Villalago, located 25 km south of Sulmona, in the Abruzzo region of L’Aquila, arose in the 11th century for Christian and Benedictine inspiration, finding in San Domenico Abate the founder of the monastery of San Pietro il Lago, in the upper Sagittario valley. At its foundation the monastery was endowed by the Lords of those lands, the counts of Valva, with goods and privileges and attracted settlers from all over, who settled, under the monks, in several villas in the Valle de Lacu, so called for the its five lakes. Over time, to ensure a valid defense, they perched on Mount Argoneta, where some Lombard towers already stood, and the new village took the name of Villalago. In 1479 the monastery was abandoned by the Benedictines and the Villalaghesi “no longer colonists, they became a body of the University, with independent possessions” (Antinori, chorography of Villalago). And under the motto of “Universitas contra omnes”, they fought victoriously against the Belprato Counts of Antwerp and against others who aimed to take over the entire Valle de Lacu.

Video timeline: 0:00 – [Drone intro] 2:00 – [Walking tour begins / Piazza Celestino Lupi] 3:28 – [St.Mary of Loreto church☀️] 5:09 – […walking in the old town…] 10:36 – [Via Buccini] 16:44 – [Church of St.Michael – closed☀️] 18:00 – [Brief history of the town☀️] 24:00 – [Via Iafolla] 33:25 – [Old Castle of Villalago] 38:42 – [Church of the Madonna Addolorata – tour inside☀️] 41:00 – […descending…] 48:00 – [Via Ernesto Grossi] 50:30 – [Piazza Celestino Lupi]