Welcome to Petacciato
In the heart of the Molise coast, nestled among suggestive and scenic natural landscapes,
Petacciato lies in a privileged position, offering breathtaking views of the gulf encompassing the cities of Termoli, Vasto, and the Tremiti Islands, stretching to the Gargano promontory to the south and the Maiella and Gran Sasso mountains of Abruzzo to the north. The Petacciato area has been populated since ancient times, as evidenced by the passage of numerous civilizations, including the Frentana, Roman, Lombard, and Norman, where history, myth, and legend combine to shape the essence of the region. Petacciato has two historical souls: the old town, which encompasses the Ducal Palace and the Romanesque church, and the 19th-century Case Nuove neighborhood, which, through Corso Italia, reaches Piazza Indipendenza. Once separated, the two neighborhoods were reunified with the construction of the modern Viale Pietravalle around the second half of the 20th century.
​Il borgo antico è circondato da una natura rigogliosa e da scorci verso il mare di incredibile fascino. Di origine medievale, l’antico abitato nasce racchiuso intorno ad una preesistente fortificazione normanna, attorno alla quale si svilupparono poche casupole di coloni, che si occupavano di rendere produttivo il fertilissimo fondaco. Una chiesa in stile romanico e probabili mura, testimoniate dalla presenza documentata di due porte di accesso verso nord e verso sud, purtroppo ora non più visibili, completavano il piccolo borgo.
L’antica Petacciato fu edificata e distrutta numerose volte, come nel 1456 a causa del violento terremoto che distrusse gran parte dei borghi del Molise o nel 1463, quando l’abitato viene raso al suolo da Antonio Caldora, protagonista della lotta per il controllo del territorio tra Angioini e Aragonesi, che volle punire la fedeltà del borgo a quest’ultimi. Nel 1566, invece, fu distrutta dall’incursione dei temibili turchi guidati da Pialì Pascià, ammiraglio del Sultano Solimano II, che mise a ferro e fuoco tutte le città costiere tra cui Pescara e Termoli. Furono i d’Avalos gli ultimi a ricostruire il borgo, portando con sé nel 1818 i coloni i cui cognomi sono tuttora presenti a Petacciato.
The Ducal Palace
Strolling through Piazza Belgioioso, one can still hear, through the walls of the brick and sandstone houses that surround the square, the echo of the industrious farmers preparing for the arrival of Duchess Hortensia for the harvest. A soft yet frenetic noise spread along the alleys overlooking the sea and the train station, thanks to which the Duchess traveled easily between Naples and Petacciato, where she stayed at the Palazzo Ducale d'Avalos. Built in the Middle Ages on presumably pre-existing Norman structures, the palace would have featured massive walls and elements typical of Norman fortresses, which were lost over the years due to frequent devastation from earthquakes and raids. It was also used as a hunting lodge, thanks to the extensive oak grove that surrounded the village, and it was only thanks to Hortensia d'Avalos that its complete reconstruction, including the addition of a second floor for residential use, took place in the second half of the 19th century. The project, carried out by engineer Enrico Vetta, took advantage of the existing quarries in Petacciato to restore the Palace to its medieval appearance, also adding corbels and battlements, typical of the period. When the Palace was inhabited by Ortensia d'Avalos and her husband Giovanni Quarto, it was described as richly adorned with fine furnishings and furnishings, including statues, bronzes, and ancient weapons. The hall on the lower floor contained stuffed animals, the pride of the lavish hunting parties the Duke organized with all the surrounding nobles, which always concluded with grand banquets and parties. Upon the Duchess's death, the Palace was contested between Giovanni Quarto and Ortensia's sister, Carolina d'Avalos, due to a will forged by Duke Quarto in her favor. After years, it passed into the hands of Marquis Domenico Battiloro, where it gradually lost many pieces of furniture. The now decaying palace was donated by the Battiloro heirs to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and later sold to the Municipality of Petacciato.
