Feste, tradizioni e leggende su San Martino nella valle dell'Aventino tra passato e presente

Abstract

The Aventino Valley is an area of the Chieti Province and the Region of Abruzzo that includes 11 municipalities: Palena, Lettopalena, Colledimacine, Taranta Peligna, Lama dei Peligni, Torricella Peligna, Montenerodomo, Gessopalena, Fara San Martino, Civitella Messer Raimondo and Casoli. The population present in the entire valley has greatly reduced due to emigration. In fact, from the value of 32,290 inhabitants registered in 1861, it has gone down to 13,300 observed in 2021. Until the end of the 50s of the last century, in all the municipalities of the valley, the prevailing economic activity was agriculture. Now, the workers in this sector has significantly decreased and the people finds other jobs. This essay analyzes the traditions of San Martino collected in all the municipalities of this area. The research carried out has shown that San Martino is an important religious emblem of the entire valley which strengthens is cultural identity. Compared to a not so distant past, some traditions of this saint have been forgotten, others have been preserved by re-functionalizing and others have been invented.