Abruzzo
Abruzzo, sometimes referred to as Abruzzi, plural, was at one time, under the rule of the Bourbons. This region never gets the profile to be a number tourist destination. That is too bad as there are impressive sights to see.
The majority of the region is mountians/hills so driving around takes time. There is an autostrada that cuts through the region and nicely drops you on your way to Rome. But get off the Autostrada to see more. But keep that in mind, L'Aquila is just a few hours from Rome.
The region was divided into four seperate areas: Abruzzo Citeriore, Ulteriore Primo, Ulteriore Secondo and Molise.
This is an interesting region to explore. Luckily we toured this region the year before the 2009 earthquake
That devasating earthquake hit the town of L'Aquila and from the reports there was considerable damage to the old structures. We will have to go back and see the town again. The G8 Summit was held in the town in the summer of 2009, as planned, and I would think that high profile events like this are good in terms of getting funding for reconstruction work.
Pictured to the left is the Castello Spagnolo, a massive fortress in L'Aquila. The top picture is how it was when we visited the town in 2005. The second picture shows the damage to the roof after the April 2009 earthquake.
In this region there are mountains, forests and the seacoast. What a combination.
Chieti is a town with some interesting history and it is situated in layers oin a hill. Other small towns with character include Sulomona and Scanno.
The coast has numerous resort locations.
Giulianova
Giulianova is one town that has a medieval section set back from the beach area. In town is the Santa Maria a Mare, a Romanesque monument with interesting bas-reliefs on its façade.
Pescara
We visited Pescara and I must admit, although this is Abruzzo's biggest resort I was not taken with the town.
We went to Pecara because of its beach. I stretches for some 15 km but the coast is filled with non-stop hotels. The Pescara beach itself has a 6.5 km seaside promenade. We did stop at one of the cafes and have lunch along the water. It was okay, but there was not enough for my liking to stay much longer. Lucikly we were not here in August. In that month I understand life is almost unbearable along this stretch. In the other months you will have plenty of room to yourself.
