Abruzzo is a region of central Italy bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Until 1963 it was part of the Abruzzi e Molise region (with Molise). The term Abruzzi is an obsolete plural denomination from a time when the Bourbons administered the territory as "Closer Abruzzo" (Abruzzo Citeriore) and "Further Abruzzo" (Abruzzo Ulteriore).
The regional capital is L'Aquila. The region is divided into four provinces: L'Aquila (the largest), Teramo, Chieti (the most populous) and Pescara, Abruzzo's main economic centre. The four provinces are further divided into 305 municipalities. Abruzzo has a population of around 1.3 million.
Dialect
The official dialect for Abruzzo, which is rarely spoken there now, is one of the most complicated Italian dialects. It is comprised of words from languages spoken around Europe especially between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Geography
The region covers 10,794 km² almost two-thirds of which is mountainous. The remainder of the land consists of hills sloping to a narrow plain that runs for most of the 129 kilometre long Adriatic coastline. The Apennine mountain chain runs through the Abruzzo and high points are Corno Grande (2914m) and Monte Amara (Maiella-group) (2795m). The main rivers are the Aterno-Pescara, the Sangro and the Tronto.
Nature
One third of the region is designated as national or regional park. The following parks lie, wholly or partially, within Abruzzo:* Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Abruzzo National Park)
o Lago di Barrea (Barrea Lake Wetlands)
* Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga (National Park of the Gran Sasso)
* Parco Nazionale della Majella (National Park of the Majella)
* Parco Naturale Regionale Sirente-Velino (Sirente Velino Regional Park)
The protected areas are environmentally important and are home to rare flora and fauna, such as the brown bear, the wolf and the chamois.
Tourism
The region is rich in natural beauties and history, but is only just starting to be discovered by mass tourism. Abruzzo's wealth of castles and medieval towns, especially near the town of L'Aquila has earned it in some quarters the nickname of "Abruzzoshire", by analogy with the "Chiantishire" nickname sometimes used to refer to the Chianti area of Tuscany.
Cities and Towns
Some towns in Abruzzo include L'Aquila, Atri, Abruzzo,Chieti, Pescara, Teramo, Vasto, Avezzano, Giulianova, Sulmona, Lanciano, Montesilvano, Francavilla al Mare, Roseto, Penne, Castel di Sangro and, smaller in size, Capestrano, Roccamorice, Lettomanopello, Caporciano, Tortoreto, Alba Adriatica, Pescasseroli, Collelongo, Villavallelonga, Gissi, Isola del Gran Sasso, Rocca di Mezzo near Campo Felice, a ski resort in the Gran Sasso Mountains, Ovindoli, another ski resort near the Velino mountain, Roccaraso, the first ski resort in South-Central Italy located near Castel di Sangro and San Benedetto in Perillis.
Provinces
Abruzzo is divided into four provinces:
* L'Aquila
* Teramo
* Chieti
* Pescara
The four provinces are further divided into 305 communes.
Cities
* Teramo
* Giulianova
* Pescara
* Chieti
* L'Aquila
Other destinations
* Abruzzo National Park, one of the most important National Parks in Europe. Marsican brown bears (unique to Italy), wolves, chamois and eagles may be seen here
* Maiella National Park
* The Calderone, Europe's southernmost glacier
* Gran Sasso (2912 m), the highest mountain in the
Appennini
In the Middle Ages the region began to be called Abruzzo, from the Latin Aprutium. Then the region was divided into two parts: Further Abruzzo and Hither Abruzzo. In 1860, with the Unity of Italy, the region of Molise was added to Abruzzo and they were called Abruzzi and Molise. In 1963 Abruzzo and Molise became separate entities once more.
Though Italians traditionally think of Abruzzo as a remote, mountainous region, its east is made up of vast sandy beaches that stretch along the Adriatic to the north and south of Pescara. To the west are the hills, which rise quickly to become the infamous Abruzzo mountains, which contain some of the least visited hill towns in Italy.
Main entry for international tourists will be Pescara airport.
Abruzzo's little-known capital, L'Aquila, is a beautiful city in an even more picturesque mountain setting, and makes a good base for exploring the region.
Food
All Italians consider food to be very important, and Abruzzo is no exception. Here are some of the local specialities that you may encounter:
* Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
* Spaghetti alla chitarra (square strands of pasta served with a tomato sauce)
* Fagioli e cotiche di maiale (stewed beans and pork rind)
* Prosciutto di cinghiale (wild boar ham)
* Testicoli di mulo (small round lean pork sausages; not made from testicles, just named after them as they are always sold in pairs)
* Pecorino d'Abruzzo (local sheep's cheese)
* Burrata (a truly rare delicacy - a ball of tangy
cheese with a soft buttery center)
* Salame di fegato pazzo (spiced liver salami)
* Salame di fegato dolce (liver salami made with honey)
