, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 =
, demographics1_info2 =
, demographics1_title3 =
, demographics1_info3 =
, timezone1 =
CET
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST =
CEST
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal_code_type =
, postal_code =
, area_code_type =
ISO 3166 code
, area_code = IT-65
, blank_name_sec1 =
GDP (nominal)
, blank_info_sec1 = €33.9 billion (2018)
, blank1_name_sec1 =
GDP per capita
, blank1_info_sec1 = €25,800 (2018)
, blank2_name_sec1 =
HDI (2018)
, blank2_info_sec1 = 0.883
·
12th of 21
, blank_name_sec2 =
NUTS Region
, blank_info_sec2 = ITF
, website
https://abruzzoturismo.it/en/, footnotes =
, name =
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=
Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=
Aquilano, Abbrùzzu;
historically
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
Abruzzi) is a
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of
Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four provinces:
L'Aquila,
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
,
Pescara, and
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
. Its western border lies east of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. Abruzzo borders the region of
Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
to the north,
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
to the west and north-west,
Molise
it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 ...
to the south and the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
to the east. Geographically, Abruzzo is divided into a mountainous area in the west, which includes the highest massifs of the
Apennines
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
, such as the
Gran Sasso d'Italia
Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies ...
and the
Maiella, and a coastal area in the east with beaches on the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
.
Abruzzo is considered a region of
Southern Italy in terms of its culture, language, history, and economy, though in terms of physical geography it may also be considered part of
Central Italy.
[Paradosso evidenziato da ]Ignazio Silone
Secondino Tranquilli (1 May 1900 – 22 August 1978), known by the pseudonym Ignazio Silone (, ), was an Italian political leader, novelist, and short-story writer, world-famous during World War II for his powerful anti-fascist novels. He was no ...
, cfr. The Italian Statistical Authority (
ISTAT) also deems it to be part of Southern Italy, partly because of Abruzzo's historic association with the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Almost half of the region's territory is protected through national parks and nature reserves, more than any administrative region on the continent, leading it to be dubbed "the greenest region in Europe."
There are three national parks, one regional park, and 38 protected nature reserves. These ensure the survival of rare species, such as the
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird ...
, the
Abruzzo (or Abruzzese) chamois, the
Apennine wolf and the
Marsican brown bear. Abruzzo's parks and reserves host 75% of Europe's animal species.
The region is also home to
Calderone, one of Europe's southernmost
glaciers.
Nineteenth-century Italian diplomat and journalist
Primo Levi
Primo Michele Levi (; 31 July 1919 – 11 April 1987) was an Italian chemist, partisan, writer, and Jewish Holocaust survivor. He was the author of several books, collections of short stories, essays, poems and one novel. His best-known works ...
(1853–1917) chose the adjectives ''forte e gentile'' ("strong and kind") to capture what he saw as the character of the region and its people. "''Forte e gentile''" has since become the motto of the region.
Provinces and politics
Provinces
Abruzzo is divided into four administrative provinces:
Politics
History
Human settlements in Abruzzo have existed since at least the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
times. A skeleton from Lama dei Peligni in the province of
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
dates back to 6,540 BC under radiometric dating. The name Abruzzo appears to be derivative of the Latin word "''
Aprutium''". In Roman times, the region was known as Picenum, Sabina et Samnium, Flaminia et Picenum, and Campania et Samnium.
The region was known as Aprutium in the Middle Ages, arising from four possible sources: it is a combination of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied to their chief city, Interamnia, the old
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
.
Many cities in Abruzzo date back to ancient times.
Corfinio was known as Corfinium when it was the chief city of the
Paeligni, and later was renamed Pentima by the
Romans.
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
is built on the site of the ancient city of Teate,
Atri was known as Adria.
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
, known variously in ancient times as Interamnia and Teramne, has Roman ruins which attract tourists.
After the fall of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
, a string of invasions and rulers dominated the region, including the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
,
Byzantines, and
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...
. Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the region was dominated by the
popes
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and at times was part of the
Duchy of Spoleto
The Duchy of Spoleto (, ) was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard '' dux'' Faroald. Its capital was the city of Spoleto.
Lombards
The Lombards had invaded Italy in 568 AD and conquered much of it, establishi ...
and (partly) the
Duchy of Benevento. Subsequently, the
Normans
The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...
took over, and Abruzzo became part of the
Kingdom of Sicily, later the
Kingdom of Naples. The
House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies took over in 1734, establishing the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816, and ruled until
Italian unification
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
(also known as the Risorgimento) in 1860.
The administrative region of Abruzzo was formed in the 1230s, when
Frederick II divided his realms into
giustizierato, with Abruzzo forming one of them. This was subsequently divided into ''
Abruzzo Citra
Abruzzo Citra or Abruzzo Citeriore was a province of the Kingdom of Naples established by Charles of Anjou when he divided Giustizierato of Abruzzo (founded by Frederick II) into two parts: ''Ultra flumen Aprutium Piscariae'' (Aprutium beyond the ...
'' (nearer Abruzzo) and ''Abruzzo Ultra'' (farther Abruzzo), named in relation to the capital Naples,
by
Carlo I of Anjou in the 1270s, and in 1806 Abruzzo Ultra was itself divided in two (in the
Kingdom of Naples (Napoleonic)), as Abruzzo Ultra I and Abruzzo Ultra II (being divided at the
Gran Sasso d'Italia
Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies ...
); the same Citra/Ultra I/Ultra II scheme was used for Calabria. When Abruzzo was divided into smaller regions, these were referred to collectively by the plural term ''Abruzzi''. In the 1948
Italian Constitution, these were unified with Molise into the
Abruzzi e Molise
Abruzzi e Molise (known as ''Abruzzi'' when part of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies) was formerly one of the regions of Italy encompassing a total of and including Abruzzo, Molise and Circondario di Cittaducale (presently a part of Lazio).
