La Contrada della Rocca, posta nel punto più alto dell’antica roccaforte di Giulia, era il luogo più fortificato con i suoi tre torrioni: “La Rocca”, all’angolo, e a breve distanza gli altri due, detti “il Buscione” e “il Mozzone”, oggi non più esistenti. Il torrione è attualmente sede del Museo Archeologico comunale, dove sono conservate le testimonianze della vita della città romana di Castrum Novum Piceni. La cinta muraria di Giulia venne completata con ogni probabilità già entro il 1480, a pochi anni dalla fondazione, secondo tecniche costruttive adatte a far resistere le muraglie ai colpi delle armi da fuoco.
Al centro dell’area sorge la piccola chiesa di Sant’Anna, fondata, interamente eretta e arricchita poco dopo la metà del Seicento da un canonico della Collegiata con la dedicazione originaria a Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori. Interamente realizzata in laterizio a vista, è un piccolo esempio di architettura religiosa nata dalle istanze della Riforma di Trento e delle indicazioni di San Carlo Borromeo. L'interno, parzialmente ristrutturato, presenta un solenne altare barocco che ospita una pala dell'artista Sara Chiaranzelli (2015).
English
“THE STRONGHOLD” TOWER
The walls of Julia, northern entrance of the Kingdom of Naples, were the essential defensive element and the necessary functional structure of the new foundation.
The evidences we still have today of the original town walls, at that time surrounded by a deep moat, are the towers called “the Stronghold”, “the White”, “da Capo” or “Holy Mary” and the small tower of the Ducal Palace.
The tower "La Rocca", "The Stronghold”, situated at the crossroads between today’s via del Popolo and via Acquaviva, constitutes the most important remain of the ancient walls which once surrounded Julia. It was the highest tower and perhaps the last refuge of the feudal lord in case of invasion, as the name itself suggests.
It is located in the North-West corner of the town and presents a circular planned massive structure with a scarpwall up to half height. It was originally crowned with battlements and embrasures , supported by corbels . The building is on two levels , each consisting of a single vaulted room. The cylindrical shape and the rather marked scarped basement recall the most innovative solutions of the fifteenth century architects. The lack of vertical communication between the lower and upper rooms must be related to the siege function of the tower: the upper floor was only accessible directly from the defensive walls, of which only few traces remain in the
two wings of housing delimiting them, which still retain the ancient planimetric profile. Little remains of the ancient defensive structure, as the crown has been completely replaced with a recent iron balustrade.
The tower, after proper restoration works, has become the seat of the Civic Archaeological Museum of Giulianova .
THE CHURCH OF ST. ANNE
St. Anne is regarded as Holy Mary and Jesus Christ's protector and was built in the highest and most protected part of Julia, called “la Rocca”, “the Stronghold”.
St. Anne's church, originally dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, has the typical aspect of seventeenth century religious buildings of the area and was build by a priest of the Collegiate Church around 1650-60. Internally the building preserves an altar in baroque style, with columns and capitals. It is in a central and important position inside the small room and seems it was once colourful.
(Versione inglese a cura degli studenti del Liceo Scientifico "Curie" di Giulianova, Progetto Alternanza Scuola Lavoro Polo Museale Civico anno 2014)
