Home » Highlights » Itineraries in L'Aquila » Tracing the past of Ancient Abruzzo
The land of proud Italic populations, Abruzzo has a wealth of remnants from ancient settlements, necropolises, and defensive walls. Of the several archaeological sites from the pre-Roman and Roman eras, I will suggest a few that can be toured in a day.
Author: Walter Cavalieri
For centuries, the land of ancient Abruzzo – a rough terrain, rich in agrarian resources and pastures – was fought over by the various Italic populations (the Marsi, Equi, Vestini, Peligni, Sabellians, Piceni, Marrucini, and Frentani peoples). However, over the course of the 4th century BC, their powerful Roman neighbours conquered the land, founding a number of colonies. Having experienced firsthand the determination of the “Abruzzi” warriors, the Romans wished to recruit them for their legions, but without offering the rights of citizenship. In order to obtain these rights, in 91 BC, the Sabellians in Corfinio founded an Italic league, which is credited for having used the word “Italia” for the first time. After being conquered, these populations were adopted by Rome definitively, thus peacefully obtaining exactly what they had previously been fighting for.
The journey begins 9 km outside L'Aquila, at the ruins of Amiternum and the nearby town of San Vittorino. An ancient Sabine city conquered by the Romans in 293 BC, Amiternum takes its name from the nearby river Aterno. The settlement was located at an important junction, where the ancient Via Cecilia (leading to Teramo) met with Via Claudia Nova (leading to the Navelli Plateau) and Via Salaria (leading to Rome).
Homeland to Sallust, and perhaps also Pontius Pilate, the city’s population grew to reach tens of thousands of inhabitants, as demonstrated by the well-preserved, Augustan Age ruins. Of particular interest is the theatre with perfect acoustics and the amphitheatre with brick walls and a capacity of 6,000 spectators.
On a hill overlooking Amiternum, you can visit the town of San Vittorino. Beneath the foundation of the Romanesque Church of San Michele Arcangelo, one can see the most impressive Early Christian catacombs in Abruzzo. This is an ancient underground necropolis, with numerous tombs dug into the rock, preserving, among other things, the relics of the legendary San Vittorino, who was martyred on Via Salaria.
After leaving Amiternum, you can take an easy drive down the highway to the ruins of Alba Fucens, an ancient Italic city, which lies at the foot of Mt. Velino and overlooks the surrounding valleys. This area takes its name from the fact that you could see the sunrise (alba) over the Fucine Lake, which at the time, was the third largest in Italy. Appreciating its strategic location, in 303 BC, the Romans conquered the town and made it the leading and most loyal colony in Abruzzo. Its superiority was heightened by the construction of the Via Tiburtina Valeria, a main artery for Roman trade in central Italy. The monumental ruins here (baths, amphitheatre, and most importantly, the exterior walls with polygonal masonry) are extremely well preserved.
Finally, proceeding on to Luco dei Marsi, you will find yourselves in front of the remnants of a grand temple, Tempio di Angitia, which was built near the Italic people’s sacred woods, on the banks of what was once the Fucine Lake (it was later drained). Worshipped by the Marsi, Peligni, and other Italic populations, Angitia was a deity with magical powers, who could charm snakes and use all sorts of medicinal herbs for therapeutic and thaumaturgic purposes.
To finish off your trip, you can travel along the banks of the ancient Fucine Lake, which was drained by Prince Alessandro Torlonia in 1878, and even before that by the Roman Emperor Claudius (between 42 and 51 AD).
km 2.1
42.401 N - 13.306 E
The Abruzzo region and its capital city have a history dating back thousands of years, resulting in countless vestiges from the pre-Roman and Roman periods, such as the ruins from the ancient city of Amiternum. It is located about 9 km outside of L’Aquila, in the district of San Vittorino, along State Highway 80, which leads to Amatrice.
The area was initially inhabited by the Sabine population and was later conquered by the Romans in 290 BC, becoming a highly-developed, prosperous city.Although one can still observe traces from the baths and an aqueduct, the most well-preserved structures are the cavea from the Augustan theater, and the perimeter of the amphitheater nearby, which was built around the middle of the 1st century AD and is still nearly intact today.