History ...
region, though in the first draft Abruzzo and Molise were separate, and in 1963 Abruzzi e Molise were separated into the two regions of Abruzzo and Molise. Abruzzo Citeriore is now the
province of Chieti. The
province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo ( it, provincia di Teramo; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of , a population of 313,029 (2012), and is subdivided into 47 comunes ( ...
and
province of Pescara
The province of Pescara ( it, provincia di Pescara; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Pescara, which has a population of 119,483 inhabitants. As of 2017, it has a total population o ...
now comprise what was Abruzzo Ulteriore I. Abruzzo Ulteriore II is now the
province of L'Aquila.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Abruzzo was on the
Gustav Line, part of the German's
Winter Line. One of the most brutal battles was the
Battle of Ortona. Abruzzo was the location of two
prisoner of war camps
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
, Campo 21 in Chieti, and Campo 78 in Sulmona. The Sulmona camp also served as a POW camp in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
; much of the facility is still intact and attracts tourists interested in
military history
Military history is the study of War, armed conflict in the Human history, history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to Politics, local and international relationships.
...
.
Geography
Geographically, Abruzzo is part of
central Italy, stretching from the heart of the
Apennines
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
to the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
, and includes mainly mountainous and wild land. The mountainous land is occupied by a vast plateau, including
Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies ...
, at the highest peak of the Apennines, and
Mount Majella at . The
Adriatic coastline is characterized by long sandy beaches to the North and pebbly beaches to the South. Abruzzo is well known for its landscapes and natural environment, parks and nature reserves, characteristic hillside areas rich in vineyards and olive groves. Many beaches have been awarded the
Blue Flag beach status.
Climate
In Abruzzo there are two climatic zones. The coastal strip and
sub-Apennine hills have a climate markedly different from that of the mountainous interior. Coastal areas have a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
climate with hot dry summers and mild winters. Inland hilly areas have a
sublittoral climate with temperatures decreasing progressively with increasing altitude. Precipitation is also strongly affected by the presence of the Apennines mountain range. Rainfall is abundant on slopes oriented to the west, and lower in east and east-facing slopes. The Adriatic coast is shielded from rainfall by the barrier effect created by the Apennines.
The minimum annual rainfall is found in some inland valleys, sheltered by mountain ranges, such as Peligna or Tirino (
Ofena
Ofena ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park". The comune/village is home to a vast and rich ...
,
Capestrano
Capestrano ( Abruzzese: ') is a '' comune'' and small town with 885 inhabitants (2017), in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
History
Antiquity
In the necropolis the stat ...
), where as little as were recorded. Rainfall along the coast almost always never falls below .
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
has relatively less rainfall (about ) than
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
, while
Ortona,
Vasto, and
Costa dei Trabocchi have comparatively less rainfall.
The highest rainfall occurs in upland areas on the border with
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
; they are especially vulnerable to
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
disturbances. Around of precipitation is typical.
Flora and fauna
The flora of Abruzzo is typically Mediterranean. Along the coastal belt
Mediterranean shrubland Is the dominant natural vegetation, with species like
myrtle,
heather and
mastic. Inland we find
olive,
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
,
willow,
oak,
poplar,
alder,
arbutus,
broom,
acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...
,
capers
''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers.
The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...
,
rosemary
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...
,
hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
,
licorice
Liquorice (British English) or licorice ( American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted.
The l ...
and
almond trees, interspersed with
oak trees. At elevations between there is
sub-montane
Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topo ...
vegetation, with mixed woodlands of oak and turkey oak, maple and
hornbeam; shrubs include
dog rose and
red juniper. Elevations between are dominated by beech. In the
Apennine Mountains at elevations above species include
alpine orchid, mountain juniper,
silver fir, black cranberry and the Abruzzo
edelweiss.
The fauna of Abruzzo is very diverse, including the region's symbol, the Abruzzo chamois (''
Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata''), which has recovered from near-extinction. Common species include
Marsican brown bear,
Italian wolf, deer, lynx, roe deer, snow vole, fox, porcupine, wild cat, wild boar, badger, otter, and viper.
The natural parks of the region are the
Abruzzo National Park, the
Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park located mostly in Abruzzo, Italy. It was established in 1991, it has an area of , and it is mainly spread out across the province of Teramo, L'Aquila, Pescara, with small areas in ...
, the
Maiella National Park
Maiella National Park ( it, Parco Nazionale della Maiella) is a national park located in the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila, in the region of Abruzzo, Italy.
It is centered on the Maiella massif, of which Monte Amaro is the highest ...
and the
Sirente-Velino Regional Park
The Sirente-Velino Regional Park (Italian: ''Parco regionale naturale del Sirente Velino'') is a regional park in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy.
It is centered on the Monte Velino and Monte Sirente massifs, including also the ...
, as well as many other natural reserves and protected areas.
In 2017, the ancient beech forests of the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park of Europe were recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with the region thus gaining its first prestigious site.
Economy
Until a few decades ago, Abruzzo was a backward region of
Southern Italy. Since the 1950s, Abruzzo has showed steady economic growth. In 1951, per capita income or GDP was 53% of that of wealthier
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative region ...
. The gap has since narrowed, being 65% in 1971 and 76% by 1994. The region reached the highest per capita GDP of Southern Italy through the highest growth rate of every other
region of Italy.
Abruzzo is
the 16th most productive region in the country, and is
the 13th for GRP per capita among Italian regions.
As of 2003, Abruzzo's per capita GDP was €19,506 or 84% of the national average of €23,181, compared to the average value for Southern Italy of €15,808.
In 2006, the region's average GDP per capita was approximately 20,100 EUR. The construction of
motorways
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
from Rome to
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
(
A24) and Rome to
Pescara (
A25), which provided better access to the region, is credited as a driver of public and private investments.
