In 1816, the town of Vasto experienced a landslide, one of several that would occur over the years, culminating in the major landslide of 1956, which destroyed part of the ancient Roman city and the historic Church of San Pietro. The 1816 event also struck the town’s eastern slope, affecting the stretch from the Porta…
The exterior of Santa Maria Maggiore is irregular, built with rough brick, and contrasts with the artistic elegance of its Neoclassical interior. However, it bears numerous traces of the transformations the grand structure has undergone over time. For this reason, a full tour around the building is essential to truly appreciate its architectural evolution. Starting…
Piazza Rossetti in Vasto is rich in Masonic symbols. The monument to Gabriele Rossetti, long requested by the citizens and subject to numerous attempts to raise funds through public subscriptions, particularly among Vasto’s emigrants in the United States, remained a dream for the local administration until 1924. At that time, an unspecified association proposed to…
The Palazzo del Carmine, as it stands today, was built in 1738 alongside the renovation of the adjacent church. By the mid-17th century, a convent already occupied the site, likely adapted from earlier structures. It became home to the Lucchesi fathers, invited to Vasto by Marquis Diego d’Avalos to establish a college dedicated to educating…
Porta Catena is the only gate of the medieval city wall remaining in the city, and its construction took place between 1391 and 1439. It has a beautiful pointed arch in brick, surmounted by a round arch, which supports the upper part protruding. Porta Catena has evidently been remodeled at various times, but some original…
The “Loggia Amblingh” is the most beautiful panoramic walk in Vasto, between Piazza Marconi and the perimeter wall of the gardens of Palazzo d’Avalos. The route was created at the beginning of the twentieth century when the collapse of Gabriele Rossetti’s birthplace, built on the old walls, had made the city government aware of the…
Nestled just off the beaten path, this small and quiet square is a hidden gem in the rich tapestry of Vasto’s history. Piazza Caprioli owes its name to the renowned jurist Virgilio Caprioli, born in 1548 in the family home at the corner of Via Barbarotta. Caprioli’s legacy endures, not only for his historical studies…
San Giuseppe is not the largest church in Vasto. Nor is it the oldest. It isn’t even the most beloved. And yet, it is the city’s cathedral. It is, in fact, Vasto’s oldest parish, but it only gained that status in the early 19th century due to a rivalry between the two historic churches of…
The current Gabriele Rossetti’s House is a 1952 building constructed on the site of Gabriele Rossetti’s birthplace. Initially used as a municipal library, it now serves as a research center and is not open to the public. Its significance lies more in its beautiful location than the historical value of the building itself. However, the…
Corso de Parma, named after Riccio de Parma, a knight of the Disfida di Barletta and a proud native of Vasto, is now part of the city’s main historical axis. This route connects Piazza Rossetti to Palazzo d’Avalos, forming the most prestigious area of Vasto’s historic center. The Corso specifically links Piazza Diomede, where the…