Province of L'Aquila
Encyclopedia
Provinces of Italy
In Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between a municipality and a region .-Overview:...
of the Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than 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...
region of central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region. It has borders with the provinces of Teramo
Province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...
to the north, Pescara
Province of Pescara
The Province of Pescara is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pescara.It has an area of 1,225 km², and a total population of 295,463 . There are 46 comunes in the province. At May 31, 2005, the main communes by population are:For a complete list, see Comunes of...
and Chieti
Province of Chieti
The Province of Chieti is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Chieti.It has an area of 2,588 km², and a total population of 381,993...
to the east, Isernia
Province of Isernia
The Province of Isernia is a province in the Molise region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Isernia....
(in Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
region) to the south and Frosinone
Province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 comuni . Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of 3,244 km², and a total population of 489,042 .The Province was established by Royal Decree on 6 December 1926 with territories belonging to Lazio...
, Rome
Province of Rome
The Province of Rome , is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. The province can be viewed as the extended metropolitan area of the city of Rome, although in its more peripheral portions, especially to the north, it comprises towns surrounded by rural landscape.-Geography:The Province of Rome...
and Rieti
Province of Rieti
The Province of Rieti is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rieti.It has an area of 2,749 km², and a total population of 153,258 . There are 73 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Rieti.It was founded in 1927.-External links:*...
(in Lazio region) to the west. Its capital is the city of L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
. The Province of L'Aquila includes the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso, Maiella and Velino-Sirente), their highest peak, Corno Grande
Corno Grande
Corno Grande is part of the Gran Sasso massif, and is the highest peak in the Apennine Mountains and the highest on the Italian Peninsula, at 2,912 m above sea level....
, the high plain of Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore is a mountain grassland or alpine meadow formed by a high basin shaped plateau located in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy in the Gran Sasso massif. It is the largest plateau of the Apennine ridge...
, and Europe's southernmost glacier, the Calderone
Calderone glacier
The Calderone glacier located in the Gran Sasso d’Italia mountain group in Abruzzo, Italy lies just beneath Corno Grande, the highest peak in the Apennines....
. The province's major rivers are the Aterno-Pescara, Sangro, Liri, Salto, and the Turano; its major lakes are Lago Scanno and Lago Barrea. It once included the largest lake on the Italian peninsula, Lago Fucino, which was drained in one of the 19th century's largest engineering projects. The lake basin is today a flourishing agricultural area and an important technological district.
Economy and population
The province is known for its many castles, fortresses and pristine medieval hill towns. The province's two major cities, L'Aquila and Avezzano, experienced rapid economic expansion in the last two decades with the growth of transportation manufacturing, telecommunications, and computer industries. Throughout most of the 20th century, the province's rural areas experienced serious population declines with the near collapse of it pastoral agricultural economy. In recent years with the creation the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National ParkGran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is a natural park in Italy, which was established in 1991. It has an area of 2,014 square kilometres...
, the Majella National Park and the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, tourism has boosted the economy of rural L'Aquila and begun to reverse its population decline.
It has an area of 5,034 km², and a total population of 297,592 (2001).
Earthquakes
Earthquakes mark the history of the province, especially its capital city L'Aquila. which was stricken by earthquakes in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries and most recently on April 6, 2009 causing extensive damage to the city and areas of the province just outside l'Aquila, particularly along SS 17. At 01:32 GMT (03:32 CEST) on April 6 an earthquake of 6.3 magnitudeMoment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
struck central Italy with its epicentre near L'Aquila, at 42.4228°N 13.3945°W.
Cities and towns
There are 108 comunes in all http://web.archive.org/web/20070807094512/http://www.upinet.it/indicatore.asp?id_statistiche=6The largest are:
| Comune | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| L'Aquila L'Aquila L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism... |
71,761 |
| Avezzano Avezzano Avezzano is a town and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the Marsica area, with high-tech industries such as a Micron Technology semi-conductor plant, and a large Telespazio satellite farm.-History:There are two... |
39,670 |
| Sulmona Sulmona thumb|150px|Celestine V's hermitage and the remains of the Shrine of Hercules Curinus.thumb|150px|Palazzo SS. Annunziata and Museo Civicothumb|150px|Church of SS... |
25,363 |
| Celano Celano Celano is a town and comune in the Province of L'Aquila, central Italy, east of Rome by rail.-Geography:Celano rises on the top of a hill in the territory of Marsica, below the mountain range of Sirente. It faces the valley of Fucino, once filled by the large Fucine Lake, which was drained during... |
11,012 |
| Pratola Peligna Pratola Peligna Pratola Peligna is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of 2009, it has a population of 7,888 inhabitants.- Geography :... |
7,890 |
| Tagliacozzo Tagliacozzo -History:Near the modern city was fought the Battle of Tagliacozzo between Conradin of Hohenstaufen and Charles I of Anjou.-Main sights:*The Palazzo Ducale , built by Roberto Orsini.... |
6,820 |
| Trasacco Trasacco Trasacco is a comune and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.... |
6,115 |
| Castel di Sangro Castel di Sangro Castel di Sangro is a city and comune of 6,109 people in the Province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo, southern Italy. It is the central city of the Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinque Miglia.-Geography:... |
6,109 |
| Luco dei Marsi Luco dei Marsi Luco dei Marsi is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is part of the Marsica.The town was probably founded by the Roman Emperor Claudius to house workers in the drying of the Lacus Fucinus... |
5,776 |
| Capistrello Capistrello Capistrello is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.... |
5,473 |
| Carsoli Carsoli Carsoli is a town and comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo . The ancient Roman city lies 4 km southwest of the modern town.-History:... |
5,238 |
See also
- Comunes of the Province of L'AquilaComunes of the Province of L'AquilaThe following is a list of the 108 comuni of the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, in Italy....