The
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 03:32 CEST (01:32 UTC) on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 or 5.9 on the Richter magnitude scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; ...
led to a sharp economic slowdown. However, according to statistics at the end of 2010, some signals of recovery were noted.
Regional economic growth was recorded as 1.47%, which actually placed Abruzzo fourth among Italy's regions after
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
,
Lombardy
(man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, ...
and
Calabria. In 2011 Abruzzo's economic growth was +2.3%, the highest percentage among the regions of Southern Italy.
Abruzzo's industrial sector expanded rapidly, especially in
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, ...
, transportation equipment and telecommunications.
The structure of production in the region reflects the transformation of the economy from agriculture to industry and services. The industrial sector relies on few large enterprises and the predominance of small and medium enterprises. In the
applied research
Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...
field, there are major institutes and enterprises involved in the fields of
pharmaceutics,
biomedicine,
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
,
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and ast ...
and
nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies t ...
. The industrial infrastructure is dispersed throughout the region in industrial zones. The most important of these are: Val Pescara, Val di Sangro, Val Trigno, Val Vibrata and Conca del Fucino. Agriculture, based on small holdings, has modernised and produces high-quality products. The mostly small-scale producers are active in wine,
cereal
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...
s,
sugar beet
A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet ('' Beta vulgaris''). Together ...
, potatoes, olives, vegetables, fruit and
dairy product
Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items i ...
s. Traditional products are
saffron
Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...
and
liquorice. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries,
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, the region's most famous wine, had become one of the most widely exported DOC-classed wines in Italy.
[J. Bastianich & D. Lynch ''Vino Italiano'' pg 280–283 Crown Publishing 2005 ]
Tourism is an important economic sector;
in the past decade, tourism has increased, mainly centered around its national parks and natural reserves, ski and beach resorts, in particular along the
Trabocchi Coast
The Trabocchi Coast, which corresponds to the coastal stretch Adriatic of province of Chieti (Abruzzo), is a 70-kilometer coast from Ortona to San Salvo in Italy. It comprises a number of coves and reefs below the hills that end at the Adriatic Sea ...
. Abruzzo's castles and medieval towns, especially in the area of
L'Aquila, have led to the creation of the nickname of "Abruzzoshire", along
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
's "
Chiantishire
Chiantishire is a nickname for an area of Tuscany, Italy, where many upper-class British citizens have moved or usually spend their holidays. The word is a late 20th century neologism and derives from Chianti, a red wine produced in central Tu ...
." In spite of this, Abruzzo is still "off the beaten path" for most visitors to Italy.
The unemployment rate stood at 9.3% in 2020.
Demographics
Although the population density of Abruzzo has increased over recent decades, it is still well below the Italian national average: in 2008, 123.4 inhabitants per km
2, compared to 198.8. In the provinces, the density varies:
Pescara is the most densely populated with 260.1 inhabitants per km
2, whereas L'Aquila is the least densely populated with 61.3 inhabitants per km
2, although it has the largest area. After decades of emigration from the region, the main feature of the 1980s is immigration from third world countries. The population increase is due to the positive net migration. Since 1991 more deaths than births were registered in Abruzzo (except for 1999, when their numbers were equal).
In 2008, the Italian
national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 59,749 foreign-born immigrants live in Abruzzo, equal to 4.5% of the total regional population.
The most serious demographic imbalance is between the mountainous areas of the interior and the coastal strip. The largest province, L'Aquila, is situated entirely in the interior and has the lowest population density. The movement of the population of Abruzzo from the mountains to the sea has led to the almost complete urbanization of the entire coastal strip especially in the
province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo ( it, provincia di Teramo; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of , a population of 313,029 (2012), and is subdivided into 47 comunes ( ...
and Chieti. The effects on the interior have been impoverishment and demographic aging, reflected by an activity rate in the province of L'Aquila which is the lowest among the provinces in Abruzzo – accompanied by geological degradation as a result of the absence of conservation measures. In the coastal strip, however, there is such a jumble of accommodations and activities that the environment has been negatively affected. The policy of providing incentives for development has resulted in the setting-up of industrial zones, some of which (
Vasto,
Avezzano,
Carsoli,
Gissi,
Val Vibrata, Val di Sangro) have made genuine progress, while others (
Val Pescara,
L'Aquila) have run into trouble after their initial success. The zones of
Sulmona and
Guardiagrele
Guardiagrele (; Abruzzese: ; la, Guardia Graelis) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around . Its population numbers ...
have turned out to be more or less failures. Outside these zones, the main activities are agriculture and tourism.
Main settlements
L'Aquila is both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the
Province of L'Aquila and second largest city (pop. 73,000). L'Aquila was hit by an
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
on 6 April 2009, which destroyed much of the city centre. The other provincial capitals are
Pescara, which is Abruzzo's largest city and major port (pop. 123,000);
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
(pop. 55,000) and
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
(pop. 55,000). Other large municipalities in Abruzzo include the industrial and
high tech center
Avezzano (pop. 41,000), as well as three important industrial and touristic centers such as
Vasto (pop. 40,636),
Lanciano (pop. 36,000), and
Sulmona (pop. 25,000).
Transport
Airports
*
Abruzzo International Airport is the only international airport in the region. Open to civilian traffic since 1996, the number of passengers has increased over the years because of low-cost air carriers' use of the facility. Today, the airport has a catchment area of over 500,000 passengers annually.
*
L'Aquila-Preturo Airport is located near L'Aquila, but remains underused.
Ports
There are four main ports in Abruzzo:
Pescara,
Ortona,
Vasto and
Giulianova.
