Acquaviva Picena
| Acquaviva Picena | |
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| Comune | |
| Comune di Acquaviva Picena | |
The fortress of Acquaviva
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 Acquaviva Picena
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| Coordinates: 42°57′N 13°49′E / 42.950°N 13.817°ECoordinates: 42°57′N 13°49′E / 42.950°N 13.817°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Marche |
| Province | Ascoli Piceno (AP) |
| Frazioni | Abbadetta, Casaricca, Forola, Madonna delle Piane, Quercia, Sant'Angelo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pierpaolo Rosetti |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.9 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 365 m (1,198 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 3,690 |
| • Density | 180/km2 (460/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Acquavivani |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 63075 |
| Dialing code | 0735 |
| Patron saint | Saint Nicholas |
| Saint day | December 6 |
| Website | Official website |
Acquaviva Picena is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche. The village lies on a hill over the Valley of Tronto, just a few kilometres from the Adriatic Sea and San Benedetto del Tronto. From the top of the hill (365 m.s.l.), it’s possible to see the Sibillini Mountains (Monte Vettore), and even the further away Gran Sasso and Majella.
The Acquaviva area has been inhabited since prehistory, proof of that are several archaeological finds, most of which are from the Piceno age, but also from the Roman Age. When the Picentes (or Piceni, Italian), which settled here during the 6th century b.C., were subdued by Roman forces, the village of Acquaviva survived thanks to the closeness to Castrum Truentinum.
During the Barbarian Invasions the village grew into an urban settlement: the coming of Longobards and Saracens forced the coastal population to move inland. The village was originally owned by the Farfa Abbey (947), then became feud of the Acquaviva’s family (hence the name) that build the fortress during the 13th century.
In 1341 Acquaviva became under control of the city of Fermo and became an important garrison in enemy territory, keeping coastal villages (San Benedetto in Albula) out of the reach of Ascoli. During the 4th century the village population grew, bringing its numbers to twice its original size. The eastern section of the village was built and named “Terra nuova” to separate it from “Terra Vecchia” which was the original settlement, just before the fortress. That made it necessary to build another section of the fortress on the same side, to the East.
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Wikipedia