Gissi ( Abruzzese: ) is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' located in the

Province of Chieti The province of Chieti (; Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: ') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Chieti, which has a population of 50,770 inhabitants. The province has a total popul ...

, Abruzzo, Italy. It is bordered by two

tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...

of the Sinello River and is surrounded by

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

s and

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

groves.

History

Gissi has been populated since prehistoric times. In the 12th century it was under the influence of the D'Avalos family.

Main sights

The ''Palazzo Carunchio'' and the ruins of the Castle are exemplary of the town's buildings, balconies, and alleys. Built in the 19th century, the Palazzo Carunchio now serves as the Town Hall, and houses the town's administrative offices. The town has other fine examples of ''palazzi'' from the 18th and 19th centuries, adorned with fine architectural details. Also notable is that many Gissi homes are covered with

gesso A restored gesso panel representing St. Martin of Tours, from St. Michael and All Angels Church, Lyndhurst, Hampshire Gesso (; 'chalk', from the , from ), also known as "glue gesso" or "Italian gesso", is a white paint mixture used to coat rigi ...

, a material obtained from nearby caves and hills. The Church of ''Santa Maria Assunta'' is Gissi's oldest church, which was remodeled in 1955. Inside, it houses silver crosses from the Neapolitan School dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, a 17th-century wooden statue of Saint Pamphilus, and a wooden cross from the late 12th. Its ceiling contains a reproduction of the ''

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

'' attributed to

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian Baroque painter, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious works, but al ...

, and its 16th century wooden

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

is carved and gilded with gold. The church also has two

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

s dedicated to the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

and

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...

. Another church is the ''Cappella di Santa Lucia'' located in La Pineta, a pine tree park which affords views of the surrounding countryside, including the Adriatic Sea.

Culture

Gissi is home to a variety of feasts and festivals, many of which are religious feasts in celebration of saints. These include the 20 May feast of St. Bernardino of Siena, who is buried at

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of the Province of L'Aquila and the Abruzzo region in Italy. , it has a population of 69,902. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the A ...

in the cathedral dedicated in his name. Other feasts include the Feast of St. Lucy on August 20 and the Feast of St. Roch on August 19.

People

* Remo Gaspari (1921–2011), a Christian Democrat politician

References

Cities and towns in Abruzzo {{Abruzzo-geo-stub