Over the years the Port of Pescara has become one of the most important tourist ports of Italy and the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
. Heavily damaged in World War II, it underwent major renovations for some sixty years. It now consists of a modern marina with advanced moorings and shipbuilding facilities. It has been awarded the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
's blue flag for its services. The port of Pescara has lost passenger traffic because of its shallowness and silting, but its fishery and
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
activities are thriving.
Railways
There is a significant disparity between the railways of the Abruzzo coast and the inland areas, which badly need modernization to improve the service, in particular, the
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
-
Pescara line.
Existing railway lines:
*
Adriatic railway
The Adriatic railway (Italian: ''Ferrovia Adriatica'') is the railway from Ancona to Lecce that runs along the Adriatic Coast of Italy, following it almost all of the way. It is one of the main lines of the Italian rail system and links the ...
runs through the whole of Italy from north to south, along the Adriatic Sea.
*
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
–
Sulmona –
Pescara
* Sulmona –
Carpinone
Carpinone is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about west of Campobasso and about east of Isernia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,273 and an area of .All demographics ...
*
Sulmona–Terni railway
* Avezzano railroad – Roccasecca
*
Giulianova –
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
* Sangritana (
Lanciano –
Castel di Sangro)
Highways
There are three highways that serve the region:
*
A24 (
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
–
L'Aquila –
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
) was built in the 1970s and connects Rome with the Adriatic coast in less than two hour-drive. The
Gran Sasso tunnel, the longest road tunnel entirely on Italian territory, was opened in 1984.
*
A25 (Torano – Avezzano – Pescara) connects Rome with Pescara. The road branches off A24 in
Torano, spans across the
Fucino basin, crosses the Apennines, and merges with
A14 near Pescara.
*
A14 Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
–
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important comme ...
known as the
"Adriatica", includes of dual-carriage motorway between
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
and
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important comme ...
.
Culture
The museum
Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo in Chieti houses the famed statue ''
Warrior of Capestrano'' which was found in a necropolis of the 6th century B.C. Across the region, among the prominent cultural and historical buildings are:
Teramo Cathedral, its archeological museum and the Roman theater, the Castello della Monica, the
Collurania-Teramo Observatory
The Collurania Observatory, also Teramo Observatory, ( it, Osservatorio Astronomico di Collurania "Vincenzo Cerulli"), is an astronomical observatory located in Teramo, in Abruzzo region of central Italy. It was founded by Vincenzo Cerulli in 1 ...
, the famous
L'Aquila Basilica of
Santa Maria di Collemaggio (which holds the remains of
Pope Celestine V), the
Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo
The Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo is hosted in the Forte Spagnolo of L'Aquila.
The Museum is on three floors: on the ground floor, there is the giant skeleton of an Archidiskon meridionalis (improperly called mammoth, a prehistoric "elephant") found ...
,
Santa Maria del Suffragio, the
Forte Spagnolo
The Forte Spagnolo (Italian for ''Spanish fortress''; locally called ''il Castello'') is a Renaissance castle in L'Aquila, central Italy.
History
In the 15th century, L'Aquila had become the second most powerful city in the Kingdom of Naple ...
, the Fountain of 99 Spouts,
Gabriele D'Annunzio's house in
Pescara,
Campli's
Scala Sancta and its church, the church of Santissima Annunziata in
Sulmona, the cathedrals of
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
,
Lanciano,
Guardiagrele
Guardiagrele (; Abruzzese: ; la, Guardia Graelis) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around . Its population numbers ...
,
Atri and
Pescara along with the castles of
Ortona,
Celano and
Ortucchio.
Every year on 28–29 August, L'Aquila's
Santa Maria di Collemaggio commemorates the
Perdonanza Celestiniana, the indulgence issued by
Pope Celestine V to anyone who, "truly repentant and confessed" would visit that Church from the Vespers of the vigil to the vespers of 29 August.
Sulmona's
Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
is commemorated with traditional celebrations and rituals, such as "La Madonna che scappa in piazza", when a large statue of the
Mary, carried by a group of local fraternities, is carried across the square in procession.
Cocullo, in the
province of L'Aquila, holds the annual "Festa dei serpari" (festival of snake handlers) in which a statue of St. Dominic, covered with live snakes, is carried in a procession through the town; it attracts thousands of Italian and foreign visitors. In many Abruzzo villages,
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...
's feast is celebrated in January with massive and scenic bonfires. In the past, the region of Abruzzo was well known for the
transumanza, the seasonal movement of sheep floks: these used to travel mostly southbound towards the region of
Puglia
it, Pugliese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographic ...
during the cold winter months. The Feast of
St. Biagio, protector of wool dealers is celebrated across the region. On the third of February in
Taranta Peligna every year since the sixteenth century an evocative ritual is held: ''panicelle'', or small loaves made of flour and water, in the shape of a blessing hand, are distributed among the faithful.
Historical figures from the region include: the Roman orator
Asinius Pollio
Gaius Asinius Pollio (75 BC – AD 4) was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic, and historian, whose lost contemporary history provided much of the material used by the historians Appian and Plutarch. Poll ...
;
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
poets
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust (; 86 – ), was a Roman historian and politician from an Italian plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became during the 50s BC a partisa ...
and
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...
, who were born in L'Aquila and
Sulmona respectively,
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus (c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the co ...
, Roman senator and leading instigator of the plot to kill
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
.
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of ...
is said to have been native to the region. Abruzzo's religious personalities include
Saint Berardo;
John of Capistrano;
Thomas of Celano, author of three
hagiographies of
Saint Francis of Assisi; and
Alessandro Valignano, who introduced
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
to the
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The t ...
and Japan. The Polish
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
loved the mountains of Abruzzo, where he would retire often and pray in the church of San Pietro della Ienca. Local personalities in the humanities include: poet
Ignazio Silone
Secondino Tranquilli (1 May 1900 – 22 August 1978), known by the pseudonym Ignazio Silone (, ), was an Italian political leader, novelist, and short-story writer, world-famous during World War II for his powerful anti-fascist novels. He was no ...
