Home » Highlights » Itineraries in L'Aquila » In search of the magic squares
Touring the province in search of the locations with magic squares.
Author: Maria Grazia Lopardi - Associazione di Promozione Sociale Panta REI
The magic square containing a palindrome was used during Roman times (references in Herculaneum in Pompei, Corinium in England, Dura- Europos in Syria), and surfaced again during the Middle Ages, where it was included in consecrated buildings, often those built by the knights Templar (San Giovanni in Campiglia Marittima, Abbey of Valvisciolo, Parish Church of Terzagni etc.). It refers to the Mystery of Creation: “The Creator (“sator”) to whom I lean (“arepo”, abbreviated form of “adrepo”) by his actions (opera) upholds (tenet) the celestial beings (rotas)”, constituting a secret instrument used by Medieval Master Builders. The linking of the letters in the square made reference to universal patterns, which protected the relationships between numbers, characteristic of Sacred Geometry. The Master Builder thus reaffirmed that his building was in harmony with the laws of creation, and was stamped with the signature of God. The itinerary will lead you along a fascinating route.
Magliano dei Marsi
The magical square can be seen on the front of the Medieval Church of Santa Lucia, under the belly of an animal, with body of a lion and head of an eagle. The writing follows in rotation, reflecting the energy of creation. According to one theory, the Church was built over a temple once dedicated to Jupiter STATOR, a term containing the word SATOR; built in the XIII century and reconstructed following the earthquake in 1915. In another pluteum, Samson (small sun in Hebrew), who kills the lion, refers to the single principle in creation that dominates over chaos (lion), from which bees emerge, in the Bible story. Bees in Hebrew are DVORA’ with the same root of DAVAR= Word, meaning the main organising force of creation.
Campotosto
The magical square is roughly carved on the wall of a crypt in the small Church of the Madonna Apparente, where the Virgin Mary had appeared to a young mute girl Rosa at a nearby river. The girl began speaking so she could tell others about Mary’s wish to see a Church built there. The magical square as an indicator of tellurous energy making it an obvious location for appearances of the Virgin Mary, and its placement in the crypt are reminders of the caves used for initiation ceremonies into the ancient mysteries of the supreme goddess.
Capestrano
The magic square faces upside down on the front of the Romanesque Church of San Pietro ad Oratorium, built by the Lombard King Desiderio, and restored in 1100. A beautiful ciborium dating from the XIII century can be seen on the inside, with the impressive fresco in the apse, depicting the 24 watchmen of the Apocalypse and Christ on his throne among the symbols of the Evangelists. Using the SATOR network as a check, confirmed that the building was carried out in compliance with the rules of Sacred Geometry, as seen from the presence of the Q: M.
Bominaco
The frieze on the front of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta is not there only as decoration: it is called “El Qirkat”, and is the Arabic magic square, which legend has as the magical ring worn by King Solomon, and from which numbers and letters, as the basic elements of the creation, emerge. Similar patterns have been found in the crypts of Santa Maria in Collemaggio, and the tower of Chinon, in France, and have been attributed to the Templar knights that lie there.
Paganica
You can see a giant chessboard on the side wall of the Church in the cemetery of San Giustino: brought over by the Arabs, the Indian game of chess represents the battle ground between Deva and Asura, the two opposing and complementary forces that the energy of creation is based on. The presence of the chessboard on the building, linked to the magic square, shows that it complies with the laws of creation.
km 49.5
42.560 N - 13.368 E
Campotosto is a town in the northern part of the province of L'Aquila, near the well-known Campotosto Lake, from which it takes its name. At an altitude of 1,420 meters above sea level, it is one of the highest residential areas in Italy and is marked by a harsh and humid climate, with a high level of snowfall in the winter. Campotosto has just over 700 residents and is part of the Comunità montana Amiternina and National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga.
The town is surrounded by a vast chain of mountains, with the Monti della Laga to the northeast and Gran Sasso to the south.
The local community’s main business activities are raising livestock and producing cheeses and cured meats. For many years, Campotosto was under the jurisdiction of Amatrice, and from 1380 to 1388 was ravaged by the citizens of L’Aquila, as they fought Amatrice for control over the area. In the 16th century, it became a feud run by the Medici family, thanks to Charles V, first passing through the hands of the Farnese family and then Francesco Barile.
Noteworthy places include the Church of Santa Maria di Brugnoleto, and the Church of the Madonna di Loreto in an area called Poggio Cancelli. Campotosto is also a prominent tourist destination due to the lake, the town’s main attraction, along with nearby ski areas, which have a good amount of snow all winter.
In addition, the Gran Sasso riding trail passes through Campotosto, where an alternate trail branches off from the main route.