These stately, monumental structures were designed to accommodate large crowds of people: the theater, measuring around 80 m in diameter, had a capacity of over 2,000 spectators; while the amphitheater, with 48 well-preserved arches, had a capacity of up to 6,000.
km 57.3
42.397 N - 13.315 E
The Romanesque Church of Saint Michael can be found close to the village of San Vittorino, along the S.S.80 that runs from L’Aquila to Amatrice. The Church was built above the Catacombs of Saint Vittorino, which house the tomb of this Christian martyr.
The history of this Church complex can be traced back to Roman times; the underground cemetery consists of different areas. The hall holding the tomb of the Saint is characterised by a monument erected, as the marble inscriptions testify, by Bishop Quodvultdeus during the fifth century.Remains have been found in other areas of these inter-connected catacombs, belonging to Christians who had asked to be buried near the Saint.
The basilica lying lengthwise above the catacombs was built around 763, initially dedicated to Saint Vittorino, then to the Archangel Michael, and was finally consecrated once more to Saint Vittorino in 1170.
km 57.3
42.397 N - 13.315 E
The Romanesque Church of Saint Michael can be found close to the village of San Vittorino, along the S.S.80 that runs from L’Aquila to Amatrice. The Church was built above the Catacombs of Saint Vittorino, which house the tomb of this Christian martyr.
The history of this Church complex can be traced back to Roman times; the underground cemetery consists of different areas. The hall holding the tomb of the Saint is characterised by a monument erected, as the marble inscriptions testify, by Bishop Quodvultdeus during the fifth century.Remains have been found in other areas of these inter-connected catacombs, belonging to Christians who had asked to be buried near the Saint.
The basilica lying lengthwise above the catacombs was built around 763, initially dedicated to Saint Vittorino, then to the Archangel Michael, and was finally consecrated once more to Saint Vittorino in 1170.
km 15.5
42.080 N - 13.412 E
At the foot of Mt. Velino, in the town of Massa d’Alba, which is not far from Avezzano (AQ), one can find the ruins of Alba Fucens, a prominent Roman city built in 303 B.C.
Its name comes from the unique geographical position – in fact, the city had a view of the sunrise (alba) over the Fucine Lake, many centuries before this water body was drained (in 1876).
Alba Fucens had a number of public structures: fortified walls with four gateways, a market, baths, and an amphitheatre that was used for gladiatorial fights, according to some inscriptions found. The fortifications are especially well preserved, and thanks to the remnants of other buildings, it is still possible to identify the routes of the streets and the city’s general layout, which was a classic Roman plan with decumani and cardi intersecting at 90-degree angles to form a grid that divided up the city in a regular pattern. On the hill to the west, rising over the ruins of the amphitheatre, there was a temple dedicated to Apollo. During the 12th century the Church of St. Peter was erected on the site, and is known for its Cosmati mosaics.
km 10.2
41.971 N - 13.460 E
Lucus Angitiae, also known simply as “Angizia,” is an archaeological site located near the Fucine Basin and the town of Luco dei Marsi (L’Aquila).
The ancient Lucus Angitiae was a city unto itself, built as a sanctuary in honour of goddess Angitia. As legend has it, the people of this place concocted antidotes against snakes. There are some well-preserved ruins of some of the city’s fortifications and the sanctuary of the goddess. The noteworthy Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (13th cent.) is also located nearby.
42.008 N - 13.532 E
The Fucino is a plateau between 650 and 680 metres above sea level in the Marsica area, between Vallelonga and the mountains of Sirente-Velino. The plateau draws is name from the previously existing lake that was the object of drainage attempts a number of times during the centuries, in order to exploit the fertile surrounding land.
First the Romans, starting with Caesar up to Tiberius and Adrian, and finally, in the Middle Ages, Frederick II, attempted this feat, which resulted in a series of failures or only temporary successes. In the second half of the XIX century the Marquis and Prince Alessandro Torlonia succeeded in reclaiming the land. The name Fucino comes from the presence in the lake of a red water organism similar to the one present in the ovens, “fucine”, used by smiths.
Today, around the perimeter of the Fucino, there are a number of towns: Trasacco, Luco dei Marsi, Avezzano, Celano, Aielli, Pescina, Cerchio, Ortucchio, San Benedetto and Gioia dei Marsi.