, movie director
Ennio Flaiano who co-wrote ''
La dolce vita'', philosopher
Benedetto Croce, poet
Gabriele D'Annunzio, composer
Paolo Tosti, sculptor
Venanzo Crocetti.
American artists and celebrities such as:
Dean Martin,
Perry Como,
Henry Mancini,
Nancy Pelosi,
Rocky Marciano,
Rocky Mattioli
Rocky Mattioli (born Rocco Mattioli, 20 September 1953) an Italian-born Australian former boxer at junior middleweight, and former world champion.
Rocky was the 2004 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Moderns category.
...
,
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavy ...
,
Mario Batali
Mario Francesco Batali (born September 19, 1960) is an American chef, writer, and restaurateur. Batali co-owned restaurants in New York City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Newport Beach, California; Boston; Singapore; Westport, Connecticut; and N ...
,
John and
Dan Fante,
Tommy Lasorda,
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and b ...
,
Mario Lanza,
Garry Marshall,
Penny Marshall
Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, director and producer. She is known for her role as ...
, and
Al Martino trace part of their family roots to Abruzzo.
Some international movies shot in Abruzzo include ''
The American'',
Jean-Jacques Annaud's ''
The Name of the Rose'',
Fellini's ''
La Strada
''La strada'' () is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman (Giulietta Masina) bought from her mother ...
'' and ''
I Vitelloni'',
Schwarzenegger's ''
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
'', ''
Ladyhawke'', ''
King David'', ''
Francesco
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...
'', ''
Keoma
Keoma is a hamlet in southern Alberta under the jurisdiction of Rocky View County.
Keoma is located approximately 35 km (21 mi) northeast of Downtown Calgary, on Highway 566, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) east of Highway 9 and 19 km (12 mi) north of the ...
'', ''
The Barbarians'', ''
The Fox and the Child
''The Fox and the Child'' (French language, French: ''Le renard et l'enfant'') is a 2007 French direct-to-video children's film, family drama film directed by Luc Jacquet. Starring Bertille Noël-Bruneau, Isabelle Carré and Thomas Laliberté. The ...
'' and ''
Krull''.
Medieval and Renaissance hill towns
Traditionally, a large share of the population used to be
hill people
Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains.
This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation.
The climate is generally harsh, with ...
, often working as
shepherds in mountainous areas, or settled in hill towns, especially in the parts of Abruzzo farther from the Adriatic coast. Before the 2009 earthquake, Abruzzo was the region with the highest number of castles and hill towns in Italy. It still holds many of Italy's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill towns, twenty-three of which are among ''
The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''. This listing recognises their scenic beauty, arts and culture, their historical importance and quality of life.
The abrupt decline of Abruzzo's agricultural economy in the early to mid-20th-century spared some of the region's historic hill towns from modern development. Many lie entirely within regional and
national parks. Among the most well preserved are
Castel del Monte and
Santo Stefano di Sessanio, within the
Gran Sasso National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park located mostly in Abruzzo, Italy. It was established in 1991, it has an area of , and it is mainly spread out across the province of Teramo, L'Aquila, Pescara, with small areas in ...
on the edge of the high plain of
Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore ("Emperor's Field") is a mountain grassland or alpine meadow formed by a high basin shaped plateau located above Gran Sasso massif, the largest plateau of Apennine ridge. Known as "Little Tibet", it is located in Gran Sasso e ...
and nestled beneath the Apennines' highest peaks. Both hill towns, which were ruled by the
Medicis for over a century-and-a-half, see relatively little tourism. Between the two towns sits
Rocca Calascio
The Castle of Rocca Calascio is a mountaintop fortress or '' rocca'' in the municipality of Calascio, in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy.
At an elevation of , the castle is the highest fortress in the Apennines. Built of stone and ma ...
, the ruin of an ancient fortress popular with filmmakers. Both
Monteferrante
Monteferrante is a '' comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demog ...
and
Roccascalegna are two of the most representative Abruzzo villages in the province of Chieti. Within the
Gran Sasso National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park located mostly in Abruzzo, Italy. It was established in 1991, it has an area of , and it is mainly spread out across the province of Teramo, L'Aquila, Pescara, with small areas in ...
is also found
Castelli
Castelli may refer to:
Places Argentina
* Castelli, Buenos Aires, city in Buenos Aires Province
* Castelli Partido, partido in Buenos Aires Province
* Juan José Castelli, Chaco, in Chaco Province
* Villa Castelli, Argentina, in La Rioja Pr ...
, an ancient pottery center whose artisans produced ceramics for most of the
royal houses
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. ...
of Europe.
Civitella del Tronto
Civitella del Tronto () is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Teramo, within the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
History
The origins of Civitella are unknown, though in the area ha ...
played a crucial role in the history of the
unification of Italy. The fortress of
Civitella is the most visited monument in the Abruzzo region today. Other medieval hill towns located within Abruzzo's
park system are
Pacentro
Pacentro is a '' comune'' of 1,279 inhabitants of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is a well-preserved historic medieval village located in central Italy, several kilometers from the City of Sulmona about east of Rome. Pacentro has ...
in the
Maiella National Park
Maiella National Park ( it, Parco Nazionale della Maiella) is a national park located in the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila, in the region of Abruzzo, Italy.
It is centered on the Maiella massif, of which Monte Amaro is the highest ...
and
Pescasseroli
Pescasseroli (, Marsicano: '', '') is a town and '' comune'' in the province of L'Aquila, in Southern Abruzzo, central Italy.
