Area
10,794 km²
Population
1,305,307

Abruzzo is a region in central Italy lying just 70 miles from Rome and bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Although geographically a central region, Abruzzo is far different than its central neighbors in culture and the Italian census considers it part of the mezzogiorno (Southern Italy). This comes about because Abruzzo was part of the Kingdom of Naples after the middle ages until unification with Italy in 1861.
Until 1963 it was part of the Abruzzi e Molise region (with Molise). The term Abruzzi derives from the time when the Bourbons administered the territory as "Abruzzo nearer to"(Abruzzo Citeriore) and "Abruzzo farther away from" (Abruzzo Ulteriore). The "nearer to" and "farther away from" mean Naples, the capital of the Bourbon Kingdom. There were three Abruzzi. Abruzzo Citeriore is present day Chieti province. Abruzzo Ulteriore II is L'Aquila province. Abruzzo Ulteriore I is Teramo and Pescara Provinces.
The regional capital is L'Aquila. The region is divided into four provinces: L'Aquila (the largest), Teramo, Chieti (the most populous) and Pescara, Abruzzo's main economic centre. The four provinces are further divided into 305 municipalities. Abruzzo has a population of around 1.3 million.
Provinces of AbruzzoOne of the least populated regions of Italy, Abruzzo exprienced steep population declines through much of the early and mid-20th century. Population distribution within the region is greater in coastal and hilly zones in the provinces of Pescara and Chieti while mountainous areas, particularly in the Province of L'Aquila, experienced drastic decreases in population related to the collapse of pastoral agriculture. The economy of these mountainous areas in recent years has diversified being less dependent on agriculture with crafts and tourism increasingly important. The construction of Autostrade from Rome to Teramo (A25) and Rome to Pescara (A24) have opened the region to easy access.
The name Abruzzo appears to derive from the Latin form Aprutium. The name Aprutium, however, was not in use in Roman times when the region was known at various times as Picenum, Sabina et Samnium, Flaminia et Picenum and/or Campania et Samnium. This region was known as Aprutium in the middle ages arising from four possible sources. Many think it is apparently a corruption of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied to their chief city, Interamnaes, now present day Teramo. Another etymology is from the Latin "aper" (boar) so that Aprutium was the "land of boars" or from "abruptum" (rugged, steep). A more recent etymology is from the Latin expression "a Bruttiis" (from the Bruttii) meaning the land that began from the Bruzi people, who moved south to occupy Calabria. (See L'Abruzzo nel Tempo by Walfrido del Villano and Zopito di Tillio.)