Carunchio, ancient village in the Alto-Vastese Mountain Community

Among the villages of the Alto-Vastese Mountain Community, in provincia di Chieti, there is Carunchio, village of just over 600 inhabitants perched 714 metri sul livello del mare. Quiet and quaint, Carunchio boasts origins that have their roots in 1173, year in which the territory was mentioned in a papal bull, in which the boundaries of the Diocese of Chieti are reconfirmed. Possession of the d'Avalos, of the Marinelli barons and the Caracciolo princes, Carunchio probably had a first nucleus located in an area different from the current one, where the town was moved, in all probability, due to the Slavic and Saracen incursions. The fortified village of Carunchio develops in concentric rings that converge in the highest part where, in ancient times, once stood the castle of which the ancient ruins remain. Among other vestiges of the past, the ruins of Porta Coluccia are visible, of the walled houses, of a probable tower house and many under-porticos.

Carunchio, the fortified palaces and churches

Even though it is a small town, Carunchio offers visitors and inhabitants various monuments and places of interest. In addition to the village, indeed, in via Monte there are fortified buildings, which seem to circumscribe the shape of an ancient castle and whose first structure dates back to the 13th-14th century. Worth mentioning, among the main ones fortified palaces of Carunchio, Palazzo Castelli, Palazzo Turdò and Palazzo Turdò old, of which only remains remain. Also in via Monte stands the parish church or church of San Giovanni Battista, built before the 15th century. In the town square there is the Church of Sant'Antonio known as "del Purgatorio", Gothic style. Among the religious buildings there is the former convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli, in the Santa Maria district, the remains of the church of San Michele Arcangelo in the San Michele area, in an area called “La Cesagna”, the church of Santa Lucia in the Santa Lucia district, the Madonna della Valle church in the Valle district and the Evangelical Protestant church, dating back to the early twentieth century.

Carunchio, its fountains and its festivals

Among the distinctive monuments of Carunchio there are fountains. In the square of the church of Purgatory there is the municipal fountain, built before the 18th century. In Via Fonte della Noce there is the fountain of the same name, built in a period before the 19th century by an architect from Agnone. Village strongly linked to traditions, Carunchio is characterized by various events linked to religious worship and the valorization of local specialties. On the occasion of Corpus Domini the traditional Infiorata takes place. The first of May and the month of August are dedicated to the feast of the Madonna della Valle. The 2 July, the 9 agosto, the 29 October and 12 The characteristic village fairs are held in December. The 10 and on August 11th the Ventricina festival is celebrated, local specialty that has risen to national prominence as the best cured meat in Italy. The 18 August is celebrated the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate and the 19 August the feast of San Vincenzo. in conclusion, Carunchio is the ideal village for those seeking the tranquility and warmth typical of the villages in the Abruzzo hinterland.