Greccio

Greccio
Country	Italy
region	Lazio
province	Rieti  (RI)
Coordinates	42 ° 27 '  N , 12 ° 45'  E Coordinates: 42 ° 26 '41 "  N , 12 ° 45' 6"  E
height	388  m slm
surface	18 km²
Residents	1,551 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density	86 inhabitants / km²
Post Code	02040
prefix	0746
ISTAT number	057031
Popular name	Grecciani
Patron saint	San Michele
Website	Greccio
Greccio

Greccio is an Italian commune in the province of Rieti in the Lazio region with 1551 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019) and is 90 km north of Rome and 15 km west of Rieti .

The municipality is a member of the association I borghi più belli d'Italia (The Most Beautiful Places in Italy).

geography

Greccio is located in the Sabine Mountains above the Velino valley . It is surrounded by oak forests that reach the highest point in the municipality, Monte Lacerone (1204 m). It is a member of the Comunità Montana Montepiano Reatino .

The neighboring towns of Contigliano , Cottanello , Rieti and Stroncone ( TR ).

traffic

Greccio is on the Strada Statale SS 79 Ternana which leads from Rieti to Terni . The municipality also has a train station on the Terni - Sulmona railway line .

history

Legend has it that Greccio was founded by Greek immigrants in ancient times. It was first mentioned in the 10th to 11th centuries. In 1242 it was conquered and destroyed by Friedrich II .

Population development

year	1861	1881	1901	1921	1936	1951	1971	1991	2001
Residents	1,545	1,813	1,892	1,951	1,940	2,018	1,361	1,504	1,464

Source: ISTAT

politics

Albertina Miccadei (Citizen List Il Cambiamento per la continuità per Greccio ) was elected mayor in June 2009. Her predecessor Antonio Rosati (citizen list) (2004-2009) did not stand for election.

Twin town

• Bethlehem in Palestine

Christmas crib

According to legend, Francis of Assisi had the Christmas Gospel presented for the first time in Greccio in 1223 in the form of a living nativity scene. This tradition continues to this day and the Christmas story is depicted between December 24th and January 6th. A monastery was built on the site of the first performance by Francis of Assisi.

Attractions

• South of Greccio is the former monastery of San Pastore from the 13th century.

literature

• Christoph Henning: Lazio. The land around Rome. With walks in the Eternal City (= DuMont art travel guide ). 3rd updated edition. DuMont-Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2006, ISBN 3-7701-6031-2 .

Web links

• ProLoco Greccio (Italian)
• Greccio on www.comuni-italiani.it (Italian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.
2. ^ I borghi più belli d'Italia. Borghipiubelliditalia.it, accessed August 31, 2017 (Italian). 
3. ^ Italian Ministry of the Interior
4. ↑ Bethlehem Twinning Cities (English)