Debating Piazza San Pietro

I'm actually starting to pack up some of things, as I leave Civita the day after tomorrow.  The crowds have settled down to a dull roar, so today I actually sketched outside quite a bit.  This sketch, however, is one I finished a little while ago.  It's of the piazza just inside the main entry gate, the Porta Santa Maria.

As part of my NIAUSI project, I've walked around and tried to talk with local folks about the names of things, ask them what was what, how long has such and such been here, etc...so asking about this piazza was pretty typical of the responses I'd get.

I have books that call this piazza "Piazza Colesanti", and some of the people do indeed call it that for the palazzo once owned by the Colesanti family on this square...but the sign in the piazza calls it "San Pietro" for the St. Peter's church that once stood in the gap on the left that was lost to the valley in an earthquake and landslide. So after some heated debate, it was determined that it is indeed "Piazza San Pietro", known as "Piazza Colesanti".  Mama mia!

Whatever the name, it was likely once the site of a thriving market place, being just inside the gate.  The exterior stair is called a profferlo and is typical in Civita (I go up one to get to my casa) and in this region.

This view is literally ear to ear, a pretty true 180 degrees...

Piazza San Pietro in Civita, glowing a bit yellow due to the fact I took the photo with the last ray of sun
for the day...note the blue sky in the door and windows near the center--the building collapsed into the valley, but the facade remains, windows open to the sky!!