ABRUZZO

It is the triumph of sunny beaches and silent mountains. The coast of Abruzzo stretches along one hundred thirty kilometres and there are three parks in the region, a regional park and thirty-eight reserves, WWF oasis and a number of biotypes that are interesting from the scientific point of view.

Then the towns, L’Aquila and its reconstruction after the earthquake of 2009, the old villages, the archaeological areas dating back to the Roman Italy, the very beautiful medieval churches, the porcelain of Castelli (Teramo), the carnival of Francavilla (Chieti) with its allegorical floats, the “pagliare” – simple stone buildings located at an altitude of 1.000 metres, originally used as shelters for the shepherds during the transhumance -, Gabriele D’Annunzio and Ovidio – who was born in Sulmona in 43 B.C. – wrote “Sulmo mihi patria est”, that is  “Sulmona is my homeland”. And he was so famous that the acronym “Smpe” found its place in the coat of arms of this town in the province of L’Aquila – about the foundation of which the legend makes fun in indicating Solimo, the companion of Enea as being its father.

A trip to Abruzzo offers a weft of nature and culture of great harmony and l’Aquila, with one of the main monuments of the architecture of the region, the cathedral of S. Maria of Collemaggio can be the starting point- it was damaged in the earthquake of 2009 -, its construction started in 1287 in obedience to Pietro from Morrone’s will, the monk who passed into history as the pope of “the great refusal”, Celestine V, crowned in this church in 1294.
The cathedral of Atri (Teramo) is the co-cathedral of the diocese of Teramo-Atri, it is one of the landmarks of Abruzzo and it features a wonderful rose-window with twelve rays. Pescara has a modern face but keeps, in its old part –strangely called Portanuova – the Museum of people from Abruzzo.

The double nature of this region – the sea and the mountains – finds its own evidence in Chieti. The Archaeological park and La Civitella museum deserve to be seen. The coast of Chieti, in its southern part, is charming: sand and stones alternate with inaccessible cliffs, trimmed by a luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation.  The northern coast is famous for its golden sand while the national parks stand out because of the variety of their ecosystems: the National park of Abruzzo – nowadays called the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise -, the Laga National Park, the Maiella National Park.
 

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