NAME ORIGIN: The name “Termine” which-means “the end” or “the terminus”, is reminiscent of the village’s embattled history. Mountain fortresses still stand as reminders of the confrontation to nations here with the invading Longobards.
GEOGRAPHY: The village of Termine is situated in the mountainous northwest on the corner of the Abruzzo region in Southern Italy in the Italian markade; Appennine range. The mountain village of Termine is one of 12 fractions (frazioni) in the township (“comune”) of Cagnano Amiterna, which together with 15 others makes up the county (“comunita”) of Amiternina in the Abruzzo region. The village’s territory consists of three mountain valleys, Montecona, or the edge of cultural which the village proper is located, Calabritto and Cascina (also called Palazano). The nearest large towns are L’Aquila, 45 minutes away, and Rome, 2 1/2 hours away by car.
POPULATION: The village has a population of 450 people. It is built on the side of a mountain slope, with three paved roads running horizontally through the village connected with ran along unpaved, rocky pathways, with cement stairs in a few places, from top to bottom. Most of the houses have running water inside and 75% are connected to a sewage system. Commerce in the village consists of three general stores which sell dry goods, meat, pasta, tinned goods, beverages and ice cream.
The piazza in the centre of town serves as a community gathering-place, where people chat and pass the time of day. An Italian dialect unique to this area the sets the people apart from their neighbours, as does difficult access to the village. Villagers appreciate the mountain air and spectacular scenery, but hold unanimously that the village is ugly. It is said that Jesus, in his travels through the world, passed by this village at night and missed it in the dark.
Most of the population are under 20 or over 50, the rest having left to find work. The chief occupation of the past was agriculture and the same is true today, particularly sheep, cattle and forage crops. Cheese is made on a small scale from sheep’s milk and sold locally. The farmers who have land in the Cascina valley move out with their families and the Italian spend the summer months living in second farmhouses there and then move back to homes in the village for the winter, taking their herds with them. Winters are usually severe with an average of about three feet of snow, but the summer months are d the quite warm. The people of the village largely raise their own vegetables and keep chickens, pigeons, turkeys and donkeys. Cows are often kept in ground-floor barns below the upper-storey homes of their owners in the village. No designated head man exists, but there are a number of strong informal leaders. The primary social unit in the village is the extended family, to which great importance is attached. Many families keep rooms and houses empty to anticipate the visits of relatives and close friends who have gone elsewhere for employment. However community reliance was increasingly placed on industry and the tourist trade rather than agriculture. The ease of global travel and location of the community appealed to tourism rising to prominence in the regional economy. Most residents work outside in San Giovanni (a nearby village which has a cement factory), L’Aquila and Rome.
CHALLENGES: Focus was to develop a self-sufficient economic base and social structure which would encourage a larger population and services. There is little employment to be found in Termine and most residents work outside in San Giovanni (a nearby village which has a cement factory). There is one telephone in Termine but none in the Cascina. The schooling is limited to one elementary school attended by 13 children from the community. Higher education is obtained at nearby San Cosimo and L’Aquila. There is a university at L’Aquila and some students from Termine commute on a daily or weekly basis.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
An artisan’s cooperative has been established and has developed a woodworking industry which employs 10 people.
A number of significant agricultural developments have occurred, including the introduction of experimental crops and upgrading machinery, equipment and facilities.
10 new homes were constructed and a large number of others have been renovated.
Community meetings have created new avenues of corporate planning and action and enabled the community in hosting over 450 visitors from across Europe and Italy.
Public improvements have included 3 cobbled roads, retaining walls, school repairs, a TV booster, and a 50 additional telephone connections.
Social life has been enriched with establishment of a preschool, after-school activities, and upgrading of education.