The Church
In Petacciato, locals still sit in front of the charming church of Santa Maria, conversing in a postcard-perfect setting. Built in the second half of the 12th century, it features three naves, a sandstone masonry structure, a central apse, and two smaller apses, one of which is no longer visible from the outside because it is nestled inside a private residence. The church of Santa Maria has always shared the same fate as the village and has been destroyed or damaged several times. The most significant reconstruction took place in the second half of the 17th century by the d'Avalos family. After the cholera epidemic that struck Petacciato in 1837, the church was dedicated to San Rocco, patron saint of plague victims, but with recent restorations, the dedication to Santa Maria has been restored. During these restorations, the small but evocative crypt with three apses, punctuated by rustic columns that support the altar above, was returned to the faithful. Inside the church, a beautiful papier-mâché processional sculpture depicting Saint Sebastian, created by the Falcucci workshop in Atessa, is preserved. The church is currently accessed through what was once the side entrance, while the aerial view and a study of the floor plan reveal a much larger church with a Latin cross plan. Next to the left nave stands the evocative Romanesque bell tower with a quadrangular base, constructed with unequal blocks that begin larger at the base and then become lighter as the structure progresses with smaller blocks. The bell tower is divided by three cornices that mark its height, and the central section is decorated with small arches and projecting pillars. There are also three reused blocks depicting animals and an ancient warrior. Before the recent restoration, it had no roof and a metal balustrade at the top, a testament to its former use as a watchtower.
The Puzze Vallone
The legendary well, a reproduction of which is located at the entrance to the ancient village, is the symbol and guardian of an ancient legend which inspired the song that over time became the anthem of Petacciato. Legend has it that whoever drinks the water from "Lu Puzze Vallone" falls irrevocably in love with the town, so much so that they never want to leave and stay in Petacciato forever. The actual well still exists, but is located in the open countryside. You can try your hand at finding it, but believe us, you don't have to drink its water to fall in love with Petacciato!
The Avenues
Petacciato's two main avenues symbolize the region's changing history. Petacciato remained virtually enclosed within the old town until the second half of the 19th century. As the population grew, more housing became necessary, and so work began on a new neighborhood called "Case Nuove," located around what is now Piazza Indipendenza and the charming Corso Italia. A formal building request reached the then Municipality of Guglionesi, of which Petacciato was a hamlet, in 1894, and as early as 1901, a land registry map showed a new neighborhood almost identical to the old one. For years, the residents of Petacciato abandoned the countryside between the two urban agglomerations, along with a small dirt road connecting them. At the center of this road, a large monumental school building was built in 1937, which also serves as the Town Hall in the basement. The construction of this building sparked the construction of numerous homes and, in 1964, the construction of the new church, completing the reunification of the two villages: old houses and new ones. The definitive union resulted in the creation of the modern main avenue, named after the Honorable Michele Pietravalle, a supporter of Petacciato's independence from the Municipality of Guglionesi. Thanks in part to his intercession, Petacciato became an independent municipality in 1924. When visiting Petacciato, don't miss Corso Italia, with its picturesque views and sandstone houses, and Viale Pietravalle, the center of town life and nightlife.
Murals - Neve
Petacciato was also involved in Enel’s street art project, which transformed electrical substations into canvases for street art. On the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death, Enel celebrated the Supreme Poet with "The Cabins of Paradise", an artistic project sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. Nine substations throughout Italy host the nine heavens of the last of the three Canticles of his "Comedy" in an allegorical representation. The artwork was created by the internationally renowned graffiti artist Danilo Pistone, aka Neve, one of Italy's most renowned exponents of neo-muralism, who uses light and contrasting effects to create the images depicted on the substations. Through the precise characterization of each heaven, the artist reveals his connection to the Canticle and to Dante, as well as the connection to the founding element of the commissioner, Enel: Light, which represents "the substance itself," the energy of love that moves all things, in the verses of the Tuscan poet. To represent her, Neve chose to paint on a black background, allowing her to emerge from the shadows. In Petacciato, he created "The Eighth Heaven (Fixed Stars)". Here, the artist reinterprets Heaven VIII, the Heaven of the Fixed Stars, in a modern key, where triumphant souls reside and where Saint Peter interrogates Dante about Faith, its content and origin, and the proofs of its truth. Here, Neve represents the conflict between fate and intellect in the struggle between Fortune, blindfolded and holding a cornucopia, and Psyche, at the center of the work. Also attentive to environmental sustainability, the artist used a type of paint that absorbs CO2, which has demonstrated its general effectiveness in reducing pollutants and lowering surface temperatures.
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