The City of Scerni is located about twenty kilometers from the Adriatic Sea and near Vasto. The territory covers a hilly area for about 4,100 hectares with a predominantly cultivated area. The inhabitants live in the many peripheral locations in the capital and relaxing on a 276 m hill above sea level. Gently set on a hill, it has the good fortune of its geographical and strategic position for those who wish to visit it.
It is only a few kilometers from the Adriatic sea, motorway, the Maiella; from Rome itself is a few hours’ journey. Inside, it may want to visit, besides the historic center, the forest Agricultural Technical Institute, the Hill of Sighs with its green and with plenty of good air.
Its many locations (districts), first of all San Giacomo, highlight the industriousness of their inhabitants in agriculture and especially viticulture, producing excellent wine that you get in the modern Cantina Sociale.
SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE ROAD
At the village entrance there is the sanctuary of the Madonna della Strada built in the sixties. It stands on the ruins of an old church of 1400, built by nomadic shepherds so that the madonna protect them during their journey. The church was preceded by a portico for the shelter of pilgrims. The interior, with a nave, was embellished with stucco and painted decorations and a wooden altar painted and gilded. In the sanctuary they are kept two polychrome wooden statues dating from the fourteenth century and representatives San Panfilo and San Donato, and the Statue of Madonna. The latter, despite the “repainting”, qualifies for important work of the early sixteenth century, close to Sylvester Aquila. It would replace an older statue of the Madonna that a legend has it found a fig tree and later stolen during the night by some people from Atessa, then forced to abandon it on the way back, on the site where the church was later built, because all ‘suddenly it becomes so heavy that even seventy pairs of oxen were able to move it.
CHURCH OF SAN GIACOMO
This church is located in Contrada San Giacomo who took the name, according to popular belief, by the discovery in the place where now stands the church, a picture of the Apostle Saint James the Elder, who, according to some, was commissioned by the mayor at the time to a painter local artisan named Ernesto Piscicelli, in order to prosper this territory and the small existing chapel. The ancient church, a refuge for transhumance shepherds who passed for the sheep track with their sheep, was all brick, decorated inside with precious marble purchased directly from pastor Don Giovanni De Risio. During the renovations, in the 80s, the marbles were removed, the walls were plastered, the side altars were dismantled, and the church took on a more modern face. The renovation work has continued in 2000 with the altar arrangement, the oratory, the garden, the front door with reliefs depicting moments in the life of St. James and the chapel which houses the original 1600 painting.
RAIMONDI PALACE
Former town hall, inside halls, with frescoed ceilings. On the front of the pilasters that separate doors and windows. And ‘it characterized as “home palaziata” (noble). It was purchased in 1810 by Don Ferdinando Raimondi or by the Marquis Don Ferdinando d’Avalos. Its construction dates back to the eighteenth century. The plan of the building is secluded block, has a hip roof, the masonry is dry with facing bricks. Has a cylindrical tank, the remains of the tower and an underground. Renovated in 2000, it is today home to the parsonage and various associations.
PALAZZO DE RISEIS qualified as a baronial mansion, built in the eighteenth century on the ruins of the castle and Scerni instead of demolished houses. a rectangular block plant, hipped roof, dry wall, mixed plastered. Once housed a private library.
PALAZZO D’AVALOS Qualified as a fortified palace, was built by the Marquis D’Avalos of an existing system, during the Renaissance, in the sixteenth century. In Origin he had to submit numerous towers with loopholes; They observe stones and bricks from different eras. The northern side has walls with masonry veneers, Ionic capitals, a square tower at the corner of masonry with facing bricks. The palace D’Avalos was part of the entire building complex of the castle with the defensive walls that surrounded the town. The palace stretched behind the current parish church to the place called Pian Palace. Today in the castle were obtained three small apartments to rent. Source: City of Scerni.
RIDOLFI INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE
Important reference point for the whole area is the prestigious Agricultural Institute “Ridolfi”, ancient and glorious school that has trained professionally in agricultural technicians generations.
The culinary tradition of the town is The “ndurciullune”, typical of scernese, representing less subtle type of pasta alla chitarra. To be enjoyed fully, are topped with sauce made from mutton or sheep meat, chopped tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and various aromatic spices. This dish was born from the peasant culture with the ministry, which occurred during the transhumance, as it brings together the most used raw materials in both cultures. Its origin is therefore definitely been transmitted orally from elderly farmers. Sagne in pieces or ‘tacconelle’, are prepared with a mixture of water, durum wheat and wheat flour should be spread into a sheet of 2 mm thick, which is then cut into oblique strips of width about 4 cm , so as to obtain many small pieces of diamond shape with rapid strokes of the knife.
Sagne are enhanced by a dressing of extreme freshness and simplicity, made with fresh tomato sauce into pieces, basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil, which preferably should remain fairly soupy and flavored with grated pecorino cheese.
FESTIVITIES AND TRADITIONS
The village church, San Panfilo, is located in via Archbishop De Risio, built before the fourteenth century, in fact the first historical mention is in 1324 when the same is mentioned in the tithes to the abbey of Santa Maria d’Arabona. E ‘it enriched with a beautiful stone portal, which in 1566 was damaged by the violent Turkish raids. In 1748 underwent a restoration made necessary after the earthquake of 1720. The interior is in neoclassical style and has three naves with barrel vault. The church has an organ and the bell tower dates back to the eighteenth century.
The festival in honor of San Panfilo is celebrated on April 28,
April 29 is the patron saint Emidio.
May, the country soul with the feast of St. Nicholas on the 13th,
June 20 with the feast of San Silverio,
July 25 with that of St. James,
August 15 celebrates the Madonna della Strada,
August 16 is the feast of St. Rocco.
Always in the summer months, we organize the festival of the event in the name of snail tasting of a main dish of local cuisine, snails, ciammariche in dialect. These land molluscs are prepared, according to ancient tradition, with several days of work. In addition to this delicacy you can taste other dishes of Abruzzo peasant tradition.
July and August the Festival of Ventricina.
The festival offers a tasting of many of the products of excellence of the local culinary tradition, as the excellent ventricina. It will also be possible to taste many other traditional dishes of these, such as bacon, sausages, salami, cheese, kebabs, roast pork, fried fish, and much more.
July Festival Stuffed Eggplants.
Festival dedicated to the tasting of the genuine and rustic flavors, such as stuffed eggplant, prepared in many ways. During the event you can also taste other dishes of Abruzzo peasant tradition.
Also during the period of July Feast of the Sheep to Callara.
Important dish of the culinary tradition of Abruzzo, the delicious dish will be thoroughly prepared, following the traditional long cooking times that make the skin soft and tasty meat, and will be accompanied by many side dishes and greedy.
There will be food stands with other foods of Abruzzo cuisine, good wines and music entertainment.
Neighboring municipalities in Scerni
Atessa 17,3 km
Pollutri 7,9 km
Monteodorisio 16,3 km
Gissi 22,3 km
