Castropignano - Etymology

Etymology

The name Castropignano appeared for the first time in a thesis written by Michelangelo Ziccardi, a Molisan archeologist. Ziccardi supports the theory that Castropignano as it is known today and the place Palombinum that is mentioned by Tito Livio in the Story of Rome where a war with the Samnites was described are the same place. Ziccardi also concluded in his thesis that Palombinum in the dialect day-to-day language of the Samnites at that time meant "a fortress". The fact that Castropignano was a fortified place is demonstrated by a natural defensive wall that exists with the rock "La Fata". The remains of this rock wall show that during the period of the Samnite wars, the natural position of the town and the North-West position of the castle was perfect for defensive purposes. Tito Livio described the conquest of Palombinum with the words, "Carvilio has already occupied Velia (it is questionable whether Velia meant Torella del Sannio, Casalchiprano, or S. Angelo Limosano), Palumbino and Herculaneum (it is questionable whether Herculaneum could be Campobasso or Oratino). Velia was taken in a few days and within the end of this day the wall of Palombinum will be taken".

Tito Livio writes that Palombino (Castropignano) opened the door to the Romans without any resistance. So, Castropignano, even with its surrounding wall and with its natural position, could not fashion any absolute pressure during the one-day siege. It can be argued then, that the inhabitants were stopped without a battle because of the large number of deaths they had suffered in a previous war or because with the fall of Herculaneum and Velia, they felt that they had lost their support so it was futile to offer any resistance.

Other studies into the history have written that Castropignano was actually derived from "Castra Pinaria", others say that it was derived from "Castra Pugnarum". Casa Pinara indicated a fortress or a fortified place for defensive purposes and was governed by a Roman military family called Pinaria. Each of the two words in "Castra Pugnarium" has a special meaning. Castra meant "a fortified place" while Pugnarium meant "an area of bloody confrontations" between the Samnites and the Romans. Early writings of a woman called Carmela Ciamarra describe an early plan of Castropignano presented by a monk from Limosano called Zagomo Iacovone to a Roman consul named "Castrum Pineani".

It can be concluded then that Castropignano was called:

• "Palumbinum" during the time of the Samnite wars
• "Castrum Pineani" during the time occupied by the Romans
• "Castro Pignano" in the medieval time period

Finally, documentation in the parochial archives of Chiesa Madre, the main church of Castropignano, exists a baptismal registration signed by a Carlo Borsella, who was bursar and parish priest of the town "Castri Pineani" in the year 1840. Since the church always operated in the Latin language, all writings were in Latin and so the town was referred to as "Castri Pineani". The final reasoning that explains why Pineani appears in the parochial register is that he was born a Roman consul and it was highly probable that the Romans abolished the Palombinum name and adopted the name Castrum or Castra Pineani which meant the "Fortress of Pineano". Over the years Pineano transformed to Pagnano and finally "Castro Pignano". Members of an immigrant family with the surname "Castelpagnano", now residing in San Jose, California, are descendants of the Roman Consul Pineano.