Civitella del Tronto


Civitella del Tronto is a town and comune in the province of Teramo, within the Abruzzo region of central–southern Italy. It is in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
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History

The origins of Civitella are unknown, though in the area have been found traces of human presence as early as the Neolithic and Upper Palaeolithic ages. The current town is believed to lie on the former Beregra, a town of the Piceni Italic tribe. It is first mentioned in the 10th to 11th centuries, as a walled town; in the 13th century it was part of the Kingdom of Naples, having a special importance as it was on the boundaries with the Papal States.
In 1557 it was besieged by French troops, but in vain. Thanks to its fierce resistance, it was given the title of Fidelissima by King Philip II of Spain. Civitella was besieged again by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, in 1798 and 1806, this time being captured after four months of defence. In 1816, after the Congress of Vienna, it was annexed to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The fortress of Civitella was the location of the last stand of that Kingdom after the Garibaldine and Piedmontese invasion of 1860, after the King Francis II had already surrendered in Gaeta, Naples and Sicily being annexed to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Civitella surrendered on 20 March 1861.

Main sights

The Fortress of Civitella is the largest in Italy, the second in Europe after the Hohensalzburg in Salzburg, Austria. It is located on the top of a rocky cliff, being about long and wide, for a total surface of.
The town has the following churches:
The surrounding mountains have karst topography in the landscapes of the Montagna dei Fiori.

Twin towns