The Cathedral

The Cathedral is built on the highest point of the Old Village, in the place of urban oldest, as evidenced by some archaeological finds dating back to the Bronze Age. The first building is located, probably on the ruins of an ancient pagan building, but for which there are no traces. There are, however, clear traces, such as the tour of the three apses and the mosaic floor, of a religious building existing at present and already Cathedral, dedicated to St. Mary. During the century. XII, two earthquakes gravely jeopardized the Church "mosaic" and it was decided to build a new temple. The work of the current building, attributed to Alfano from Termoli, began towards the end of the century, financed by rich merchants of Ravello. The Cathedral is divided into three naves by piers and has a trussed roof in the nave and cross vaults in the aisles. Over the centuries the cathedral suffered natural disasters and looting that devastated much. In the mid-eighteenth century, the interior was transformed Baroque which was liberated in the thirties, when it came to light the mosaics and the remains of the apses of the religious pre-existing. With recent restoration has come to light other parts of the mosaic floor and a large cemetery area under the premises of the sacristy, dating from the ninth century in the oldest strata. The December 31, 1761 in the crypt of the Cathedral were found the bones of St. Basso, patron of Termoli; while, in May 1945 there were found those of St. Timothy, a disciple of St. Paul.

The Old Town

The old core of the town of Termoli stands on the top of a promontory that juts out almost to the Adriatic Sea. The ancient town looks like a charming medieval town, characterized by small squares and alleys very characteristic; among these is evidence Vico Castle, one of the closest in Europe. The discovery of some cemeteries in the localities Porticone and Defense Grande testifies the human presence in the area since the sixth century BC To escape the invasion of the Goths, in 412 A.D. some residents fled inland termolese the nearby promontory. This town took the name of Tornola, in memory of the original nucleus called Cliterniola. Some streets and squares of the Old Village have retained this name until today. Later, in 568 A.D. Lombards founded the Duchy of Benevento and proclaimed capital of Termoli County, being a strategic center for coastal defense. Precisely for this reason, the city was fortified with walls, a tower and eight crenellated towers. Date back to the Swabian reconstruction and expansion of the city walls and the castle and the establishment of an important weekly market, to be held on Monday within the walls. All this was established by Emperor Frederick II. The inhabited of Termoli remained enclosed within the ancient walls until 1847, when King Ferdinand II gave permission to build even outside; he also draw two streets orthogonal, National Course, in North-South direction, and Corso Umberto, marking the beginning of the modern history of Termoli.

The Svevo Castle

The Svevo Castle of Termoli is the defensive building more representative of the entire coast of Molise, built around the thirteenth century to the village to ensure a safe defense from the sea and from the mainland. During the Lombard domination, the inhabitants of the small fiefdoms exist in the area, as an increasing number of attacks coming from the sea, took refuge on the small promontory and built a fortified enclosure. The earthquake of 1456 caused considerable damage to the castle of Termoli, such that Ferdinand I of Aragon he had to provide for the reconstruction. The building then underwent several changes, adapting to new construction techniques and requirements of war. The castle was defended by strong walls which were inserted cylindrical towers; these perfectly preserved is the one that anticipates the archway entrance to the village. Other towers, which complemented the defensive line to the sea from Puglia was prolonged through the Molise to the 'Abruzzo, are visible along the coast. To note the Tower Meridiana in Rio Vivo locations: at the place where it stands, the intersection of the 15th meridian east with the 42nd parallel, adjusts the average time official Italy and Central Europe.

The Trebuchet

The trebuchet is an ancient fishing machine, became a symbol of the maritime culture termolese.   Currently there are three: one at the port and two to the Marina of St. Anthony, the latter are the most efficient and the most popular, perhaps because of their proximity to the city center, placed it at the foot of the castle. grande2.jpg The first of Termoli trebuchet was built around 1850 by Felice Marinucci he had seen this type of construction in Abruzzo, where he often went for work. Attracted by these strange structures, revisited in our area with the help of a friend of his called Verì, which, coming from France, was experienced by generations in this type of construction. At that time, the family of Verì, was not the only one to move from France, other Jews in fact moved, proposing the construction already tested in France, consisting of agile wooden walkways that allowed the water to fish but does not have a boat, so the Trabucchi.   The reality of Trabucchi is therefore a tradition imported, but became, however, characterizing the territory termolese bridging the Gargano promontory, another area rich in these buildings.   A 'historical hypothesis attributes the birth of trebuchets in Italy, after the earthquake - tsunami of 30 July 1627, although their use dates back to Phoenician times already.   Today trebuchets remain an integral part of the landscape termolese, represent a long tradition, what many fishermen have used for their survival thus becoming a source of pride, a place of entertainment and curiosity for anyone willing to visit it.

Testi http://www.regione.molise.it/ e http://www.comune.termoli.cb.it/