A summer and winter resort, it is also the location of the Abruzzo National Park, nestled in the heart of the Monti ...
in the
Abruzzo National Park. Pacentro, which features a 14th-century castle with two intact towers, has been little touched by modernisation. The Shrine of
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, in the
province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo ( it, provincia di Teramo; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of , a population of 313,029 (2012), and is subdivided into 47 comunes ( ...
, which attracts some two million visitors per year, is one of the 15 most-visited sanctuaries in the world.
Capestrano
Capestrano ( Abruzzese: ') is a '' comune'' and small town with 885 inhabitants (2017), in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
History
Antiquity
In the necropolis the stat ...
, a small town in the province of L'Aquila, is the hometown of Saint
John of Capistrano,
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
and
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned (" ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers onl ...
, as well as the namesake of the Franciscan
missions San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for " St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census.
San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St ...
in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...
, the mission
Mission San Juan Capistrano in Texas and the city of
San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for " St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census.
San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St ...
in
Orange County, California
Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...
.
Giulianova is a notable example of a Renaissance "
ideal city
An ideal city is the concept of a plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective.
Concept
The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, spiritual and juridical qualities of ci ...
."
The proximity to Rome, the protected areas and scenic landscapes making the region one of the greenest in Europe, the presence of quaint villages, its rich and varied culinary traditions are important tourist attractions. In 2010, visitors included 6,381,067 Italians and 925,884 foreign tourists.
In 2015, the American organization Live and Invest Overseas included Abruzzo on its list of World's Top 21 Overseas Retirement Havens. The study was based on such factors as climate, infrastructure, health care, safety, taxes, cost of living and more. In 2017 the Chamber of Commerce of Pescara presented Abruzzo region to the Annual conference of Live and Invest Overseas in the U.S. city of
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
. One year later, in October 2018, Live and Invest Overseas held its first conference in Abruzzo.
Universities
There are three universities in the Abruzzo region:
*
University of L'Aquila
*
D'Annunzio University of Chieti–Pescara
D'Annunzio University ( it, Università degli Studi "Gabriele d'Annunzio", Ud'A) is a public research university located in Chieti and Pescara, neighbouring cities in the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Established in 1960 as a higher education institu ...
*
University of Teramo
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
bases an intensive summer Italian language and culture program in
Vasto, a
resort town on Abruzzo's southern coast.
Science
Between the
province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo ( it, provincia di Teramo; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of , a population of 313,029 (2012), and is subdivided into 47 comunes ( ...
and L'Aquila, under the
Gran Sasso Tunnel, is the
Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of the INFN, one of the three underground astroparticle laboratories in Europe.
Th
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "Giuseppe Caporale" which conducts research in veterinary and environmental public health, is located in Teramo.
The Gran Sasso Science Institute, located in L'Aquila, is an advanced research institute which offers doctorates in astroparticle physics, computer science, and mathematics as well as urban studies and regional science, and which also conducts scientific research.
Sports
Interamnia World Cup, the largest international youth handball competition worldwide, takes place yearly in Teramo.
There are several :Football clubs in Abruzzo, football clubs in Abruzzo. Delfino Pescara 1936 is a Serie B club; based in Pescara, its home stadium is Stadio Adriatico – Giovanni Cornacchia.
Dialects
The regional dialects of Abruzzo include ''Teramano'', ''Abruzzese Orientale Adriatico'' and ''Abruzzese Occidentale''. The first two forms are a dialect of the Southern Italian language also known simply as Neapolitan language, Neapolitan since the region has been part of the
Kingdom of Naples and the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, while ''Aquilano'' is related to the Central Italian, Central Italian dialects including Romanesco dialect, Romanesco.
The dialects spoken in the Abruzzo region can be divided into three main groups:
# Sabine dialect, in the province of L'Aquila, a central Italian dialect
# Abruzzo Adriatic dialect, in the province of Teramo, Pescara and Chieti, that is virtually abandoned in the province of Ascoli Piceno, a southern Italian dialect
# Abruzzo western dialect, in the province of L'Aquila, a southern Italian dialect
Cuisine
Abruzzo's cuisine is renowned for its variety and richness. Both the agricultural and coastal areas of Abruzzo have contributed to its cuisine. Due to the mountains, much of Abruzzo was relatively isolated until the 20th century. This has contributed to preservIng local culinary traditions.
Ingredients
In terms of common ingredients, cuisine in Abruzzo often includes:
* Lamb and mutton, primarily in the mountains.
Sheep's milk (or ricotta) is an important source of Abruzzese cheese, and lamb intestines are used as sausage Casing (sausage), casing or for Braciola#Involtini, stuffed meat rolls.
Goat meat, Mountain goat meat is also common in Abruzzo.
* Truffles and Edible mushroom, mushrooms, particularly wild mushrooms from the forests and hills
* Garlic, especially Aglio Rosso di Nubia, red garlic
* Rosemary
* Hot chili pepper or ''peperoncini'', regionally known as ''diavolilli'' or ''diavoletti'', is common in Abruzzese cuisine and often used to add spice to dishes. Abruzzo residents are well known for frequently adding peperoncini, or hot peppers, to their meals.
* Vegetables such as lentils, grasspeas and other legumes, artichoke, eggplant, and cauliflower
Starter dishes
* Spaghetti alla chitarra which is made by pressing or cutting pasta through a ''chitarra'', an implement to form long thin noodles similar to spaghetti. The pasta is served with a tomato-based sauce, often flavored with Bell pepper, peppers, pork, goose, or Lamb and Mutton, lamb. This dish is complemented by regional side dishes, such as the bean and noodle soup, ''sagne e fagioli''. This soup is traditionally flavored with tomatoes, garlic, oil, and peperoncini.
