Abruzzo

Abruzzo is a region of Italy, with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. Its western border lies 80 km (50 mi) east of Rome. The region is divided into the four provinces of L'Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Geographically, Abruzzo is divided into a mountainous area to the west, which includes the Gran Sasso D'italia, and a coastal area to the east with beaches on the Adriatic sea. Abruzzo is considered culturally, linguistically, and historically a region of Southern Italy, although geographically it may also be considered central. The Italian Statistical Authority (ISTAT) deems it to be part of Southern Italy, partially because of Abruzzo's historic association with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Abruzzo is known as "the greenest region in Europe" as one third of its territory, the largest in Europe, is set aside as national parks and protected nature reserves: there are three national parks, one regional park, and 38 protected nature reserves. These ensure the survival of 75% of Europe's living species including rare species, such as the small wading dotterel, golden eagle, Abruzzo chamois, Apennine wolf, and Marsican brown bear. Abruzzo is also home to Calderone, Europe's southernmost glacier.

Visiting nineteenth-century Italian diplomat and journalist Primo Levi said that “forte e gentile” (strong and gentle) best describes the beauty of the region and the character of its people. "Forte e gentile" has since become the motto of the region and its inhabitants.

Provinces and politics

Provinces

Abruzzo is divided into four administrative provinces:

Province Area (km²) Population Density (inh./km²) Chieti 2,588 396,190 153.1 L'Aquila 5,034 308,876 61.3 Pescara 1,225 318,701 260.1 Teramo 1,948 308,769 158.5

History

Humans have inhabited Abruzzo since Neolithic times. A skeleton from Lama dei Peligni in the province of Chieti has been radiometrically dated to 6,540 bp. The name Abruzzo appears to derive from the Latin "Aprutium", although in Roman times the region was known at various times as Picenum, Sabina et Samnium, Flaminia et Picenum and Campania et Samnium. This region was known as Aprutium in the Middle Ages arising from four possible sources: it is a corruption of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied to their chief city, Interamnaes, the old Teramo.

Until 1963 it was part of the Abruzzi region with Molise. The term Abruzzi derives from the time when the region was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the territory was administered as Abruzzo Citeriore (Nearer Abruzzo) and Abruzzo Ulteriore I and II (Farther Abruzzo I and II), that being nearer and farther from Naples, the capital of the kingdom. Abruzzo Citeriore is present day Chieti province. Abruzzo Ulteriore I comprised the Teramo and Pescara provinces; Abruzzo Ulteriore II is now the Province of L'Aquila. In this province is found the city of Corfinio (known as Corfinium in ancient Italy), the chief city of the Paeligni, 7 m. N. of Sulmona in the valley of the Aternus. The site of the original town is occupied by the village of Pentima. It probably became subject to Rome in the 4th century BC, though it does not appear in Roman history before the Social War (91–88 BC), in which it was at first adopted by the allies as the capital and seat of government. It appears also as a fortress of importance in the Civil War, though it resisted Caesar's attack for a week (49 BC). These people were honored by Caesar as citizens of Rome. It is said that the name "Italia" came from this region because of ancient coins that have been found here that date from about the 1st century BC. These coins have the name "Italia" on them and are apparently proof of this fact. This theory of the origin of the name "Italia" is debated by scholars, archaeologists and history itself. There is much consensus however that the name "Italia" was originally given to the region of modern Calabria by the ancient Greeks during their foundation of Magna Graecia (Greater Greece) in southern Italy around the 8th century BC. It is also said by the Italian Government that Calabria was once called "Italia" by the ancient Greeks in honour of its inhabitants who were known as the "Itali". This occurred hundreds of years before the coins of Corfinio (Corfinium) were apparently minted. The late archaeologist Massimo Pallottino also claimed that the name was derived from the Italic tribes that settled in modern Calabria. But it was not until the time of the Roman conquests that the term was expanded to cover the entire peninsula.

Geography

Geographically, Abruzzo is located in central Italy and southern Italy, stretching from the heart of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, and includes mainly mountainous and wild land. The mountainous inland is occupied by a vast plateau including Gran Sasso, at 2,912 metres (9,554 ft) the highest peak of the Apennines, and Mount Majella 2,793 metres (9,163 ft). 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 beauties, parks and nature reserves, characteristic hillside areas rich in vineyards and olive groves, and one of the highest densities of blue flag beaches.

