ABRUZZO

Maria Carisse Tobias

Location

Abruzzo is located in south central Italy between the central Apennines and the Adriatic coast. 

The region covers 10,794km² and is bordered by Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Molise, and the Adriatic Sea. 

DialectsThe dialects spoken in the Abruzzo region

and 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)

PROVINCES

Provinces

•There are four provinces in Abruzzo: 1.Chieti2.Pescara3.Teramo,

and4. L'Aquila. 

Province of Chieti(Citeriore) A hilly and mountainous area between the

Adriatic sea to the east and the Maiella chain to the north-west.

Situated on a high plain just fifteen kilometers from the Adriatic sea, Chieti rests on land located between the Alento torrent and the Pescara Valley, from where magnificent panoramic views stretching from the Gran Sasso to the Maiella and as far as the hills which lead towards the sea can be seen.

It is extensively cultivated with olive trees and vineyards, and produces celebrated wines and extravirgine olive oil.

The province of Chieti was called “Citeriore" since it was situated to the right of the Pescara river and was in Latin "citra" (=this side) with reference to Naples, the capital of the Kingdom.

Maiella National Park

Pescara River

Province of Teramo

The province of Teramo borders on Marche (North), the province of Pescara and L'Aquila (South) and Lazio (West).

The territory of Teramo is dominated by two major mountains: the Laga massif, with its woods, gorges and waterfalls, and the Gran Sasso d'Italia, representing the western border of the province and culminating with the Corno Grande (2912 mt). There is also the Calderone, the southernmost glacier of Europe.

Province of Pescara

Pescara has a population of 150,000 inhabitants and the largest city in Abruzzo.

Rich, dynamic and a large economic, commercial and tourist area in the Adriatic area

Its beautiful beaches extends 20 kilometers. Its inner urban industrial area includes the Pescara, Montesilavano, Chieti, Francavilla, Città S. Angelo, Spoltore.

Province of L’Aquila•L’aquila is the largest province in Abruzzo .•It is located at the western part of the region.•It is on the top of a hill in a valley of the River Aterno and surrounded by the Gran Sasso and the Apennine Mountains.•It has a population of about 73,000.         

Gran Sasso

Apennine Mountains

FAMOUS PLACES

Province of Chieti(Citeriore)

Cattedrale di San Giustino

It is in San Giustino Square, behind the Arpa terminals in Chieti city.

It is the most representative monument of Chieti, built up in 1069 but restored through the centuries.

Province of Chieti(Citeriore) The Cathedral’s main features are:

2. external statues

1. fine portal

Province of Chieti(Citeriore)3. crypt with arches, in

which Saint Giustino’s relics are shrined

4. frescoes in the crypt

Province of Chieti(Citeriore)5. imposing belfry and the wide Baroque interior,

made up of three naves.

Province of Chieti(Citeriore)

Museo Archeologico Nazionale

It is one of the earliest established in Europe in a monumental seventeenth-century building in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

It boasts the richest and most valuable collection of works of art and artifacts of interest archeology in Italy . In it are exposed over three thousand objects of exemplary value in different thematic sections and stored hundreds of thousands of artifacts dating from prehistory to late antiquity, both from various ancient sites of the South, and the acquisition of relevant collected antiques, from the Farnese collection belonged to the royal dynasty of the Bourbons, the founders of the Museum.

Province of L’aquila Castle of L'aquila

the most beautiful and most expensive(funded through the heavy taxes) renaissance castle in Italy

was decided to be built in 1534 by a Spanish viceroy of Naples, Don Pedro  of Toledo

a whole hill was leveled to obtain enough stone to built the giant castle

took 20 years to be finished now used for hosting National Museum of

Abruzzo was designed by the famous military

architect don Pirro Aloisio Escrivà   ->a huge building with four lance-shaped bastions (each pointing to a cardinal point) connected by massive walls, 5 meters wide        ->a fixed drawbridge in 1700        ->has dry moat (23 meters wide an 14 deep) surrounding the fort to prevent enemy artillery from attacking the foundations         ->has slanting walls designed to deviate enemy's fire and each bastion is an independent fort with its own tank of water        ->has anti-mine corridors  with outlets to limit the damage in case of explosion

