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Roccabascerana

In the 19th Century Roccabascerana (or Rocca Bascerana) was in the Province of Principato Ulteriore.  It is now in the Province of Avellino, in the Region of Campania.  Roccabascerana is shown on this big map of central southern Italy; it is at the bottom center of the map, a little to the northwest of the City of Avellino.  The feudal Terra of Roccabascerana was the village of origin of some of Nunziata DiRenzo's Porcaro ancestors.

A Brief History of the Comune of Roccabascerana

"The paese (village and its agricultural land) of Roccabascerana is certainly Lombard in origin.  In the year 971 it was called Guascerana; later the name changed to Roccha Basserana and to Arx Balsarana.

"The ruins of the baronial castle are still visible today; they are now private property.

"In 1643 the paese was almost completely destroyed by a very strong earthquake.  In 1660 the plague reduced to 200 the number of inhabitants.  The last feudal lord of Roccabascerana was Giuseppe della Leonessa, Prince of Sepino and Duke of San Martino, who in 1730 succeeded his father Fabio, who had acquired the fief in 1712 from Michele Capocelatro."

Agricultural Products: the Chestnuts of Roccabascerana

"In the territory around Roccabascerana are found many chestnut groves, coppices that bear fruit.  It is customary in the area to treat the chestnuts after they are harvested: they are immersed in cold water for a week, and then they are dried in layers 16 to 20 inches deep, turned over twice a day.

"In the undergrowth of the chestnut groves are gathered, in the spring, delicious little wild strawberries."

Source: The above is a summary translation of Italian texts found at the Web site Comunità Montana del Partenio ["Partenio Mountain Community"] <www.intecs.it/craa/parte/it_home.htm> as it existed in June 1998, the whole of which bears this copyright notice: Copyright 1996 Consorzio per la Ricerca Applicata in Agricoltura [Consortium for Applied Research in Agriculture].

The URL of this Web page: https://www.roangelo.net/valente/roccabas.html
Last revised: 4 March 2007 : 2007-03-04 by Robert [Wesley] Angelo.

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