Belvedere/ Luciani Family Site

ABOUT BELVEDERE/ LUCIANI FAMILY SITE My name is John Belvedere Site manager – originally from Port Colborne, in the Niagara Region, now residing in Toronto, Ontario. Welcome to "The Other Club Castropignano" At core, roots of this site are tied to BELVEDERE (Iorio) & LUCIANI (D'Onofrio) ancestors and those before them, now extending back 11 generations in some lines. My paternal grandfather, Raffaele Belvedere, served as Mayor in Castropignano from 1947 to 1952.Extended, this tree bridges those who make up the many branches of families sharing common roots among the communities of Campobasso Province: Castropignano, Campobasso (city), Roccaspromonte, Santo Stefano, Casalciprano, Ripalimosani, Oratino, Limosano, Molise (city), Torella del Sannio, Busso, Macchia Valfortore, Pietracupa, Ferrazzano & Sant'Elia a Pianisi... and probably others to still discover in relevance to this family site. This is an effort of discovery, of those that came before me, and how those present are linked by them. More importantly, in spirit, it is to give meaning & thanks back to the lives of those who we have to thank for being here today. Corrections and contributions to improve data is always welcomed.Much of the generational data has been available, for some time, on the Italian archival site. Castropignano was called:"Palumbinum” during the time of the Samnite wars,“Castrum Pineani ” during the time occupied by the Romans, and “Castro Pignano ” in the medieval time period. About Castropignano (from translated text of administrator of www.Castropignano.net with some modifications) The earliest evidence of the presence of man in the territory of Castropignano dates back to the Bronze Age (about 1200 BC); it consists of ceramic fragments found in the area of ​​Castello D'Evoli. Near the "Cantone della Fata" (a majestic rocky complex in the Carpineto woods), instead, megalithic walls fall, dating back to the 4th century. BC, in the period in which the Samnites, our progenitors, fought against the Romans, remaining defeated after three wars. Of the consequent Roman domination the ruins of two villas survive, to the "Cananella" and to the "Canala"; in the latter district there are still ruins of the "wonderful source of Canala, a work of the Roman legions". On the façade of the Chapel of St. Lucia - instead, a stone slab is walled on which the lictor beams are carved.After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Lombards also come from our parts and they are left with the Clock Tower (much remodeled in time) residual of the first and oldest castle, which fell into the heart of the town.The first document that bears the name of Castropignano dates back to 700 years after Christ, but was conceived three or four centuries earlier in the form of "Castrum Pineani", or or "Castra Pugnarum", meaning fortified place ("castra") and "area of bloody confrontation ("Pugnarium"), which references the confrontations between the Samnite and Romans. At one time the Castropignano area was occupied by a Roman Consulate called Lucio Spurio Carvillo, whose Latin name was Castrum or Castra Pineani.In the mid-1300s, the D'Evoli family of Norman origin took over from the Wurtzell family, the Lombards. They were to build the castle outside the town, of which today are the remains of the imposing ruins and restored rooms of Castello D'Evoli.The churches of S. Nicola (with an adjacent bell tower slightly apart) and S. Salvatore are from that time, while the following ages are the others: S. Maria delle Grazie (1500); Chapel of St. Lucia (1700); also the Convent dates back to 1700. The Mother Church, instead, dates back to the early 1800s, when the feudal domination of the D'Evoli family ended.Episodes of brigandage are recorded in Castropignano coinciding with the national phenomenon.Emigration strongly affects the community during the 20th century, especially after World War II.Troops of the German and Anglo-American armies passed through Castropignano in October 1943, causing the death of several civilians.On the occasion of the referendum of 2 June 1946 in Castropignano the monarchy prevailed.Christian democracy has held the primacy of votes for decades, then news and confusion have come to light.The demographic trend recorded a sharp decline in the 50s and 60s, to decrease and then stabilize. Today we are just above the 1000 inhabitants, obviously including those who live in the countryside or in the nearby village of Roccaspromonte.The problem of great importance remains the same as always: the lack of work, which for a long time took away from the community many young people with university education. Comments or feedback: please click here to contact me.   The site was last updated on Mar 3 2020.