Costumi - Colle Sansonesco

Colle Sansonesco

In historical documents related Colle Sansonesco the area is sometimes referred to by various names include Collesansonesco, Collo Sansonesco, and Colle Santonesco.
The famous historian Niccola Palma attributes the name of this area to a family called Sansone who were the likely owners.

Luigi Ercole in the beginning of the 1800s wrote about Colle Sansonesco in this way:
This is a small village located about three miles southeast of Teramo. It has 32 residents. The land is steep and mountainous. The main local product is acorns although grain and vineyards are also to be found...."
In the Regio Cedolario del 1787 (Royal Taxation Decree of 1787) the area is designated a feudo nobile, (noble feudal holding) i.e., a large aristocratic feud with certain delineated rights and responsibilities.

Past census data provide an interesting perspective into the area's history. Residents were grouped into fuochi (fireplaces) with the implication that each fireplace served as a gathering place for one family unit. Thus a village having twenty "fuochi" had approximately this many families residing there at the time. Colle Sansonesco was originally considered to be an outlying villa associated with the town, and belonging to baron, of Teramo. Only later was it designated a Università (University), that is, a commune making up part of a domain, and not forming part of the baronial holdings. This nomenclature was used in the Kingdom of Naples and certain of other states which later came together to form what is now known as modern Italy.

According to the 1754 census (Catasto Onciario) data:

• Nuclear families: 7 (for a total of 48 people)
• Absent families: 1
• Non clergy persons associated with the church: 2
• Churches and related properties: Madonna delle Grazie; San Pietro di Azzano; San Giacomo; Parish of Collesansonesco;
• Non citizen overseers: 2