Flora and fauna

As with many Mediterranean regions, Abruzzo's vegetation is characterized by the presence of different Mediterranean ecosystems. The coast and the surrounding areas are characterized by the presence of typical plants of Mediterranean shrubland, such as myrtle, heather and mastic, while in the hilly areas other species grow, including olive, pine, willow, oak, poplar, alder, arbutus, broom, acacia, capers, rosemary, hawthorn, licorice and almond trees, interspersed with oak trees. At elevations between 600 and 1,000 metres (2,000 and 3,300 ft) there is sub-montane vegetation, mainly characterized by mixed forests of oak and turkey oak, maple and hornbeam; shrubs include dog rose and red juniper. Elevations between 1,000 and 1,900 metres (3,300 and 6,200 ft) are dominated by beech trees. In the Apennine Mountains at elevations above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) species include alpine orchid, mountain juniper, silver fir, black cranberry and the Abruzzo edelweiss.

The fauna of Abruzzo is highly varied, including the region's symbol, the Abruzzo chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata), which has recovered after risking extinction. Another animal typical of this region is the marsican brown bear, along with Italian wolf, deer, lynx, roe deer, snow vole, fox, porcupine, wild cat, wild boar, badger, otter and viper.

The natural parks of the region include the Abruzzo National Park, the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, the Maiella National Park and the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, as well as numerous others natural reserves and protected areas.

Transport

Airports

• Abruzzo International Airport is the only international airport in the region. Open to civilian traffic since 1996, has seen over the years more and more increase the number of transit passengers thanks to the airlines and low-cost flights. Today, the airport has a catchment area of over 500,000 passengers annually and connects the city of Pescara and the entire region with many Italian and European destinations.
• L'Aquila-Preturo Airport is located in the nearby village of Courts and was recently renovated and modernized to accommodate flights presidential G8, specifically moved into the city after the earthquake in Abruzzo. Soon the airport will also be open to civilian traffic.

Ports

There are four main ports in Abruzzo: Pescara, Ortona, Vasto and Giulianova.

Over the years the Port of Pescara became one of the most important tourist ports of Italy and the Adriatic Sea. Heavily damaged in World War II, it underwent some 60 years of major restoration and was reborn as a modern marina with advanced moorings and shipbuilding facilities. It has been honored with the European Union's blue flag for the quality of services offered. The port of Pescara has lost passenger traffic because of its shallowness and silting, but its fishery and aquaculture activities are thriving.

Railways

There is a significant disparity between the railways of the Abruzzo coast and the inland areas, which badly need modernisation to improve the service, in particular the Rome-Pescara line. Some services have schedules similar to those of a century ago. The situation is so bad that often it is faster to travel by road, normally bus.

Existing railway lines:

• Adriatic railway (through the whole of Italy from north to south, along the Adriatic Sea): The question that interests the Abruzzo region is included in the Towns of Martinsicuro and San Salvo. Unless, that delimit the borders with Marche and Molise regions, namely, the 113 km (70.21 mi) between the stations of intercurrent Alba Adriatica-Nereto-Controguerra and San Salvo. The interchanges are made by the respective railway lines Giulianova Teramo and Pescara-Rome.
• Train Rome – Sulmona – Pescara: Pescara-Rome railway line is along the railway line Bologna-Bari on the Adriatic sea other line is important because through the Tyrrhenian coast, passing through the provinces of Pescara, Chieti and L'Aquila and ends the path to Roma Tiburtina railway station. The railway, which covers the Abruzzo Region, extends for 170 kilometres (110 mi), ranging from municipalities to the province of Pescara Carsoli, Oricola and Pereto. The infrastructure in question is the following interchanges: Sulmona, Isernia, Terni - Sulmona, Avezzano- Roccasecca, Bologna and Bari.
• Sulmona – Carpinone: the infrastructure in question is a continuation to the south of Terni-Sulmona, as part of the intermediate cross-Pescara - Naples. After that Brenner is the highest railway station in Italy, whose tortuous path, characterized by steep slopes, passing through the station Rivisondoli-Pescocostanzo and wedges in the Abruzzo National Park and the Maiella. The line is the interchanges of railway lines Rome-Pescara and Sulmona – L'Aquila – Rieti – Terni. Reached Carpinone, divides west to east to Benevento and Caserta.
• Sulmona – Terni: Trafficking in question connects the regions of Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise and then along the line-Carpinone Sulmona. It therefore crosses the inner Abruzzo, finding interchanges Avezzano and Pescara-Rome-Roccasecca, in their respective provinces of L'Aquila, Terni and Rieti. It concerns a type of regional traffic in that, across the Tyrrhenian perpendicular colleague Abruzzo, Umbria, Lazio and Molise. The question of interest is included in the Abruzzo town of Sulmona and Tornimparte and more precisely in the stations 75 kilometres (47 mi) intercurrent Sulmona and saddle horn.
• Avezzano railroad – Roccasecca: infrastructure test starts on the track in the town of Avezzano, crosses the territory of Marsica, passes through the valley and Bush get into the Lazio region, in the town of Sora. Her journey ends in the town of Roccasecca which marks the end of Lazio and the entry in the Campania region towards Cassino. Therefore, the only online exchange that meets the railway line is Pescara – Rome station Avezzano.
• Giulianova – Teramo (a branch railway line Adriatic you forward towards the interior until Teramo) railway line Giulianova - Teramo, the network is complementary to the Adriatic, fulfilling a liaison function between the capital and the coast. Therefore, the only rail interchange is characterized by the Adriatic railway line Bologna – Bari, Abruzzo is Martinsicuro rail-Broad-San Salvo. With its 24 kilometres (15 mi) journey infrastructure is the result, a SS80 along the path to the location of the industrial districts of Teramo, before merging the SS 16 that accesses the port Giulianova.
• Sangritana (Lanciano – Castel di Sangro): The infrastructure in question are an important transition between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, as in Pescara station meets the respective points of connection of the FS Bologna – Bari and Pescara – Rome, while that of Sulmona, L'Aquila lines FS – Terni and Sulmona – Carpinone. This position transition, attributed to the infrastructure an important strategic military role in World War II, a stage when the bombing of the German armed forces air, marked the temporary suspension of the subject line of repair work. Like other regional railways direct L'Aquila, Sulmona and Roccasecca, through a circuitous route mountain typically characterized by steep slopes, although in terms of localization of production facilities is to signal the passage of the railway in the industrial area of Valle del Sangro .

Culture

The most important museum is Museo archeologico nazionale d'Abruzzo in Chieti housing the famed warrior statue Warrior of Capestrano found in a necropolis from 6th century B.C.. Of cultural importance are the Cathedral of Teramo, its archeological museum and the Roman theater, the Castello della Monica, the astronomical Observatory, the famous L'Aquila Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio - with the remains of Pope Celestine V, the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Santa Maria del Suffragio, the Forte Spagnolo, the 99 Spouts fountain, 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, Lanciano, Guardiagrele, Atri and Pescara along with the castles of Ortona, Celano and Ortucchio.

At L’Aquila‘s Santa Maria di Collemaggio every 28–29 August is celebrated the Perdonanza Celestiniana, remembering the indulgentia, issued by Pope Celestine V to any who, "truly repentant and confessed" would visit that Church from the vespers of the vigil to the vispers of the 29th August. Sulmona’s Holy Week is commemorated with big traditional celebrations and rituals, such as 'La Madonna che Scappa in Piazza', where a huge statue of the Madonna, carried by a group of Sulmonesi part of Confraternities, runs through the square towards her Son resurrected. At Cocullo, in the province of L’Aquila, is yearly held the 'Festa dei serpari' in which the patron saint's statue covered by snakes is transported in a procession, it attracts thousands of both Italian and foreign visitors. In many Abruzzo villages in January is celebrated the Anthony the Great's feast with massive and scenic bonfires. In the past, the region of Abruzzo was well known for the transumanza, the migratory movement of sheep principally south to the region of Puglia during the cold winter months. The Feast of St. Biagio, the protector of the throat and of wool dealers, is the most widespread in Abruzzo. One of the most interesting and engaging rites takes place on February 3rd in Taranta Peligna where every year since the sixteenth century an evocative ritual is carried out, entailing the distribution of "panicelle", that are small loaves, made of flour and water, in the shape of a blessing hand, which are distributed to the faithful. Between the province of Teramo and L’Aquila, under the Gran Sasso Tunnel are found the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso(LNGS) of the INFN, one of the three underground astroparticle laboratories in Europe. Interamnia World Cup the largest international youth handball competition worldwide takes place on a yearly basis in Teramo. It will reach its 42nd edition in July 2014.

