Abruzzo

Teramo

The city of Teramo has very ancient origins, dating back to Roman times, during which the urban agglomeration was the most important center of the Praetotium, whose area corresponds to the current Abruzzo. The period that goes from the dominion of the Emperor Hadrian to the hegemony of Augustus, is considered the most flourishing from the economic and social point of view. During this golden age were built the theater, the amphitheater, the terme and other monuments now buried by the new city. During the XIII century the ancient Teramo was devastated due to the conflict between the families of the Melatini, the Antonelli, the Spennati and the Mazzaclocchi families. Later the capital became part of the kingdom of Francesco Sforza, then passed into the hands of Alfonso of Aragon.
In 1798 Teramo was conquered by the French, who held the command until 1815, when the Spaniards returned to the spotlight, to then align the territory with the historical evolution that affected the rest of southern Italy.

Campli

Campli is a hilltop village in the province of Teramo, located between the valleys designed by the Fiumicino stream and the Siccagno. The town is known for the wealth of monuments and architectural works, which have given it the nickname of "city of art". Campli hosts, among others, the headquarters of a section of the National Archaeological Museum, in which are exposed the remains of the Necropolis of Campovalano.
Walking through the features streets of the historic center, you can admire Palazzo Parlamentare (which later became Farnese), a fine example of medieval architecture, located in front of the Cathedral of S. Maria in Platea, a church of XIV century origin characterized by a Romanesque bell tower. Among the historical-cultural effigies of the country there is also the Scala Santa, well known also in the territory, so called because of an ancient tradition, spread after 1776, which provided for the granting of the indulgence to those who came back on their knees as a sign of repentance.

Atri

Atri fù city of great prestige in the ancient world, since the eleventh and twelfth centuries BC It was the only city on the Adriatic coast to beat money before Rome, as well as an important center of trade, thanks to its port on the Adriatic, hence the thesis that the name of the same sea derives just from the ancient Hatria. In Roman times he fought alongside Rome in the wars against Hannibal. The city lived its period of maximum splendor with the Duchi d'Acquaviva. The glorious past of Atri is testified by the archaeological finds scattered throughout the surrounding area.

Gran Sasso National Park

Abruzzo holds one of the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe, the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. Here the millenarian work of man has integrated harmoniously into a superb environmental context enriching it further. A nature rich in forests, springs, waterfalls, prairies, plateaus, vertiginous ridges and rocky walls where many species of fauna and flora of this area live, in addition to the animals more representative of the Apennines such as the wolf, the Abruzzo chamois, the bear, the golden eagle or the biancone. The territory of the Park is in fact a "European monument to biodiversity".

Salinello Gorges

Not far from Civitella del Tronto, it is possible to go hiking in the Salinello Gorges. A natural environment that combines history, culture and nature between the two slopes of the Monti Gemelli: Montagna di Campli and Montagna dei Fiori. Creator of this natural monument was the Torrente Salinello which, acting on the entire mountain, has produced over millions of years, a "gola" some kilometers long, about 200 high meters and of variable width from no more than five meters to tens of meters, determining waterfalls, caves and cavities.

Castelli

The village of Castelli is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Abruzzo region. Located on the slopes of Monte Camicia, the town is internationally known for the artisanal production of refined ceramics, made by one of the most important master ceramists in Italy, highly appreciated by the kings of Naples, from the noble houses of Rome and the aristocrats of all Italy.
Precisely for this reason the town has been renamed "city of ceramics", and is still today underpinned by numerous artisan shops, that every day create real artistic works using techniques of ancient origins. The art of ceramics, in fact, took hold in the area as early as the thirteenth century, and since then spread like wildfire throughout Italy.
The artistic and cultural heritage represented by this activity has been jealously guarded in centuries, and is still handed down from father to son.

Civitella del Tronto

The stronghold of Civitella del Tronto is one of the most famous and majestic architectural works in Italy, which represent very well the ancient military engineering. The building, in fact, extends for over five hundred meters in length, on a spectacular rocky crust that dominates the town.
Its origin, as well as the evolution of its history, depend mainly on the strategic position of the place, used as some fortifying garrison of the northern borders of the various possessions of the Kings of Naples. The fortress and the borgo attached to it (with which it also shares the name), over the centuries have undergone many attacks.
The historical event that more than any other has marked the history of the place is the suffered battle sustained to defend the fortress from the siege of the Sardinian Piedmontese army, in the year 1860/61. The fight ended with the surrender of Civitella del Tronto, which took place on March 20, 1861: the fortress was the last Bourbonic stronghold to succumb in view of the nascent unity of Italy.

For more information visit the site www.fortezzadicivitella.it

St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful

The religious history of Abruzzo is rich in significant events and traditions, honored over the centuries (indeed, over thousands of years) through the creation of great sanctuaries, which in addition to being places of worship testify the evolution of the territory from an architectural point of view. The most famous sanctuary of the region, which every year welcomes more than two million faithful, is located at the foot of the Gran Sasso and is dedicated to St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful, a young Passionist Saint. In 1892 his body was exhumed and, on his grave, the first extraordinary prodigies happened. Since then the reputation of Gabriele grew dramatically, so as to make it officially Holy in 1920. In 1959, Pope John XXIII declared him finally patron of Abruzzo.

Madonna of Splendor (Giulianova)

On 22 April of the Year of the Lord 1557, a farmer named Bertolino was welcoming wood, when he saw a strong white light, which surrounded a smiling Virgin Mary. The Madonna assigned to the humble an important task: to announce to the population that Mary had chosen the Julian territory to build a sanctuary dedicated to her.
To testify, with tangible and eternal proof, the veracity of the event, the Virgin gave rise to a source of pure water from an olive tree.
Even today, near the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Splendor of Giulianova, there is the miraculous source, which can be visited by the public.
Thousands of faithful every year they bathe in the fountain, marking their foreheads with the water of the miracle, to be so blessed by Our Lady.