San Benedetto in Perillis is an ancient medieval village that today has just under 70 inhabitants.
MEDIEVAL ORIGINS
Situated at an altitude of approximately 850 meters, it overlooks the entire Peligna basin. The oldest settlement, characterized by exposed stone buildings, developed around a fortified Benedictine monastery in the "Perello" location, which still preserves circular towers emerging from the city walls.
FOUNDATION OF THE MONASTERY OF SAN BENEDETTO (circa 9th century)
The Benedictine Abbey, dating back to the 8th-11th centuries, is one of the oldest in Abruzzo. Worth visiting are the Church of Madonna delle Grazie, the Civic Museum located in the premises of a restored eighteenth-century olive oil mill, and the ancient church of S. Sebastiano. The "grottos" (underground spaces carved into the rock, once used as stables and other services) are very suggestive, characterizing a large area of the small historic center and used for recreational and cultural events. A particular feature of San Benedetto in Perillis is the original exterior wooden lock, still visible in many of the oldest houses in the village. The church, located within the fortified village, in the highest part of the hill, is the only testimony to the ancient abbey structure, which played a significant role in spreading monasticism in the Tritana valley and throughout the Aquila region. The building, in its current configuration, shows significant alterations. Recent restorations have dismantled the Baroque appearance, revealing the original high medieval structures. The interior, with three naves and covered by a wooden roof, preserves traces of precious frescoes.
FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO TODAY
The village remained tied to pastoral economy until the 20th century when the migratory phenomenon developed. In the early 2000s, considering the dramatic depopulation, there was even a thought of linking the municipality of San Benedetto to the nearby Popoli. The village in 2009 was slightly affected by the Aquila earthquake: some abandoned houses collapsed, while the monastery was shored up and subsequently restored.
THE TRATTURO
The Aquila transhumance route, after crossing the mountain above Ofena and passing Forca di Penne with its main branch, descends, with its secondary branch, towards Navelli and Collepietro, reaching San Benedetto in Perillis where the influence of pastoral civilization was crucial.
