Abruzzo - General Info

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Abruzzo is a complex region with its own very special features. The morphological variety of its landscape brings together two separate environments that do not mix very easily: on the one hand there is the seaside in all its remarkable beauty and, on the other, the fascinating charm of its mountains; two quite contrasting landscapes brought together by gently rolling hills that blend together tradition and modernity.

Roseto Hills The region shares common links with both extremes of the peninsula, although historically it was linked to the kingdom of Naples. This gives it a south-facing slant, despite its proximity to Rome. Bourbon rulers divided it into four municipalities, which is why the region is sometimes referred to in the plural as “the Abruzzi”. After Italy’s unification, Abruzzo and Molise – its southern neighbours – were lumped together as one. They were separated once more into two distinct regions in 1963. It can also boast an attractive coastline: flat with golden beaches from Martinsicuro to Francavilla, it suddenly turns rocky with cliffs, bays, and little harbours from San Vito to Vasto.

Scanno Lake Rocaraso Ski Resort

The deep blue waters in this area conceal a startling variety of marine life. Along certain stretches the shore borders on a series of sand dunes covered with typical Mediterranean maquis; in other places the hills actually seem to stretch down to the sea, creating small sheltered bays, which can only be reached along narrow paths. There are some highly characteristic one-man fishing posts (called “trabocchi”) – small huts built on piles. The sandy shores along the north coast alternate with pebbly beaches surrounded by green hills covered with mulberries and strawberry bushes. The smell of liquorice, particularly strong in summer, fills the air around Silvi and Pineto, a resort famous for its pine forest. The Abruzzo Aprutino hills, covered with lentisk, roll gently down to the Adriatic Sea along the coast near Pescara, eventually blending into the green pine forests of Santa Filomena and D’Avalos. Anyone opting to spend their holidays at the Abruzzo seaside can enjoy a wide variety of different natural settings. It is just a short trip from the seaside resorts, projected into the future as modern coastal towns, to all kinds of landscapes. The region has two of the Apennines tallest mountains – the Gran Sasso (“Big Rock, Calderone glacier”), the southernmost in the whole of Europe and Maiella. A long snow season provides Romans with a nearby winter retreat as the Abruzzo has the best skiing in central Italy.

Abruzzo Bear Natural environments are protected by three National Parks (Abruzzo, Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, and Maiella) but the Regional authority have also played their part by setting up an integrated system of nature parks and reserves making the Abruzzo region a breath of fresh air in the heart of Italy. Rare species of flora and fauna (the Marsicano bear, Apennine wolf, wild cats, Orsini vipers, golden eagles, spotted salamanders, Abruzzo chamois and a unique type of squirrel) are the most distinctive feature of what is still a truly fascinating natural setting.

Abruzzo Deer The old towns and villages knit perfectly into the countryside as evidence of a pastoral tradition stretching back throughout the region’s history. This pastoral cultural background is particularly evident in the mountain areas, where a series of important finds have uncovered extremely important archaeological sites. Medieval Abruzzo is just as interesting with its magnificent churches, famous abbeys, monasteries, and numerous castles. Pastoral traditions in the mountains are matched by country traditions in the plains, as can very often be seen in the local feasts and festivals that liven up the tourist season and offer visitors a taste of local culture, ancient rituals, and the proverbial Abruzzo hospitality.

Abruzzo Deer A cradle of ancient civilisation symbolised by the extraordinary statue of the “Guerriero di Capestrano” (Capestrano Warrior), the Abruzzo region has managed to conserve centuries – old traditions underlying a craft tradition of high artistic quality and simple, natural food which is particularly tasty thanks to the mix of fruits from land and sea.

Abruzzo Capestrano Warrior Many famous men of culture were born in Abruzzo, even in ancient times: from Sallust to Ovid, from Pietro Angelerio, better known as Celestine V, to the sculptor Nicola da Guardiagrele, from Benedetto Croce to Gabriele d’Annunzio (the greatest writer from Abruzzo), as well as the medieval author Tommaso da Celano, the architect Francesco De Marchi, the painters Giuseppe and Filippo Palizzi and the writers Ennio Flaiano and Ignazio Silone. Leading figures in literature, art, philosophy and religion were all born in this incredible land, where cities of art mix with modern towns, ancient traditions co-exist with state-on-the-art wind power systems and sheep farming and events such as sheep herding take place in the same setting where the biggest nuclear physics centre in Italy has been built deep down in the Gran Sasso – increasing the importance of a region which has managed to draw on the strength of its own roots to gain lessons for the future.

The region, located in the central-eastern part of the Italian peninsula, borders with the Marche region to the north, Molise to the south, the Adriatic Sea to the east, and Lazio to the west. Abruzzo is a mainly mountainous and hilly region. Abruzzo is divided into four provinces (Aquila, the regional capital, Chieti, Pescara and Teramo) and 305 municipalities.

Approximately 140 km of Abruzzo coastline has a number of distinctive features; the Teramo coastline from Martinsicuro to Silvi Marina, highly urbanised and offering high-quality accommodation facilities much appreciated by a growing number of international tourists, is straight and flat with large sandy beaches. The situation changes to the south: from Ortona to Vasto and San salvo the land is high, wild, and rugged, with beaches surrounded by thick Mediterranean maquis.

The Abruzzo region has both a maritime and continental climate Average annual temperatures range between 8 -12 C in the mountain area and 12 – 16 in the maritime area, with notable differences in general. The coldest month is January when average temperatures along the coast are about 8C and actually fall below freezing point inland. In summer average temperatures in the two areas are similar: 34 C along the coast and 30 C inland, making the entire regional popular with tourists.

Indeed, the Abruzzo’s inland areas are probably the only places in Italy that have remained unaffected by mass tourism, the place where you can get better bargains for your house and therefore investment.

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