Province of L’aquila

Fountain of 99 Pipes

 built by Tancredi da Pentina a fifteenth century fountain

which symbolizes the city  ->a trapezoidal fountain with  99 spigots in stone masques( which represents the lord of the villages who founded the city)   ->surrounding wall is built in rose and white stone, like that of Collemaggio Basilica façade

water source is still unknown

Province of L’aquila

Santa Maria di Collemaggio

the most beautiful basilica in Abruzzo

was commissioned by an hermit known as  Pope Celestine V. Pietro da Morrone  because of a dream in 1287

built out of red and white marble in a simple Romanesque style in the 13th century 

Province of L’aquila

Piazza del Duomo

 the main square of the city, a place where people meet

an oval square with two twin fountains and two religious buildings: the duomo of San Marco and the chiesa del Suffragio

 town market dedicated to San Massimo Martyr,

the patron saint of L'Aquila, and Sant'Egidio, who is the preserver against earthquakes

façades:    -> before:gothic    -> after:neo-classical

Province of L’aquila

San silvestro

a typically medieval church, built in honour of the saint who converted Roman emperor Constantine to Christianity

has symmetrical facade has an Arab-style white and red

portal above which a wonderfully decorated rose-window stands out

one of the most outstanding examples of medieval painting with a cycle of frescoes with episodes from the Gospel

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Madonna Louise Ciccone –American Singer (Pacentro, L’Aquila)

Dean Martin – American Actor/Singer (Pescara) Rocky Marciano – American Boxer (Chieti) Henry Mancini –American Composer/Conductor

(Scanno, L’Aquila)

Perry Como- American singer and television personality (Palena, Chieti)

Tommy Lasorda – American Baseball Player/Coach (Chieti)

Fabio Grosso – Italian Footballer (Chieti) John Fante – American Novelist (Chieti) Pope Bonifacio IV – S. Benedetto dei Marsi (Aquila)

Gabriele D’Annunzio- Italian writer, poet, journalist, playwright and soldier during World War I(Pescara)

Jarno Trulli –Italian Formula 1 Racer (Pescara) Floria Sigismondi – Italian photographer and Director (Pescara) Filippo Giovanni De Cecco – Pasta producer (Chieti) Bruno Vespa – Italian television and newspaper journalist

(Aquila)

Luca Dirisio – Italian Singer (Vasto, Chieti) Benedetto Croce – Italian Idealist philosopher

(Pescasseroli, Aquila) Domenico “Mimmo” Locaschiulli – Singer (Penne, Pescara) Publius Ovidius Naso – Latin Poet who wrote

 the Heroides, Amores and Ars Amatoria, and Metamorphoses (Sulmona, Aquila)

Mario Batali – American Chef and Media Personality (Chieti)

Pino Costa – Publisher, Producer and Presenter (Pescara)

Elena Costa – Presenter, Author and Journalist who wrote a book on the L’Aquilla tragedy which can be bought online(Pescara)

CUISINE

1. Cheese Balls

2. Potato Soup with Saffron

Traditional Recipes3. Country Style Artichoke Flan

4. Chestnut and Chocolate Pudding

•Traditional olive oil. Truffles, honey and jams made with seasonal fruits are their most noteworthy products.• Among the most famous kinds of cheese, there are the typical cheeses of Guardiagrele: the provolone, both mild and strong, the ricotta and the pecorino (made with sheep milk). 

Chieti

• The major fish dishes are the anchovies all'ortonese and the cuttlefish alla sanvitese. The city of Lanciano produces a very good and spicy hot pepper. Sweets are based on simple ingredients: the pizzelle, the tarallucci, the cicerchiata and the fiadoni, traditional Easter sweets. 