Amongst Abruzzo historical people there are the Roman orator Asinius Pollio, Latin poets Sallust and Ovid who were born in L'Aquila and Sulmona respectively, Gaius Cassius Longinus a Roman senator and a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and Pontius Pilate who was born in the province of Teramo and is best known for authorizing the crucifixion of Jesus. Abruzzo religious personalities include Saint Berardo, John of Capistrano who led a crusade against the Ottoman Empire, Thomas of Celano author of three hagiographies about Saint Francis of Assisi, Alessandro Valignano who introduced Catholicism to the Far East and Japan; the Polish Pope John Paul II loved the mountains of Abruzzo where he would retire often and pray in the church of San Pietro della Ienca. When he died Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, gave the local Abruzzo community of some of the late pontiff's blood as a token of the love he had felt for the mountainous area. The greateast Italian poet of the 20th century Gabriele D'Annunzio was from Pescara, other very important Abruzzo personalities in the field of humanities include poet Ignazio Silone, director Ennio Flaiano who co-wrote La dolce vita, philosopher Benedetto Croce, composer Sir Paolo Tosti and the sculptor Venanzo Crocetti.

American artists and celebrities such as Madonna, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, Bradley Cooper, Perry Como, Henry Mancini, Nancy Pelosi, Rocky Marciano, Rocky Mattioli, Bruno Sammartino, Mario Batali, John and Dan Fante, Tommy Lasorda, Dan Marino have publicly boased their Abruzzo origins. Important international movies shot in Abruzzo include George Clooney‘s The American, Jean-Jacques Annaud's The name of the Rose, Fellini's La Strada and I Vitelloni, Schwarzenegger's Red Sonja, Ladyhawke, King David, Francesco, Keoma, The Barbarians, The Fox and the Child and Krull.

Medieval and Renaissance hill towns

Abruzzo holds many of Italy's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill towns that rival those in Umbria and Tuscany. Abruzzo boasts indeed twenty of The most beautiful villages in Italy, 2nd only to Umbria which has 22. These awards are not just for aesthetic beauty but also are for art and culture, historical importance and livability. The abrupt decline of Abruzzo's agricultural economy in the early to mid-20th-century saved some of the region’s most beautiful hill towns from the onslaught of modern development. Many lie entirely within regional and national parks. Among the most well preserved are Castel del Monte and Santo Stefano di Sessanio, which lie in the Gran Sasso National Park on the edge of the high plain of Campo Imperatore and nestled beneath the Apennines’ highest peaks; both hill towns, which were ruled by the Medicis for over a century-and-a-half, have relatively little tourism. Between the two towns sits Rocca Calascio, the ruin of an ancient fortress popular with film makers. Both Monteferrante and Roccascalegna are two best-representing Abruzzo villages in the province of Chieti. Within the Gran Sasso National Park is also found Castelli, an ancient pottery center whose artisans produced ceramics for most of the royal houses of Europe. Civitella del Tronto played a crucial role in the history of the unification of Italy. The fortress of Civitella is today the most visited monument in the whole Abruzzo region. Other medieval hill towns located fully within Abruzzo's park system are Pacentro in the Maiella National Park and Pescasseroli in the Abruzzo National Park. Pacentro, which features a 14th-century castle with two intact towers, has been little touched by modernization. The Shrine of Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, in the province of Teramo, with average of 2 million visitors per year is one of the 15 most visited sanctuaries in the world. Capestrano, a small characteristic town in the province of L'Aquila, is the hometown of Saint John of Capistrano, Franciscan friar and Catholic priest, as well as the namesake of the Franciscan missions San Juan Capistrano in Southern California, the mission Mission San Juan Capistrano (Texas) and the city of San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.