* ', flavored with bacon, egg (food), eggs and pecorino cheese
*
Scrippelle', a rustic French-style crêpe served either ' (a type of soup) or used to form a sort of soufflé with some ragù and stuffed with chicken liver, meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese
* ''Pastuccia'', a polenta stew with sausage, eggs, and cheese
Meat
Across the region, roast lamb is enjoyed in several variations. Some of these variations include:
* ''Arrosticini'', a skewered lamb dish
* ''Pecora al cotturo'', lamb stuffed with a variety of mountain herbs and cooked in a copper pot
* Lamb cooked whole in a masonry oven, bread oven
* ''Agnello cacio e ovo'', a lamb-based fricassee
* ''Mazzarella'': lamb intestines stuffed with lamb, garlic, marjoram, lettuce, and spices
*
Le virtù': a soup from Teramo filled with legumes, vegetables and pork, made only on 1 May.
*''Timballo abruzzese'': lasagna-like dish with pasta sheets (''scrippelle'') layered with meat, vegetables and rice; often served for Christmas and Easter
[
* ''Porchetta abruzzese'': moist boneless-pork roast, slow-roasted with ]rosemary
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...
, garlic, and black pepper, pepper
Seafood
Seafood is also popular, especially in coastal areas. The variety of fish available locally resulted in several fish-based ''Brudet, Brodetti'' (broths), coming from such places as Vasto, Giulianova, and Pescara. These broths are often made by cooking fish, flavored with tomatoes, herbs, and peperoncino, in an earthenware pot. Other fish products are Scapece alla vastese, Baccalà all'abruzzese, and Coregone di Campotosto, typical lake fish.
Pizzas
Rustic pizzas are also very common. Some of these are:
* ''Easter Pizza'', a rustic cake with cheese and pepper from the Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
area
* ''Fiadoni'' from Chieti, a dough of eggs and cheese well risen, cooked in the oven in a thin casing of pastry
* A rustic tart pastry filled with everything imaginable: eggs, fresh cheeses, ricotta, vegetables, and all sorts of flavorings and spices.
Also from Teramo are the spreadable sausages flavored with nutmeg, and liver sausages tasting of garlic and spices. Atri and Rivisondoli are famous for cheeses. Mozzarella, either fresh or seasoned, is made from ewe's milk, although a great number of lesser known varieties of these cheeses can be found all over Abruzzo and Molise.
Salumi
''Salumi'' (singular ''salume'') is an Italian term describing the preparation of cured meat products made predominantly from pork.
Spreadable sausage flavored with nutmeg and liver sausage with garlic and spices are hallmarks of Teramo cuisine. ''Ventricina'' from the Vasto area is made with large pieces of fat and lean pork, pressed and seasoned with powdered sweet peppers and fennel and encased in dried pig stomach. ''Mortadella di Campotosto'' (well known in Abruzzo) is an oval, dark-red mortadella with a white column of fat. They are generally sold in pairs, tied together. Another name for the mortadella is ''coglioni di mulo'' (donkey's balls). It is made from shoulder and loin meat, prosciutto trimmings and fat. It is 80 percent lean meat; 25 percent is prosciutto (ham), and 20 percent is pancetta. The meat is minced and mixed with salt, pepper and white wine.
Cheeses
The region's principal cheeses are:
* ''White cow cheese'', a soft cheese made from Cow’s milk, cow's milk
* ''Caciocavallo abruzzese'', a soft, slightly elastic dairy product made from raw, whole cow's milk with rennet and salt
* ''Caciofiore Aquilano'', made from raw whole sheep's milk, rennet, artichokes and saffron (which gives it its characteristic yellow color)
* ''Caciotta vaccination frentana'', a half-cooked, semi-hard cheese made from raw whole cow's milk, rennet and salt
* ''Canestrato of Castel del Monte, Abruzzo, Castel del Monte'', a hard cheese made from raw whole sheep's milk, with rennet and salt
* ''Caprino cheese, Caprino abruzzese'', made from raw whole goat milk (sometimes with sheep's milk), curd, and salt
* ''Cheese and curd stazzo'', cheese and byproducts obtained from the processing of raw milk from sheep, cattle and goats
* ''Junket vaccination or Abruzzo sprisciocca'', a soft fresh cheese made from raw whole cow's milk, rennet, and salt
* ''Pecorino d'Abruzzo'': one of Abruzzo's flagship products—a mild, semi-hard (or hard) cheese with holes, made from raw whole sheep's milk, rennet, and salt
* ''Pecorino di Atri'', a compact, semi-cooked cheese made from sheep's milk, rennet and salt
* ''Pecorino di Farindola'', cheese made from sheep's milk and pork rennet (a special type of rennet, made by filling a dried pork stomach with vinegar and white wine for forty days)
* ''Ricotta'', made from the remnants of the coagulation of raw whole sheep's milk, heated after filtration
* ''Scamorza d'Abruzzo'', a stretched Quark (dairy product), curd cheese made from cow's milk, rennet (liquid or powder) and salt
Atri and Rivisondoli are known for their cheeses. Mozzarella (fresh or seasoned) is typically made from ewe's milk; many lesser-known cheeses are found throughout Abruzzo and Molise
it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 ...
.
Desserts and sweets
Abruzzo's sweets are well-known:
* Dragée (also known as confetti): sugar-coated almonds from Sulmona
* ''Torrone Nurzia'': chocolate nougat from L'Aquila
* ''Parrozzo'': a cake-like treat made from crushed almonds and coated in chocolate
* ''Pizzelle'' (also known as ''ferratelle''): a waffle cookie, often flavored with anise[
* ''Croccante'', a type of nougat made from almonds and caramelized sugar, often flavored with lemon
* ''Calgionetti, cagionetti, caggiunitti, caviciunette'': Christmas fritters, sometimes filled with chestnuts or chickpeas and flavored with chocolate or cocoa
* ''Bocconotto, Bocconotti'': stuffed sweets often served for Christmas
* ''Zeppole di San Giuseppe'': fried or baked pastries made for Saint Joseph's Day
* ', two layers of sponge cake filled with custard, produced in the town of ]Guardiagrele
Guardiagrele (; Abruzzese: ; la, Guardia Graelis) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around . Its population numbers ...
in the province of Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
Fruits
The region's principal fruits are:
* : coastal citrus (particularly oranges), used for Fruit preserves#Jam, jam and limoncello
* and : types of chestnut
* : a local cherry
* : almonds from the town of Navelli
* : apples from the region
* : table grapes, also used for jam
Olive oil
The use of oil in regional mountain and sea dishes is important; among the most common oil products we find the Aprutino Pescarese, the Pretuziano delle Colline Teramane, l'Olio extra vergine di oliva delle Valli Aquilane and Colline Teatine.