Chieti

• The typical wines of Abruzzi are the red wines Montepulciano d'Abruzzo  and Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and the white wine Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.•Local liqueurs are also very famous, such as the well-known Amaro abruzzese.

Chieti

• The typical dishes of Pescara are based on natural products, such as olive oil, honey and the well-known lamb arrosticini. A traditional and well-appreciated product is the porchetta, that is the inside of the pig - without the entrails - slowly browned in the oven. Another typical dish is the sheep alla callara, seasoned with several herbs and cooked in a pot for hours. 

Pescara

• The typical wines of the province are: Montepulciano,Trebbiano, Cerasuolo and also the Moscato di Castiglione a Casauria.

Pescara

•The typical products of this province are based on local fruit and rural flavors. The harvesting and selling of Valle Castellana chesnuts dates back to the XIII century. The pecorino marcetto is a typical inland cheese, creamy and gold, with its strong smell and strong flavour.  • The Millefiori mountain honey is especially tasty. The truffle of the Laga (both black and white) is one of the most precious and sought-after products, typically Italian but sold all over the world.

Teramo

• At Christmas Eve it is traditional to cook stockfish: it's a very tasty dish that needs a three-days’ preparation and is based on oil, onion, spices, chestnuts, nuts and raisins.• The most appreciated typical wines are: the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, the Controguerra and the Colli Aprutini.

Teramo

L’Aquila•The typical products of L'Aquila include white and summer scorsone truffle and pork sausages. •A traditional dish is the lamb incaporchiato (covered lamb). •In almost every household we can find cheese, such as the pecorino cheese and the marcetto, a kind of ripe pecorino fermented with milk. Since it is not allowed to sell the marcetto in shops, you can find it only in local private houses, for family consumption. Among the most famous spices of Abruzzi is zafferano of L'Aquila.

•Other local dishes of L'Aquila are:

 maccheroni alla chitarra, gnocchetti with cheese and eggs, roast lamb, kid lamb with cheese and eggs.

L’Aquila

The local wines of the province are the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

The most famous sweets are the confetti of Sulmona, the Ferratelle (sweet wafers with eggs and anise), the c and the c, typical of L'Aquila.

L’Aquila

Events and Festivities

•17 January: Festa di S. Antonio, con rappresentazione satirica delle tentazioni del Santo • 8 May: Festa di S. Giustino • 26 July: Festa di S. Anna• 2-3 August: Feast of St. Stefano • 5 August: Festival of "donativi" • 15 August: Feast of the Assunta, patron of Castel Frentano • Throughout August: Art exhibitions, sports events, wine and local food festivals.

Chieti

• Late May - early July: Festivity of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori • July: International Jazz Festival • July: the "Ennio Flaiano" prize (for the sections theater, cinema, television, literature) • Last Sunday in July: feast in honor of Sant'Andrea the Apostle, with a famous parade of fishing motorboats off the.

Pescara

• Late June: Feast of Madonna delle Grazie • Late July: "I Trionfi", a historical re-enactment with people in costume and allegorical waggons • Late July: Sagra of ham, cheese and "casereccio" bread

Teramo

• Open-air celebrations and popular festivals are often organized in the province of L‘Aquila, typical and folkloristic occasions representing a revival of the old traditions and offering the possibility to taste traditional local products.

L’Aquila

Music

•The musical tradition of Abruzzo is very rich and varied

•It has been influenced mainly by southern Italy and Mediterranean cultures.

•Saltarella and Stornelli are the most popular froms of expression. Other forms include children’s songs, lullabies, nursery rhmes, serenades during Partenze(departures of the bride). Moreover, lyrical love songs or tunes which are sung during olive harvest and flax processing, ballads and songs of prayer.

•The Aquilan territory, however, developed a slightly different culture under the influence of the nearby Lazio region. Some of which are: All'Orte, Aquila bella mè, Come lu vente, Din Don (Le Campanelle), Domani, L'Abruzzu, La fija me, L'arta cchiù prelibate and Lu bballe di li spuse.

Music

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