Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Angevin Temple and Investiture of the Knights of Santa Maria della Vittoria

An Angevin memory in the heart of the Marsica region

In the village of Scurcola Marsicana, in the province of L'Aquila, one of the most deeply felt commemorations of inland Abruzzo is renewed every year in May: the anniversary of the consecration of the Angevin Temple of the Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria della Vittoria. An event that weaves together historical re-enactment, religious ceremony, and community identity, bringing to light a decisive chapter in the medieval history of the Kingdom of Sicily.

Historical roots: the Battle of Tagliacozzo

The story has its roots in 1268, when the famous Battle of Tagliacozzo was fought on the plain at the foot of Scurcola: the troops of Charles I of Anjou defeated the Swabian army of Conradin of Swabia, handing control of the Kingdom of Sicily to the Angevins. To celebrate that victory, Charles I wanted to erect a Cistercian monastery named after Santa Maria della Vittoria. The church was completed and consecrated on May 12, 1278: on that occasion, the king donated the wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, still kept and venerated today in the sanctuary near the Rocca Orsini.

The historical pageant and ceremony

The commemoration opens in the morning with the historical pageant of Scurcola Marsicana's participants, who parade in medieval costumes accompanied by chivalric orders arriving from various regions of Italy. The procession reaches the SS. Trinità Collegiate Church, in Piazza del Mercato, where the solemn religious celebration takes place, animated by the Schola Cantorum Vincenzo De Giorgio of Scurcola Marsicana.

The investiture of the Knights

The most anticipated moment is the investiture of the new Knights of the Order of Santa Maria della Vittoria, a ceremony charged with symbolism that renews the bond between the territory and its Angevin memory every year. The event is organized by the Carlo I d'Anjou Cultural Studies Center, chaired by architect Lorenzo Fallocco, and the Order of the Knights of Santa Maria della Vittoria, led by Arrigo Ferracuti, with the patronage of the Abruzzo Region and the Diocese of the Marsi.

A heritage to be rediscovered

Participating in the commemoration means immersing oneself in the history of the Marsica region and rediscovering the heritage of the ancient abbey, now an archaeological site on the edge of the town. An opportunity to get to know Scurcola Marsicana, its Rocca Orsini, and the sanctuary that houses the wooden Madonna donated by Charles I of Anjou, in a corner of Abruzzo where the Middle Ages continue to live on.