The list of Abruzzo olive cultivars:
* Castiglionese
* Dritta
* Gentile di Chieti
* Intosso
* Monicella
* Carpinetana
* Morella
* Nebbio di Chieti
* Raja
* Toccolana
* Tortiglione
* Crognalegna
* Gentile del L'Aquila (Rusticana del L'Aquila)
The extra-virgin olive oil produced in Colline Teramane (Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
hills) is marked by the Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union, DOP.
The region has several cultivars that includes Carboncella, Dritta (Dritta Francavillese and Dritta di Moscufo), Gentile del Chieti, Nostrana (Nostrana di Brisighella), and Sargano olive cultivars.
Wines and liquors
Renowned wines like Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Montepulciano Denominazione di origine controllata, DOCG and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Denominazione di origine controllata, DOC are judged to be amongst the world's finest. In 2012, a bottle of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo ranked No. 1 in the top 50 Italian wine awards. In recent decades these wines have been joined, particularly, by wines from lesser known (heritage) white grapes, such as, Pecorino (grape), Pecorino, Cococciola, Passerina (grape), Passerina, Montonico Bianco and Fiano (grape), Fiano.[Abruzzo Is Making White Wine From Grapes You Don't Yet Know, Tom Mullen, Forbes, 29 May 2018]
The region is also well known for the production of liquors such as Centerbe, Limoncello, Ratafia and Gentian (spirit), Genziana.
Gallery
File:Gran sasso italia.jpg, Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore ("Emperor's Field") is a mountain grassland or alpine meadow formed by a high basin shaped plateau located above Gran Sasso massif, the largest plateau of Apennine ridge. Known as "Little Tibet", it is located in Gran Sasso e ...
File:Abruzzo Chamois 2008 446.JPG, Abruzzo Chamois
File:Trabocco Marina di San Vito-001.jpg, San Vito Chietino
File:Apollo Butterfly of Gran Sasso.jpg, Apollo Butterfly in Gran Sasso
Gran Sasso d'Italia (; ) is a massif in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The mountain lies ...
File:Lago di scanno01.jpg, Lake Scanno, Abruzzo, Scanno
File:Majella001.jpg, Maiella massif
File:Ponte del Mare di Pescara 2011.jpg, Ponte sul mare in Pescara
File:Campo Felice Lake.jpg, Campo Felice
File:Wild boards of Gran Sasso National Park.jpg, Abruzzo Wild boars
File:Ortona 2006 -Ripari di Giobbe- by-RaBoe 001.jpg, Ortona seaside
File:Prati di Tivo - Teramo - Italy.jpg, Prati di Tivo ski slopes
File:Monteferrante chieti.JPG, Monteferrante
Monteferrante is a '' comune'' and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demog ...
File:Rocca Calascio 3.jpg, Rocca Calascio
The Castle of Rocca Calascio is a mountaintop fortress or '' rocca'' in the municipality of Calascio, in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy.
At an elevation of , the castle is the highest fortress in the Apennines. Built of stone and ma ...
File:Duomo di Teramo - facciata principale.jpg, Duomo of Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
File:Palazzo della Camera di Commercio Chieti.jpg, Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo regi ...
File:L'Aquila 65.jpg, L'Aquila 99 Spouts Fountain
File:L'Aquila, Basilica di San Bernardino 2007 by-RaBoe-1.jpg, San Bernardino Basilica in L'Aquila
File:L'Aquila, San Pietro a Coppito 2007 by-RaBoe-1.jpg, L'Aquila
File:Basilica di Lanciano.jpg, Lanciano basilica
File:Sulmona0003.jpg, Church of SS Annunziata in Sulmona
File:Sulmona0001.jpg, Sulmona
File:Celano0001.jpg, Celano
File:CasalBCentroStorico.jpg, Casalbordino
File:Guardiagrele Santa Maria Maggiore Occidentale.jpg, Guardiagrele
Guardiagrele (; Abruzzese: ; la, Guardia Graelis) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the foothills of the Maiella mountain at an elevation of around . Its population numbers ...
File:Ortona 2005 -Castello Aragonese- by-RaBoe 01.jpg, Ortona
File:Santuario San Gabriele dell'Addolorata Abruzzo 03.JPG, Shrine of Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
File:PalazzoCastelli.jpg, Palazzo Savini in Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and '' comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Ital ...
See also
*List of museums in Abruzzo
*2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 03:32 CEST (01:32 UTC) on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 or 5.9 on the Richter magnitude scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; ...
References
External links
Official site of the regional administration
Official Abruzzo tourist board website
Travel Guide to Abruzzo: all you need to know to plan your visit
Map of Abruzzo
''Financial Times'', 29 June 2007
Italy as it used to be
The Guardian, 16 April 2005
Life in Abruzzo, a chronicle of Abruzzo life written from a hill village in the Gran Sasso Mountains
Things to do in Abruzzo
{{coord, 42, 21, 58, N, 12, 23, 40, E, display=title
Abruzzo,
Regions of Italy
NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union
States and territories established in 1963
Wine regions of Italy
Samnium
Picenum