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Abruzzo Travel

Abruzzo Travel - Abruzzo (pronounced [aˈbruttso]) is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than 50 miles (80 km) due east of Rome. 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. Although geographically more of a central than southern region, ISTAT (the Italian statistical authority) considers it part of Southern Italy, a vestige of Abruzzos historic association with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Geography
Corno Grande in the Gran Sasso massif, Apenniness highest peak.

The region is situated at the centre of the Italian peninsula facing the Adriatic, which it follows along 150 km of beaches and rocks. With an area of 10,794 km2 (4,168 sq mi), and bordered on the east by the Adriatic and on the west by the Apennines, it is one of the most mountainous regions in Italy (the Corno Grande in the Gran Sasso massif, at 2,914 m (9,560.37 ft), is the highest summit in the Apennines). The rivers, although numerous, are all seasonal except for the biggest - the Pescara and the Sangro. In the interior are the 500 km2 (190 sq mi) of the Abruzzo National Park, where rare examples of Mediterranean flora and fauna survive (chamois, wolves, bears, golden eagles).The climate is varied - warm and dry on the coast, an alpine climate in the mountainous interior. Major roads and railway lines link the region to the south, west and north of Italy and the rest of Europe.[1]
[edit] History
The church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in LAquila, as it was before the devastating earthquake of April 6, 2009.

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.[2] 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/or Campania et Samnium.[3] This region was known as Aprutium in the Middle Ages arising from four possible sources. Many think it is apparently a corruption of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied to their chief city, Interamnaes, now present day Teramo. Another etymology is from the Latin aper (boar) so that Aprutium was the land of boars or from abruptum (rugged, steep). A more recent etymology is from the Latin expression a Bruttiis (from the Bruttii) meaning the land that began from the Bruzi people, who moved south to occupy Calabria.[3][4]

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.[3] Abruzzo Citeriore is present day Chieti province. Abruzzo Ulteriore I comprised the Teramo and Pescara provinces; Abruzzo Ulteriore II is now the Province of LAquila. 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 B.C., though it does not appear in Roman history before the Social War (90 B.C.), in which it was at first adopted by the allies as the capital and seat of government of their newly founded state under the name Italia (this form, not Italica, is vouched for by the coins). It appears also as a fortress of importance in the Civil War, though it resisted Caesars attack for a week (49 B.C.). The war was lost, but the name Italia remained to eventually be adopted by all of Italy. Entering Corfinio from the east, a plaque can be observed commemorating, and attributing the designation of the adopted name Italia to the peninsula by the Italic people of the region. These people were honored by Caesar as citizens of Rome.
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