HISTORY

CORROPOLI ORIGIN

Before Roman Empire followed down , our country was victim of barbaric attaks . Corropoli didn’t exist at that time . It existed only Gabiano and Ripoli , and many buildings were destroyed in this period . In 568 Longobardi arrived , this meant for our cuontries an other period of misery and death . Longobards , installed in our territory and founded two dukedoms : Spoleto and Benevento . We belonged to Spoleto dukedom . At the end of Longobardian domination and at the beginning af the Franch one , there was a period of well-being and peace  during which , lords built wonderfull houses ; churches and monasteries were built too . In tenTh century Ungar arrived . This obliged many lords to abandon their beautiful houses on plain to build castels and houses on hills so that they could defend against foreign attaks . This period was called “period of battlements”.

The first inhabited centres wer born on the hillsin this way . People think that in this period  : about VIII-IX century , Corropoli rised because of Truentum Ripoli and Gabiano distuction . This new country took its name from Ripoli : Collis Ruppuli = Colle di Ripoli = Corropoli . When this country was born , it grew up and became an important center of the valley . In Middle Ages it was dominated by Acquaviva of Atri dukes . They got Corropoli as prize from Ferrante King because they had contributed to subdue Atrian people that had rebelled . Corropoli became a fortifield place after 1300 .

The city was sorrounded by strong walls with two doors : northern door and southern door . The walls were spaced out by 12 aquare towers on which army guards supervised day and night . These towers  were linked by a net of underground galleries that are still discovered today in many places of the city . Where today we look at “Pie’ di Corte” aquare there wasa baronal castle  in Middle Age that was the favourite residence of Atri dukes . The last ruins of this castle were distroyed in 1928 . The castle had tortures halls , big caves and stables for about 40 horses . Because of the walls with 12 battlements towers and the presence of the castleinside the walls , the symbol of Corropoli adopted in the past in many versions about graphic elements of decoration, has ever had the castle with 3 battlemented towers in the center , symbol of a strong feudal power on this noble place and on surrounding territory . This symbol is stamped on headed paper of the city-state about the second part of 800