Ortona (
Abruzzese: '; grc, Ὄρτων, Órtōn) is a coastal town and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
of the
Province of Chieti in the
Italian region of
Abruzzo
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, with some 23,000 inhabitants.
In
1943 Ortona was the site of a
bloody battle, known as "Western
Stalingrad".
A
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of Ortona is Saint
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
(Tommaso), whose
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
were brought to Ortona in the 13th century by a sailor and are kept in the Cathedral of Saint Thomas.
History
The origins of Ortona are uncertain. Presumably, it was first inhabited by the
Frentani, an
Italic population. In 2005, during works near the Castle, a
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
settlement was discovered, and the Roman town largely coincided with this first settlement. Some sections of paved roads and urban walls, as well as some archaeological findings are the only remains of this period. Ortona remained a part of the
Eastern Roman Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantino ...
(later
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
) for several centuries, before it was annexed by the Kingdom of the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
. In 803 the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...
incorporated Ortona into the county of
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
. From that date on, the town remained tied to Chieti and its territory.
In 1258 the relics of the
Apostle Thomas
Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
were brought to Ortona by the sailor Leone Acciaiuoli. In 1302 the
Croatian lord
George Šubić raided Ortona and extracted tribute from its denizens. In the first half of the 15th century its walls were built, and during this period Ortona fought with the nearby town of
Lanciano in a fierce war that ended in 1427. On June 30, 1447, ships from
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
destroyed the port of Ortona; consequently the
King of Sicily
The monarchs of Sicily ruled from the establishment of the County of Sicily in 1071 until the "perfect fusion" in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816.
The origins of the Sicilian monarchy lie in the Norman conquest of southern Italy which occ ...
at that time commissioned the construction of a Castle to dominate the renovated port. In 1582 the town was acquired by
Margaret of Parma, daughter of Emperor
Charles V and Duchess of
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...
. In 1584 Margaret decided to build a great mansion (known as Palazzo Farnese), which was never completed due to her death.
After the establishment of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
in 1860, Ortona became one of the first sea resorts on the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
. On 9 September 1943, the royal family of the
House of Savoy left
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
-occupied Italy from the port of Ortona. The defensive
Gustav Line was established by the Germans at Ortona (extending towards
Cassino
Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Southern Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last city of the Latin Valley.
Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri ri ...
on the opposite side of Italy). Ortona offered the Allies a supply port on the Adriatic and was fiercely defended by the Germans. The struggle between the German paratroopers and the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade attracted the attention of the international press, leading this battle to be known as "Little Stalingrad."
Transport
Ortona is served from
Port of Ortona, an important port of
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
.
Main sights
*
Cathedral of San Tommaso (
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
of saint
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
)
*Cathedral Museum
*Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli
*Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
*
Lighthouse
*
Medieval Aragona Castle
*Museum of Ortona battle
*
Moro River Canadian War Cemetery
*Trabucchi (fishing machines) on sea
Ortona is home of several beaches that appeal to tourists and one historical museum based on the battle of Ortona. The
Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park
Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (Italian: ''Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise'') is an Italian national park established in 1923. The majority of the park is located in the Abruzzo region, with smaller parts in Lazio and Molise. ...
is not far either.
International relations
Ortona is
twinned with:
*
Cassino
Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Southern Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last city of the Latin Valley.
Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri ri ...
, Italy, since 1991
*
Volgograd, Russia, since 2013
*
Metkovic, Croatia, since 2016
People
* The composer
Francesco Paolo Tosti
Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti KCVO (9 April 1846, Ortona, Abruzzo2 December 1916, Rome) was an Italian composer and music teacher.
Life
Francesco Paolo Tosti received most of his music education in his native Ortona, Italy, as well as the co ...
was born in Ortona.
* Pornographic actor and producer
Rocco Siffredi was also born in Ortona.
See also
*
Ortona Lighthouse
References
Sources
*
*
External links
The Battle of Ortona - The "Italian Stalingrad" - December 20-28, 1943Inside Abruzzo: Insider Tips UncoveredThe sad short story of the Ortona’s funicolar
{{authority control
Coastal towns in Abruzzo