Gissi is a town located in the Chieti province of Abruzzo, Italy. It is bordered by two tributaries of the Sinello River and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Its population is roughly 3,300.

History

Gissi has been populated since prehistoric times. In the 12th century it was under the influence of the D'Avalos family.

Notable buildings and churches

The Palazzo Carunchio and Castle ruins are exemplary of the town's buildings, balconies, and alleys. Built in the 19th century, the Palazzo Carunchio now serves as the municipio, or city hall, and houses the town's administrative offices. The town has other fine examples of palazzi from the 18th c. and 19th c. adorned with fine architectural details. Also notable is that many Gissi homes are covered with gesso, a material obtained from nearby caves and hills.

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is Gissi's oldest church, which was most recently remodeled in 1955. Inside, it houses silver crosses from the Neapolitan School dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, a 17th century wooden statue of San Panfilo , and a wooden cross from the late 12th. Its ceiling contains a reproduction of the Annunciation attributed to Reni, and its 16th century wooden organ is carved and gilded with gold. The church also has two chapels dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and Sacred Heart. Another interesting church is the Cappella di Santa Lucia located in La Pineta, a pine tree park which affords wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, including the Adriatic Sea.

Along the main corso at the entrance of the town is the Church of San Bernardino. Built in the 1960s, it is of modern design and serves as the town's main church.

Religious feasts and festivals

Gissi is home to a variety of feasts and festivals, many of which are religious feasts in celebration of saints. Notable feasts include the May 20th feast of St. Bernardo de Siena, who -- although not Abruzzese -- lies in L'Aquila in the cathedral dedicated in his name. Other feasts include the Feast of Santa Lucia on August 20 and the Feast of San Rocco on August 19th.

S. Berardino from Siena Patron Saint of Gissi

A very old oral tradition states that S. Berardino came to preach in Gissi in the year 1434. However, he was not welcomed. However as time went on this changed. Already in 1496 there was an altar dedicated to him. The local devotion began with the friars form the Convent of St Francis. Towards the end of the 15th c. the citizens of Gissi chose S. Berardino as their patron saint and built a church in his honor. May 20th was chosen as the feast day. In 1850, Giovanni Sabatini built a newer, larger church at the end of a street named for S. Berardino.

In 1960, the church was demolished and a new church was constructed.

The statue of S. Berardino is of particular interest, is located in a niche above the main altar. It is a wooded statue of smaller dimensions (1.15 m) and is tinted.

Notable Gissani

Gissi's most famous citizen is the Hon. Remo Gaspari . His career spans the history of post-World War II Italy. As a Christian Democrat, he has held a variety of high, cabinet-level positions in various Italian governments. They include Defense, Telecomunications and the Mezzogiorno.

Other noted gissani include Nicola Santilli , who came to New York as a teenager and after pursuing university graduate studies, has been a leader in municipal government information technologies.

Miscellany