Riccia,  Campobasso, Molise, Italy

- photos at the bottom of the page were taken by Pat Ciccotello on a visit to Riccia in the 1950s.  The following history of Riccia is a translation from an Italian pamphlet about the town that Pat was given by a relative on a visit to the town.

The history of Riccia goes back to antiquity.  The first people who lived there came with the Osci.  By the time of the arrival of the Sannti (343-390 BC) the area was well developed and prosperous, as noted by objects found in the excavations of the area.

During the period of the "social war" (90-88 BC) the area was destroyed and the Romans colonized the Sannio area.  The colonists included Roman troops from Ariccia in Lazio, near Rome.  They named the place "Ariccia" which then was changed to "Saricia", then to "Ricia" and finally, "Riccia". (Inserted note from Pat Ciccotello - "I always heard my parents, relatives in Riccia, and others who spoke the dialect for the area, call the town "Ariccia", its first name.)

With the fall of the Roman Empire (476 BC), barbarians dominated the area.  They were the Goths, who invaded and conquered most of the Roman Empire, and some were from Greece.  In the second half of the 6th century, Riccia came under the rule of the Duke of Benevento, founded by Longobardi.

In the 13th century, Riccia became part of the Monastery St. Pietro e Severo (St. Peter and St. Xavier), located in the nearby town of Torremaggiore.  This ecclesiastical feudalism lasted throughout the Svevo period.

In 1238 Federico II, son of Enrico VI, nephew of Federico Barbarossa, joined the castle of Riccia with that at the town of St. Severo, and exchanged it for the monastery at Torremaggiore.  This exchange was confirmed in 1266 by Carlo D'Angio, who conceded Riccia in a battle with the famous jurist Bartolomeo De Capua, whose family ruled Riccia under a feudal system until 1792.

In May 1397 Count Andrea De Capua brought to Riccia his wife, Constanza Di Chiaromonte, the queen of Naples, who was disowned three years earlier at Gaeta by Ladislao of Durazzo.  The unfortunate lady lived in Riccia until she dies in 1422; she is buried in the Church of Maria delle Grazie (Church of St. Stefano Corumano).

In 1500 Bartolomeo II De Capua built a castle in Riccia that was considered one of the more attractive castles in the area and also restored the church of St. Maria delle Grazie in Tuscan style, where five feudal lords and their ladies are buried.

In the beginning of this feudal period, the rulers of Riccia, the noble De Capua family, were fair and generous with the peasants.  But over the years the peasants endured many hardships.  Finally they rebelled, releasing enough hate and fury to burn down the beautiful castle in 1799.  Today a few remains of the castle with its medieval watch tower still to be seen in the historical section of Riccia.  The noble family De Capua became extinct with Bartolomeo VI in 1792.  Their family rule left vivid imprints on the history, political and military, of their kingdom and Riccia.

In World War II, Riccia paid its price with 84 dead among the fallen and wounded.  Fortunately, it was not bombed.  After the war, because of the scarcity of work locally, Riccia had a strong outflow of immigration to northern Europe (France, Switzerland, Belgium Germany) and to Latin America (Venezuela and Argentina).  However, in recent years, with the resources and intelligence of its people, and the tireless efforts of The Honorable Giacomo Sedatic (1921-1984) Riccia has arrived at a level of prosperity and harmony similar to that of the past.

By decree of the President of the Republic, dated 15 October 1986, Riccia earned the title of "City".