For more than 500 years, the town has produced the so-called “mortadella” of Campotosto, a unique type of cured pork that only a few townspeople still make using the traditional recipe.
km 23.9
42.360 N - 13.470 E
Paganica is a district in the city of L'Aquila with about 7,000 residents; it is located at an altitude of 783 meters above sea level and 7 km away from the city proper. It lies on the slopes of Gran Sasso and the Vera River runs through the area. It was developed during the Roman Republic (509 B.C. - 27 A.D.) through the Via Claudia Nova, which connected the city of Amiternum to Peltuinum and Aufinum, continuing on to the Tiburtina Valeria, towards the Adriatic.
The name “Paganica” may derive from an inscription on a headstone found in the area “Jovi Paganico Sacrum,” but some believe it to come from the word “pagus,” or “village.” Although Paganica had already gained some importance during the Roman period, it truly flourished during the Middle Ages, when it became the center of all of the surrounding manors, thanks to its geographical position – in fact, the medieval settlement was built on top of the Roman one. In 1254, Paganica contributed to the founding of L'Aquila, building the Church and Piazza of Santa Maria Assunta, which later became Santa Maria Paganica.
The community has always had streak of independence and a strong identity, which it has displayed on more than one occasion.
When the bonds between the city and the Comitatus Aquilanus began to weaken, Paganica was among the communities to promote the revolt of 1528 against the Crown of Aragon – a revolt that was violently suppressed with a great deal of bloodshed and ended with the decision of Viceroy Pietro da Toledo to build a fortress after demolishing entire quarters, such as the ancient area of Tempera.
Paganica has been stricken by three major disasters: the plague of 1656, the earthquake of 1703, and the earthquake of 6 April 2009, which hit the oldest section and claimed some lives.
In the late 1700s, the liberty movements crossing Europe also allowed Paganica to reorganize its administrative independence, becoming a municipality and the main municipal arrondissement with the communities of Bazzano, Onna, and Tempera. It remained a municipality until the Fascist era, when, in 1927, the head authority Adelchi Serena presented the plans for “Grande Aquila” which entailed the union of 8 surrounding municipalities to the main city. There was protesting and uprising among the people until a popular referendum in 1990, which requested that the community go back to being its own municipality. The outcome was naturally a landslide vote in favor of this; however there is still a bureaucratic detail impeding the process.
Places of interest include the parish church, Parrocchiale dell'Assunta, which was built on top of a Roman temple; Chiesa della Concezione, a church with a symmetrical layout; the Church of Santa Maria del Presepe, dating back to the 17th century; and the Church of the Madonna d'Appari, from the 13th-14th century, with impressive frescos.
Paganica is also the birthplace of journalist Edoardo Scarfoglio, who is one of the founders of the newspaper Il Mattino in Naples.
km 16.4
42.244 N - 13.658 E
Bominaco is a district in the town of Caporciano with about 50 residents, located in the province of L'Aquila, at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level.
It is a medieval village known mainly for its churches of Santa Maria Assunta and San Pellegrino, as well as its castle. Its name was originally “Momenaco” and it belonged to the Benedictines. In 1254, it contributed to the founding of L'Aquila. It was also the site of Braccio da Montone’s seige and in the wake of that event, the feud owner at the time, Cipriano di Iacobuccio da Forfona, had a defensive tower built with a castle-wall structure.
The churches of Santa Maria Assunta and San Pellegrino are two of Abruzzi’s most treasured artistic assets and, along with the castle, they form the ancient monastery of Momenaco. San Pellegrino has a rectangular layout with an entranceway boasting three frontal arches and two lateral ones. The interior is lined with frescos depicting the “Calendario Valvense” (calendar from the Lombard gastaldship of Valva) with symbols used by the Benedictines. The Romanesque Santa Maria Assunta was built into the rock during the 11th -12th centuries. It has a triple-nave layout and a colonnade with unevenly spaced columns. In the area next to Santa Maria Assunta there are some remnants from a convent with a well that is still well-maintained.
km 84.8
42.269 N - 13.766 E
Of particular interest here is the lofty castle standing out on a hilly backdrop. Capestrano is on the road that ascends from the Tirino Valley to the Navelli Plateau and L'Aquila. The famed warrior statue “Guerriero di Capestrano” (6th cent. B.C.) is an extraordinary piece – one of the most beautiful sculptures from the Piceni civilisation.
There are signs along the road at the foot of town indicating the archaeological site where the statue was discovered; however, in order to see it, one must go to the National Archaeological Museum in Chieti, where it is on display.
The impressive Piccolomini Castle (which later belonged to the Medici family) is a magnificent, recently restored fortress from the 1400s. At the end of a road lined with trees just outside of town, one will come across the monumental Convent of San Giovanni da Capestrano.
42.092 N - 13.363 E
Suffered very serious damage during the 1915 earthquake, after which it was rebuilt in the vicinity of Monte Velino, the third highest peak in the Apennines at 2487 metres.
