilies etc.
Born 1016 died 1085
Another famous owner is Fredrick II,
1194-1250, after Frederick II, it is not easy to follow the chain of events,
but we know that castles and other holdings always changed hand. It is said in
history that there was a Roberto D’Angio who had married a Sancia he donated
the castle to a family member del Bosco who was husband of Aquilina Sancia, and
when he died Aquilina Sancia became owner of Monteserico.
From Aquilina Sancia it was inherited
from her daughter Giacoma Rachele who married Roberto San Severino the count of
Carignano and Terlizzi, and then it was passed to the family Dentice delle
Stelle under the queen Giovanna and to the Ruffo.
During this time Monteserico had a village
but around 1400-1430 it slowly vanished, there was not an explanation why this happened,
but it happened.
After Aquilina Sancia there were the
Sanseverino who had the castle. After that in 1603 was a Genoese Grimaldi, in
1613 was the Doria, at the end of 1700 was some descendents of the Sancia
family and after that was abandoned.
It was bought from the Baron
Dell’Agli-Certi the 30-01-1857, and then it was sold to the Cafieri the
30-03-1875 but by then it was too run down to live in.
After world war 1 the tenant Gardini
bought a portion of the land from the Cafieri and the castel of Monteserico, it
was used for holiday or resting place from this actress: Lyda
Borelli (22 March 1884 – 2 June 1959) was an Italian actress of cinema and theatre.
She was born in Genoa, and died in Rome.
Her career in theatre started when she was a child, acting on stage with Paola
Pezzaglia in the French drama I
due derelitti.
There might be other
things to add but I don’t know what else to say at the moment, except that this
military castle of Monteserico is a small fortress that has got many unknown
stories, whether we will be able to tell these stories one day we do not know.
Anyhow, we hope that
we have told you this story of Monteserico for everybody, but it has been especially written for those people that come from Genzano, so that
they can remember their native town and our Monteserico castle.
----------------------------------
Dear readers, we
have written several articles about Genzano di Lucania, and the castle of
Monteserico, of course, there are other things that can be said about the past,
but today we have to start to look at the future, because there are things
happening in southern Italy that worries me. Because looking at the past, we
can forecast what could happen in the future. So, later
after writing about my life in Australia, I will return to talk about Italy
modern history.
But before we do that, let me show
you what I have found on the Internet about famous castles, so, here is Leeds
Castle
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Leeds Castle -
'The World's Loveliest Castle'; A Photographic Essay
In order to get a larger amount
of people interested in castles and their history, we have borrowed this photo,
and also the link that links to this great hub, so anyone that likes to read
this hub can view it just by clicking on the link.
You see, we have talked about our
small castle of Monteserico, So, to keep the public interested in castles and
castles history, we have borrowed the link of, Leeds Castel, and the readers
can read both hubs. But be warned the castle of Monteserico is only a small
castle compared to Leeds Castle, but it has got its own history, which we have
written the best way we could.
To see more click on this link, The Norman castle of Monteserico.
See you soon.
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