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
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