4,785 views
Fossa was once a small village like many others. It was one of those small villages so characteristic here in Abruzzo. Built on the slopes of Mount Circolo, on which the castle is perched, the origins of Fossa date back to the Italic populations. In fact, the ancient Vestini lived here, who left to posterity a necropolis of about 500 tombs dating back to three different historical periods. Then came the Romans who conquered the territory and the Italic peoples were incorporated into the great Roman Empire. Then came the barbarians and, to defend themselves, the population built homes perched on the mountain with a castle able to dominate and observe from above. It was built in the 12th century and in 1423 it was besieged by Braccio da Montone, who destroyed it, to punish the loyalty of L'Aquila to the Angevins. After the barbarians, times changed, even the village changed - In the 10th century. a very particular church was built on a temple of the goddess Vesta, the Church of Santa Maria ad Cryptas. It was April 6, 2009, when at 3:32 a terrible earthquake struck the territory of L'Aquila and among the various destroyed towns there was also Fossa. It became necessary to evacuate the population and resettle them elsewhere. In the days following the earthquake, someone went to the town and wrote on a door "Return to Fossa". It was 2009 and slowly Fossa became a ghost town.