In the last twenty years, studies showed Giulia (the name of the city founded in 1471 by Giulio Antonio Acquaviva) was an example of Renaissance ideal city, following the experiment of Pienza (1462), and the new theaching of Leon Battista Alberti and Francesco Di Giorgio Martini. It's thought the project was realized by Baccio Pontelli in a first time and the same Francesco Di Giorgio Martini in a second, because of the bond between the founder of Giulia and the most important courts of the time (Urbino in specific). But these names has been retracted and studies are underway.

The proximity to Rome, the protected natural reserves and landscapes which award the region as the greenest in Europe, the presence of some of the most beautiful Italian villages, its rich and heterogeneous gastronomy along with a long history of deep-rooted local tradition and authentic Italian culture make Abruzzo rank fifth among the Italian regions by tourist arrivals after Calabria, Marche, Sardinia and Trentino. In 2010, arrivals totalled 6,381,067 Italian and 925,884 foreign.

In 2015, the American organization Live and Invest Overseas included Abruzzo in the list of World's Top 21 Overseas Retirement Havens. The study was based on such factors like climate, infrastructure, health care, safety, taxes, cost of living and more.

Universities

There are three universities in the Abruzzo region:

• University of L'Aquila
• University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti and Pescara
• University of Teramo

Harvard University bases an intensive summer Italian language and culture program in Vasto, a resort town on Abruzzo's southern coast.

Dialects

The regional accents of Abruzzo include Teramano, Abruzzese Orientale Adriatico and Abruzzese Occidentale. The first two form part of the dialect of southern Italy also known simply as "Neapolitan" due to the region having been part of the Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicilies, while the Italian of L'Aquila Province is related to the Osco-Umbro dialect of central Italy, including the one of Rome. The dialects spoken in the Abruzzo region can be divided into three main groups:

• Sabine dialect, in the province of L'Aquila (central Italian dialects)
• Abruzzo Adriatic dialect, in the province of Teramo, Pescara and Chieti, that is virtually abandoned in the province of Ascoli Piceno (southern Italian dialects)
• Abruzzo western dialect, in the province of L'Aquila (southern Italian dialects)

Cuisine

Renowned for its variety and richness due to the heterogeneity of its territory, Abruzzo's cuisine is among the best in Italy. In 2013 an Italian organization Confesercenti survey of foreign tourists showed that Abruzzo is the best Italian region to eat in. Both the agricultural and coastal aspects of Abruzzo have contributed to its cuisine. Due to the mountains, much of Abruzzo was isolated from international influence until the 20th century. As a result, the region’s cuisine remained unique.

Popular dishes

One of the most popular regional dishes is maccheroni 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 peppers, pork, goose, or lamb. This dish is complimented 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.

Other popular dishes include:

• Gnocchi carrati, flavored with bacon, eggs and pecorino cheese
• Scrippelle, a rustic French-style crêpe served either mbusse (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

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 bread oven
• Agnello cacio e ovo, a lamb-based fricassee

Seafood is also popular, especially in coastal areas. The variety of fish available to the area has resulted in several fish-based 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. Rustic pizzas are also very common. Some of these are:

• Easter Pizza, a rustic cake with cheese and pepper from the Teramo area
• Fiadoni from Chieti, 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, liver sausages tasting of garlic and spices. The 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 all encased in the dehydrated stomach of the pig itself. Atri and Rivisondoli are famous for cheeses. Mozzarella, either fresh or seasoned, made from ewe's milk, although a great number of lesser known varieties of these cheeses can be found all over Abruzzo and Molise.

Sweets

The sweets of Abruzzo are world-famous and include:

• Confetti, sugar-coated almonds, from Sulmona
• Torrone Nurzia, a chocolate nougat from L'Aquila
• Parrozzo , a cake-like treat made from a mixture of crushed almonds, and coated in chocolate.
• Ferratelle (also known as Pizzelle). A wafer cookie, often flavored with anise
• Croccante, a type of nougat made from almonds and caramelized suger, often flavored with lemon

Olive oil

Best-known is the extra-virgin olive oil produced in Colline Teramane (Teramo hills), marked by the quality level DOP and considered one of the best in Italy

Wines and liquors

Renowned wines like Montepulciano DOCG and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC are judged to be amongst the world’s finest. In 2012 a bottle of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo ranked #1 in the top 50 Italian wine award.

The region is also well known for the production of liquors such as Centerbe, Limoncello, Ratafia and Genziana.