Abruzzo, known as ‘the region of parks’ has the Adriatic
to the east and the Apennine
Mountains to the west.
The capital of Abruzzo,
L’Aquila (‘The Eagle’) is on the Aterno river
and has about 69,000 inhabitants. Less than 2 hours
drive from Rome it is laid out within medieval walls.
Like most of Abruzzo, it is not heavily traveled by
foreign tourists, unlike Tuscany and Umbria.
It is a region of Europe of which thirty percent of
the land is protected by 
environmental
preservation. It boasts three national parks as well
as numerous protected sites, a regional park as well
as a nature reserve with wild wolves.
L’Aquila was founded in about 1245 with its greatest
expansion occurring in 1253 under the direction of Conrad
IV. With a turbulent history, as many Italy cities L’Aquila
went through earthquakes, sieges, reconstruction, was
besieged and destroyed and still lived to tell the tale.
It grew as an important commercial and cultural city,
second to the Kingdom of Naples and became the capital
of the region in 1860.
Visiting Abruzzo
Places to Visit include the Basilica
di S.Maria di Collemaggio – considered the most
famous basilica in Abruzzo. Pietro da Morrone was crowned
Pope there as, Celestino V in 1294. As part of his coronation
he instituted a plenary pardon 
of
sins and the “Pardon of St. Celestine” is still celebrated
at the church with thousands of pilgrims during August
28th and 29th.
Fort
Spagnolo - The Spanish Fortress of L'Aquila
- commonly called "il Castello" by the Aquilans,
is one of the most impressive Renaissance castle in
Central and Southern Italy. It hosts the National
Museum of Abruzzo, in which resided the giant
skeleton of a prehistoric ‘elephas’ improperly called
a mammoth.
Another popular destination and one of the larger cities
in the region is Pescara.
Pescara gets its name from the River Pescara that splits
the city in two parts. Pescara origins precede the Roman
Conquest. Today it is of the most important economic
and commercial cities on the Adriatic coast. The shoreline
extends for more than 20 kilometers and is very popular
among Italian tourists during the summer for the seaside.
Pescara is the birthplace of Gabriele
D’Annunzio D'Annunzio, an Italian poet, writer
novelist, daredevil and war hero went on the have a
controversial role in politics as a precursor of the
fascist movement.
The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica wrote of him:
"…The work of d' Annunzio, although by many
of the younger generation injudiciously and extravagantly
admired, is almost the most important literary work
given to Italy since the days when the great classics
welded her varying dialects into a fixed language"
The Palazzo del Governo hosts the provincial library,
with 600,000 volumes. Also noteworthy is the Cathedral
of St. Cetteus, with a 17th century's painting of St.
Francis attributed to Guercino. The Madonna dei Sette
Dolori ("Madonna of
Seven Pains") is from 1757 and has a Neoclassic
facade.
Another town has an interesting tale to tell. Lanciano
is supposedly the birthplace of Longinus, the Roman
centurion who thrust his spear into Jesus’s side during
the Crucifixion but is probably better known for the
The
Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, 8th Century
A.D.
Food & Wine of the Abruzzo Region
Abruzzo
is rich in architectural and artistic treasures and
remains an area of Italy that is like stepping back
in time. It has a slower pace and is unspoiled by tourism
and big cities.
Travel Guardian, UK
"If the scenery and history of the Abruzzo
are rich, its gastronomic wealth is almost a match
for them. Steeped in both farming and wine-making,
the region is also noted for the quality of its wheat
- and hence its pasta.
Click
to read the full story...
Abruzzo is known for it's strong flavours and its use
of hot pepper the Peperoncino in it's traditional dishes.
Deserts not to miss include parrozzo
a rich chocolate cake, and zeppole,
Italian
doughnuts from sweetened pasta.
Favorite Wines
Favorite
wines include Carasolo di Abruzzo, Montepulciano
d'Abruzzo and the area is know for its strong liqueur,
Centerbe di Tocco Casauria, made from more than 100
herbs from the mountains that is said to be beneficial
for the digestion. A visit to Tocco
Da Casauria will give you access to a number
of distilleries in the town where the liquor can be
purchased direct from the makers.
