Capracotta

Capracotta
Country	Italy
region	Molise
province	Isernia  (IS)
Coordinates	41 ° 50 ′  N , 14 ° 16 ′  E Coordinates: 41 ° 50 ′ 0 ″  N , 14 ° 16 ′ 0 ″  E
height	1421  m slm
surface	42 km²
Residents	837 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density	20 inhabitants / km²
Post Code	86082
prefix	0865
ISTAT number	094006
Popular name	capracottesi
Patron saint	San Sebastiano
Website	Capracotta

Capracotta is an Italian commune with 837 inhabitants and is located near Castel del Giudice and Ateleta in the province of Isernia .

geography

No districts (fractions) are assigned for the municipality.

The neighboring municipalities are Agnone , Castel del Giudice , Pescopennataro , San Pietro Avellana , Sant'Angelo del Pesco and Vastogirardi .

The municipality is located around 41 km from the capital of the province, the city of Isernia and 70 km from the Adriatic coast .

The highest point in the municipality is the summit of Monte Campo , which is 1746 meters above sea level.

Location of the municipality in the province of Isernia

history

The first signs of settlement in the municipality of Capracotta date back to the eleventh century BC. During excavations, parts of a settlement from pre-Christian times were uncovered. In the first century AD, the settlement was partially destroyed by fire and subsequently Romanized.

Population development

year	1861	1881	1901	1921	1936	1951	1971	1991	2001	2013
Residents	3,737	3,902	4,502	4,706	3,934	3,628	2.163	1.314	1,122	938

Source: ISTAT

The locality of Capracotta

Piazza Falconi

Panorama (in good weather you can see 7 regions)

jail

Monte Caparo

Panorama of Capracotta

Fountain at the entrance to the park

Panorama of Capracotta

Chiesa S. Maria della Madonna

coat of arms

The coat of arms shows on a blue shield a jumping (fleeing) goat in natural colors over a fire. It is a talking coat of arms , as the name Capracotta means something like boiled goat.

History of the name

The coat of arms still bears witness to a legend today. This says that gypsies decided to build a community and sacrifice a goat for this in a ritual. But this goat was able to flee and jumped over the fire. In the place where the goat stopped, the gypsies built their village and settled down.

Another story goes that the name comes from the baptism of fire by the Lombards, who supposedly founded the village. Indeed, the Lombards had a carnival custom in which goats were killed, roasted, and eaten, and their horned heads were consecrated to the devil during this feast.

Both stories are legends.

However, it is more likely that the name comes from "Castra cocta". This is derived from a military camp that is protected by an "agger coctus" (a fence made of bricks). It cannot be ruled out that a Roman detachment was stationed in these mountains to take advantage of the strategic advantages of a location overlooking the valley of the Sangro River.

It is even more likely, however, that the name is made up of two properties of the region, namely the Indo-European "cap" - high place, and "Kott" - rocky place. At least that's how Ugo Mosca argues in a study of place names in the Campobasso State Library.

Personalities

• Erasmo Iacovone (1952–1978), football player

Web links

Commons : Capracotta  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the municipality of Capracotta (Italian)
• Information on the municipality of Capracotta (Italian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.
2. ^ Homepage of the community