Villamagna

Villamagna is a comune and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of south-eastern Italy.

For the archaeological site in Lazio, see Villa Magna.
For other uses, see Villamagna (disambiguation).
Villamagna
Comune
Comune di Villamagna
Location of Villamagna
Villamagna
Location of Villamagna in Italy
Villamagna
Villamagna (Abruzzo)
Coordinates: 42°20′N 14°14′E
CountryItaly
RegionAbruzzo
ProvinceChieti (CH)
FrazioniInnesto, Pian di Mare, Serepenne
Government
 • MayorSergio Dario De Luca
Area
 • Total12.73 km2 (4.92 sq mi)
Elevation
255 m (837 ft)
Population
 (28 February 2017)[2]
 • Total2,327
 • Density180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Villamagnesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
66010
Dialing code0871
Patron saintSt. Margaret
Saint day13 July
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Originally a Roman settlement, the town's name derives from the Latin words villa ("farm") and magna ("large" or "important"). In the Middle Ages, its name was written as Villa Magna. Several bronze artefacts from the Roman necropolis near the town dating from the 5th century BC are held in Chieti's archaeological museum, "La Civitella".

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the settlement came into the possession of the Order of Saint Benedict, which built the Convent of San Severino here. The convent was abandoned in the 11th century, and the land and its settlement were ceded to the Normans. By 1461 it was under the control of Ferdinand I of Naples who gave Villamagna to Chieti, after which it came under a succession of local lords. Throughout the Middle Ages, the town was also subject to frequent raids by Saracen invaders which did not cease until 1566. The local legend is that the town's patron saint Santa Margherita miraculously appeared and turned back the Saracens at the city walls, an event reenacted each July in the town's main festival.[3][4]

Economy

Much of the area surrounding the town is used for growing wine grapes. Villamagna's red wine received its DOC appellation in 2011.[5]

References
  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  3. Porcaroli, Fabrizio (ed.) (2010). S.O.S. Arte dall'Abruzzo, pp. 58–60. Gangemi Editore. ISBN 8849291957
  4. Comune di Villamagna. "La Storia. Retrieved 11 February 2016 (in Italian).
  5. Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini d’Abruzzo. "Villamagna DOC". Retrieved 11 February 2016 (in Italian).



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