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Downtown L'Aquila - Photo (c)
sangiopanza2000
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L'Aquila
L'Aquila is the capital of the province of
Abruzzo in
Italy and is
located in the northern part of the province. It is a small, pleasant city
that is surrounded by high mountains. The city was established by the German
Emperor Frederick II in 1242. According to legend, Frederick gathered the
population from 99 local villages into the one city. Each group of villagers
in-turn created their own church, resulting in a city of 99 churches.
Unfortunately, only a very few remain.
Get in
There are three main ways to reach L'Aquila. The first, is to travel by car
taking the A24 (the autostrada connecting Rome and Teramo) that passes to the
north of the city. L'Aquila can also be reached by other, smaller provincial
highways.
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The second method is by bus. There is an intercity bus (Pullman) that
travels directly from the Rome Tiburtina Railway Station to the main bus terminal found at the northern end
of the city. The third way is by train. The city has no airport so it is usually
most convenient to fly to either the Ciampino or
Fiumicino airports in Rome before traveling on to L'Aquila.
Get around
L'Aquila is small enough that it is quite easy to walk from one end to the
other.
See
There are several attractions for travelers to visit. There are at least six
churches to visit including the Duomo (the city’s main church), located on the
Piazza del Duomo, and Santa di Collemaggio (located outside the city walls). The
final confrontation scene in the movie Ladyhawke was filmed in this church.
Other places to see include the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo, which is located
in the sixteenth century Castello located in the north end of the city. The
castle was designed by the Spanish architect "Don Pirro Aloisio Escriva" and is
one of the most impressive castles in central Italy and possibly one of the
earliest types of this type constructed.
The Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo has
several different sections including paintings, Roman finds, but its most famous
feature is the skeleton of a mammoth that was found in the local area.
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The Duomo - Photo (c)
hilarylamb
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There is also a daily market that is held each day (except Sunday) in the
Piazza del Doumo. There you can find a wide variety of goods including clothing
on sale by small vendors. The market is open from 08:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
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Fontana delle 99 Cannelle
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Finally, there is the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, which is located outside the
western walls. The fountain has 99 fountains that represent the 99 churches that
were originally in the city.
Do
Besides the sites inside L'Aquila, there are many places to visit outside of
the city including the churches of San Pelligrino and Santa Maria dell'Assunta
in Bominaco, the medieval castle at Calascio, and the
Gran Sasso National Park.
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In wintertime, because of the nearby mountains there are several ski resorts
throughout the region. Many of these skiers stay in L’Aquila which, could cause
problems finding a hotel room in the winter season.
The
L'Aquila Saffron DOP
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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