Capracotta

Capra Cotta is a municipality with 938 inhabitants and is located near Castel del Giudice and Ateleta in the Italian province of Isernia.

Geography

For the community no districts ( fractions) are assigned.

The neighboring municipalities are Agnone, Castel del Giudice, Pescopennataro, San Pietro Avellana, Sant'Angelo del Pesco and Vastogirardi.

The municipality is situated approximately 41 km from the capital of the province, the city of Isernia and 70 km from the Adriatic coast.

The highest point of the municipality is the summit of Monte Campo, which lies at an altitude of 1746 meters above sea level.

History

The first signs of settlement in the municipality Capracotta date from the eleventh century BC Excavations parts of a settlement from the pre-Christian period were uncovered. In the first century AD, the settlement was partially destroyed by a fire and Romanized in the sequence.

Demographics

Source: ISTAT

Coat of arms

The coat of arms shows a blue shield a jumping ( fleeing ) goat in natural colors over an open fire. It is a canting arms, as the name Capracotta means as much as boiled goat.

History of the name

The coat of arms still bears witness of a legend. This states that Gypsies decided to build a church, and to sacrifice a goat in a ritual purpose. However, this goat was able to escape and jumped over this fire. At the point where the goat stopped, the gypsy built their village and were sedentary.

Another story tells that the name originates from the baptism of fire of the Lombards, who supposedly founded the village. In fact, it was among the Lombards a carnival custom, were killed, roasted and eaten in the goats, and their horned heads were consecrated to the devil during this feast.

In both stories are legends.

More likely, however, that the name of " Castra cocta " comes from. This is derived from a military camp, which is protected by a " Agger coctus " ( a fence made ​​of bricks ). It can not be excluded that a Roman division was stationed in these mountains, to exploit the advantages of a strategic position overlooking the valley of the River Sangro.

More likely, however, that the name is composed of two characteristics of the region, namely from the Indo-European "cap" - a high place, and " Kott " - rocky place. So at least argues Ugo Mosca in a study of the place names in the national library of Campobasso.

Famous people

• Erasmo Iacovone (1952-1978), football player