Macchiatornella

The small village of Macchiatornella is made up of houses built in stone, both ancient nineteenth-century and modern, which stand on a promontory near the Malvese and Menchino ditches, which flow into the Tordino River. To the south, on the hill to the right of the bridge that crosses a stream tributary of the Tordino, there are the remains of ancient walls with a thickness of 1.05 meters, numerous fragments of tiles and tiles, and a stone well with a depth of 47 cm.

Following the severe plague that struck Italy and other nations in 1527, many churches, icons and altars were built in honor of Saint Roch, the patron saint and protector against disease. Macchia Tornella also has a small church dedicated to this saint, but according to scholars it was founded much more recently, in 1699.

Macchia Tornella, located in an impervious and wild place, was often the scene of the activities of brigands who bivouacked or passed through it, often causing looting, extortion, robberies and violence.

In 1950, the water main was built which is now part of the Ruzzo Consortium. The electric light arrived in 1959 and the road that connects Padula, where it had arrived ten years earlier, reached Macchia Tornella in 1973. The works to bring electricity began in 1974.

The residents of Macchiatornella are proud of their connection to the town and gather in their cozy homes to celebrate public holidays.

There are at least two versions of the origins of the name of the village. According to one version, the name derives from "Tornello", a lord of the surrounding woods. Another more fascinating version traces the name back to a young woman named "Tornella" who, to live with her husband who was not liked by her family, took refuge in the woods, from which she took her name.

The feast of the patron saint, San Rocco, is celebrated on August 16th.