Piazza Italia was totally restyled in 2012. This square at the centre of Torricella Peligna, not far from the upper stretch of the main road, was once a covered market of local food and products, as well as other daily tools. The old market building has been demolished and the square has been repaved, and so Piazza Italia has been brought back to its social and residential life, with the houses harmoniously scattered around a pedestrian area.

Many ancient legends still linger on Piazza Italia, the most popular of which is about the “good bandit of Maiella”, namely Mingo Fante. Born in Torricella in 1839, red-haired, big footed, mighty built, Mingo Fante hided in the villages at the foot of Maiella and often acted generously towards the poorest. Together with other outlawed he is part of the collective memory, and for all his life he had to watch his back against the Borbons militia at first, and after the Italian Unification in 1861 against the Piedmont people who chased any bandit or gangs of wrongdoers and killers.

The last bandits were caught in 1869. Mingo Fante was one of them and he was captured in 1862 and killed in the square of Fara San Martino, it is uncertain whether he was shot or hung. He was a relative of John Fante, specifically his great-uncle. The writer speaks about him in the semi-autobiographic novel "Full of life", when his grandfather Giovanni was used to talk about uncle Mingo, an outlaw who wanted to free Abruzzi from the control of the Sabaudi usurpers.

[Credits | Text: Ottavio Di Renzo De Laurentis | Translation: Mirella Rapa | Voice and music: Studio Qreate | Photo: Laura Di Biase]