Statue of Saint Lucy on the facade of the church

The facade of the church has a simple square portal between two windows, surmounted by a coat of arms and, above, a niche with the statue of the Madonna and a small double bell-tower, with a cross at the top. The inner roof is wooden and on the walls there are semicircular windows. Inside, the altar stands out on the exposed stone.

Saint Lucy on a inside panel of the church

The cult of Saint Lucy, celebrated on December 13, is remembered by a Pescasseroli proverb: “On Saint Lucy’s day a hen step, at Christmas a dog step, on Saint Anthony’s day a lion step.” The old saying recalls the winter Christian feasts of the village and the ancient pagan symbolism of light, linked to the length of day and night.

Saint Lucy roundabout with totem and church seen from the Oppieto residential area. On the right corner there is a small municipal playground.

Whereas, the modern Totem of Peace was set to coincide with the international conference Europarc 2010 and designed by Mario Molinari for the Fondazione Mediterraneo. This “sculptor of colour” in the twentieth century created monumental and lively works in a surrealist philosophy that places contemporary art in the streets and among the people. The sail is a symbol of dialogue, though is red to represent the bloody tragedies. The two semicircles, orange and black, symbolise the sunrise and the sunset. With this figure, released by the Foundation in every continent, Pescasseroli has joined the network of the “cities of peace in the world”.

Three twentieth-century buildings adapted as hotels stand out at the roundabout. Opposite, in Viale Santa Lucia, there are the Park head office and Visitor Centre, and the streets leading to tourist and residential areas, up to the ski resort.

Text by Stefano Dark – Images by Stefano Dark

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