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Teramo - View with Cathedral
The province of Teramo borders on Marche (north), the province of Pescara and L'Aquila (south) and Lazio (west); it is characterized by the eastern side of the Apennine and by valleys gently sloping to the Adriatic coastline.
Its territory counts 47 municipalities; in addition to the chief town Teramo, the most densely-populated ones are Roseto degli Abruzzi and Giulianova. The Piceni are one of the ancient populations who lived in this area, which then was included in the territory of the region Marche. The province of Teramo was established in 1806 by the Realm of Naples, separating it from the actual province of L'Aquila.
The territory of Teramo is dominated by two major mountains: the Laga massif, with its woods, gorges and waterfalls, an the Gran Sasso d'Italia, representing the western border of the province and culminating with the Corno Grande (2912 mt). Here there is also the Calderone, the southernmost glacier of Europe.
On the coastline there are the "seven sisters", the seven seaside resorts of the province, with their sandy beaches and a mediterranean climate fostering the growth of palms, pine trees and oleanders.
However the province is mostly hilly. One of the several rivers flowing along the valleys is the Vomano, which creates the Campotosto lake.
In Roman times, Teramo was called Interammnia (city between two rivers), as it's crossed by the Tordino and the Vezzola rivers. It is 20 km far from the adriatic coastline and 40 km far from the Gran Sasso.
It's a historical and very charming city: its foundation dates back to Phoenician times and it is still full of archaeological finds proving the passage of different peoples, such as funerary treasures similar to the Picene tombs ones. Today its monuments testify its different dominations, from Francesco Sforza to Alfonso d'Aragona, from the Spanish and the French to the Realm of Naples in the XIX century. The major museum is the F. Savini Archaeological Museum. Among the major artistic monuments of the city there is the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Bernardo. The Church of the Madonna delle Grazie, raising on a Benedectine convent, is also sightworthy. Among its historical buildings there is the Melatino house (Largo Melatini), a 12th century medieval building.
Roseto degli Abruzzi, best known as Lido delle Rose, is one of the major tourist resorts of the coast: its wide sandy beaches and shallow waters are among the most beautiful and clean of the Adriatic sea. The hilly part of the city is very nice to visit, too: the Sant'Antimo church, probably built by Pope Sisto V, and the SS. Annunziata church, dating back to the end of the 16th century, are sightworthy. In summer, the Roseto Opera Prima film festival brightens up the coastline gathering many Italian movie makers and film stars.
Giulianova was built on an ancient Roman settlement, Castrum Novum. Today it's an important industrial centre and tourist resort of the region. It consists of the coastal area and the old city centre, built in the 16th century on the top of the hill. Here there are the Duomo of San Flaviano, the seaside Belvedere at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and the charming Shrine of the Madonna dello Splendore, celebrating the apparition of the Madonna to a peasant in 1557. The Museum of Art dello Splendore, the Torrione "Il Bianco" Archaeological Museum, the Hall of the Sculptor Raffaello Pagliaccetti, the de' Bartolomei Chapel and the Gaetano Braga House-Museum are also sightworthy.
The necropolis of Campovalano includes about ten thousand tombs, presumably related to the presence of Piceni.
The province of Teramo with its natural reserves is the ideal destination for those who love photography, birdwatching and trekking.
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is the largest and most important protected area in Europe: its 150thousand hectares of land are spread over three regions (Abruzzo, Marche and Lazio) and five provinces (L'Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, Ascoli Piceno and Rieti). The Park is the home of 1.600 vegetal species and a typical Apennine fauna: the wolf, the Abruzzi chamois, the bear and the golden eagle. You can make many different excursions, also by mountain bike, to completely immerse yourself in nature's calm and beauty.
Among the most famous trails there is the "On the trail of Annibale", on the Laga mountains, and the trail for trekking on horseback on the Gemelli mountains, in the area of the characteristically horseshoe-shaped Clampi Mountain. The Valla Siciliana offers many trekking trails, such as Lu gir de lu Ncuume, a panoramic trail crossing several blooming fields during springtime. When the valley is covered by snow, the ideal trip is on the Cima Ala and Montagnone da Cerchiara.
The coast offers a variety of possibilities for those who love watersports. Bathing facilities have sport areas but there are also many clubs, pubs, disco-bars, the Aquapark, the kart racing track and riding schools.
In summer, every town organizes cultural activities and wine-and-food tasting events to promote local products and handicrafts.
The typical products of this province are based on local fruit and rural flavours. 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 ventricina teramana is produced between the mountains and hills of the Laga and the Gran Sasso. It's an especially fat salami (50-60% of the mixture), fine-grained and spreadable, light coloured and spicy. 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.
Furthermore, the symbol of this province's cuisine are the sheep arrosticini, little cubes of sheep meat cooked on a skewer. Another typical dish is the so-called 'Ndocca 'ndocca, a recipe based on the less valued parts of pork (ears, snout, trotters, tail, spare ribs...).
Extra virgin olive oil seasons many typical dishes of Teramo, both based on meat and seafood. Along the coast it is possible to taste the sea hors d'oeuvre alla giuliese, typical of Giulianova: it is based on prawns, squids, clams and soles.
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 Abrutini.
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