The Castrilli
Family - Carpinone History
Letter From the
Mayor of Carpinone
Early History of the
Castrilli Name
An Overview of the
History of Carpinone
To view a map of Carpinone's
location in Italy Click Here.
Capinone, a small town in Molise, has played an extraordinary role in the lives of generations of Castrilli's. While it merits
our attention for this fact alone, the town is even more interesting because of its rich history which predates, by many centuries, the arrival of Pietrangelo Castrilli in the late XVIIIth century.
Situated on the shores of the River Carpino, high in the Apennines of south central Italy, Carpinone has a most interesting pedigree. Many of us have often thought of it as a sleepy little town. Yet its past speaks of its relative importance for such a small place. Its 35 square kilometers are imbued with history and tradition.
Carpinone is an ancient town whose territory dates back to at least the Roman period. Histories of the town indicate that its main street was part of the Via Consolare Aquilonia, inaugurated around 52 or 53 A.D. Records show that this particular road was rebuilt subsequently by the Emperor Massenzio and again in 106 A.D. by the EmperorTraiano. The Roman origins of the town appear to be confirmed by the recent discovery of a Roman military standard which sets out the distance between what was then Carpinone and Rome. This is documented by Professor Garrucci in his book, Storia di Isernia and through Roman artefacts found in the area.
Popular legend maintains that the ancient parts of the town were originally inhabited by Christians seeking to escape Roman persecution. To lend credence to this theory is the fact that Saint Nicandro, Saint Marciano and Saint Doria were martyred in nearby Venafro having followed Saint Peter who is believed to have travelled to Molise around 44 A.D.
Carpinone may, however, have an even older history. A boulder found in 1899 contains the inscription "Caio Papio Decimi Filio Ex Testamento". The significance of this inscription is that Caio Papio is reputed to be a Sannite name. The Sannites were an ancient tribe of Molise that first defeated and then were conquered by Rome. The Sannite name was retained after Roman rule was established and points to an earlier civilisation.
Finally, there is evidence that the site on which Carpinone now stands may have been part of the home of the earliest known human. In 1992 in a nearby cave, archaeologists found bones and artefacts, which they have identified as being almost four thousand years old. The "homo aeserniensis" as this being is now called is deemed by scholars to be the first "homo sapiens", or the first human to walk on two legs. People now come from all over the world to view and study this major archaeological find.
The first document that formally mentions the town of Carpinone dates back to 1064 with the founding of the Monastery of San Marco, another sign of the importance of the town. From that time until the 1he 18th century, Carpinone was owned by a succession of feudal lords from the Counts of Isernia in 1064 to Baron Gennaro De Riso who took possession through an instrument dated 1737. In 1807, Carpinone, free of all feudal claims, became pat of the District of Isernia.
At the beginning of the 1800's, when Pietrangelo Castrilli moved to Carpinone from Sant'Angelo in Grotte, Carpinone had survived the successive conquests of the Romans, the Longobards and the Normans. It had survived feudalism and the reign of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was a bustling town of more than 3,000, which at the time was a significant number of people.
It boasted a magnificent castle whose foundations were laid around 1000 A.D Its most famous owners were the Counts Giacomo and Antonio Caldora who were responsible for massive renovations in the early 1400's and for which the castle is now named. It was ordered destroyed in 1223 by the Emperor Frederick because it represented a military menace but was rebuilt
to its former splendour. The fact that such a large castle was built not
once but twice and still stands to this day indicates the strategic importance of Carpinone as an area to be fortified. The town is after all 680 meters above sea level and is halfway between Naples and Rome thus providing a suitable site for military defence.
Carpinone's prosperity was further witnessed by the fact that it boasted and still has 7 churches. It was surrounded by woods, which had plenty of wild game. And it had the added benefit of water from both the River Carpino and the Lago di Carpinone.
A census taken in 1811 points to the relative wealth of the town. It demonstrates that fully one-third of the population was well educated and/or well to do. This is an extraordinarily high percentage for a small, rural town by any measure. That census documented the following:
Landowners - 634
Priests - 16
Doctors - 28
Artists - 1
Yet, as a largely agricultural town, Carpinone also had its difficult periods. Two world wars and two earthquakes made many look for opportunities elsewhere. In the 1950's, in particular, they emigrated to North and South America, to Australia and to other parts of Europe in search of a better future for their families. The census of 1961 shows that only 1843 people remained in Carpinone, a decline of almost 40%.
Today, Carpinone is a town of approximately 2,000 people. But it is more prosperous and stable. It has a city council that is part of the Regional Government of Molise. It is rebuilding its historic centre. It has doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, business people, teachers and all manner of professionals. It is home to many that work in neighbouring towns: in the industrial complexes located in Isernia for instance. Its residents live there because they care about the quality of their lives. It remains an important centre for its size with one of the few train stations in Molise between Rome, 213 kilometers to the north, and Naples, 113 kilometers to the south. Its Corso Acquilonio is part of a national road system providing as it does an important link between these two major centres.
It is a town that celebrates its past with folk groups such as Ru Maccature and through the work of its cultural officer. It has a mayor, deputy mayor and a council committed to rebuilding the historic centre of the town and preserving its long-standing history. Yet it is also a forward-looking town. The new influx of people who have made a life-style choice to live there and summer there has brought new energy. It is surrounded by new industries and is linked to the world via Internet. It has retained its picturesque beauty and its honest values.
It is a good place to come from!
* Those well-versed in Italian will appreciate this ditty on the four syllables that make up the name Carpinone:
Se tu la prima all'ultima avvicini,
Avrai buone bistecche e stufatini,
Se la seconda e terzi prendi insieme,
Hai l'albero che il turbine non teme,
Il tutto sorge la' dove devia
Del Sannio all'Aquilan la ferrovia.
Berengario Amoroso
This is a brief overview of the history of Carpinone. For those wanting more information, the town of Carpinone has produced two excellent booklets which are available from the Comune di Carpinone, Salita Colle, 86093 Carpinone (IS) Molise, Italy. An excellent website on Carpinone has recently also been created and can be accessed at
http://web.tiscalinet.it/carpinonet/index-e.htm.