Publication
5/4/2016
Category
Culture
The name Capoliveri could have been originated from the latin words "caput", peak, and "Liber", as the italic god corrispondent to Bacchus. "Liber" could mean free, too: therefore free peak. Someone says that "caput" means "capital", as the town has been the administrative center of the island in the Middle Ages, and "liber" could correspond with "shipping free zone" (Source: comuni-italiani.it).
As Wikipedia says: "The name of the town is fully documented during the Middle Ages; one of the first mention is "Capolibero" (1260). Later Capoliveri, Capolivri (1289 e 1291) and Capolivro (1343) can be found. Only local man of learning talk about Caput Liberum and Caput Ilvae (Ilva is the greek name for iron, which is a main resource of the island - editor's note). The meaning of this toponym is not given, though. Maybe it is to connect with Liber/Bacchus, as the area was planted with grapewine from the roman , or maybe it has to do with the morphology, as the hill is free because it is surrounded from the sea".
Again, on capoliverionline.it, they speak about the connection with Bacchus/Liber: " Capoliveri rises as a walled-in town on a 167 mt high hill: it has been known in the latin era as Capitis llvae, Caput Liberum e Caput Liseri o Liveri too. This names are connected with Bacchus/Dionysus rituals: legends say that this area was consecrate to this gods, especially to Liber (other name of the gods), as a reference and to wine production.
Cheers, then. A glass of wine surely waits for you here in Capoliveri.
Event date 5/4/2016
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