Chieti

Chieti is an ancient and medium-sized town (2015 pop. 51,945) on the Pescara River, near the Adriatic Sea, in the Abruzzo region of South Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It's a commercial and industrial center.

Known as the town of the chamomile for its tranquility, it offers a wide range of monuments, traces of its glorious and articulated past, but also a delicious urban park, two archaeological museums, and scenic views on Pescara valley, Gran Sasso and Majella mountains.

Understand
Chieti is the capital of the Province of Chieti. The town lies on a crest along the Pescara River a few kilometers away from the Adriatic Sea, with the Maiella and Gran Sasso mountains in the background. It has a fine Romanesque cathedral (11th century), a 14th-century tower, and a university. The order of the Theatine Brothers (founded 1524) takes its name from the ancient Roman town.

The town is divided into two parts: Chieti Alta (that means “Upper Chieti”) and Chieti Scalo. Chieti Alta is the old hill town, while in Chieti Scalo, there are business activities, factories (items manufactured locally include textiles, clothing, fabricated metals, and construction materials), a station and the local university. In addition there also interesting little rural frazioni, such as Brecciarola.

Climate
The climate is genuinely Mediterranean, with influxes from Adriatic Sea (which is 10 km far from the town) and from Majella massif (about 25-30 km), moderate temperatures, and small daily temperature variations. The hottest month is July, while the coldest one is January. In winter the weather can get unusually hot due to foehn winds from the southeast, while winds from the northeast can bring intense snowfalls, with the snow depth that can reach one meter. In summer due to the African anticyclone the daily temperature can exceed 35 °C (95 °F), accompanied by high humidity. Thanks to its exposition, Chieti is among the windiest Italian towns, so summer and spring temperatures are mitigated. The thunderstorms can be vigorous, because the precipitations are relatively consistent and concentrated in few days of the year, especially in winter and autumn.

History
Traces of Paleolithic settlements dating back to  850,000 – 400,000 years ago were found at Madonna del Freddo's fluvial terraces, while Chieti's hill has been inhabited since 5000 BC.

The town occupies the site of the Roman Teate Marrucinorum, which became the chief town of the Marrucini after the construction of Via Valeria, and of which ruins remain. It was part of the Italic League during the Social Wars, then it was erected municipium in the 1st century BC. During the Roman Empire, it flourished, with the emergence of important families and monumental buildings, but then it was sacked and almost destroyed by Germanic peoples.

Chieti was part of the duchy of Benevento (7th century) under the Longobards, who made it the seat of a powerful county, fell to the Normans (1078), and thereafter belonged to the kingdom of Naples. In 16th century Chieti hosted important archbishops, like the future Pope Paul IV. The 17th century was a period of economic stagnation, but some churches were extensively renovated thanks to the convents. In the 18th century Chieti flourished again under the House of Bourbons, and was enriched with a great number of palaces.

The 19th century was the period of the Italian Unification and of great technological innovations, such as a new aqueduct and the railway station. During World War II, it was declared an open city (like Rome), and was not extensively bombed, so it welcomed many refugees from the near towns and villages.

By plane
Chieti has no airport, but is about 12 kilometers from Abruzzo Airport

By train
Chieti, specifically Chieti Scalo, is crossed by the Rome–Sulmona–Pescara railway, and has two railway stations.

Motorways

 * Autostrada A25 Roma–Pescara: the main road from Rome.
 * Autostrada A14: the second longest Italian motorway, which runs from Bologna to Taranto boarding the Adriatic Sea.

Other roads

 * Raccordo autostradale 12: it runs from Chieti's frazione Brecciarola to Pescara.
 * Strada statale 5 Via Tiburtina Valeria: named after the correspondent Roman road built around 286 BC on this same path.
 * Strada statale 81 Piceno Aprutina: it connects Chieti with Teramo.
 * Strada statale 656 Val Pescara-Chieti: a fast way to reach A25 and A14 motorways from Chieti.

Get around
You can use the Chieti's public bus and trolleybus system, provided by Società Unica Abruzzese di Trasporto and La Panoramica, but you can also visit the town center by foot, because it is small and there are many restricted traffic areas, such as the main street (Corso Marrucino) and the urban park (Villa Frigerj). It can be difficult to visit the town center by car due to the traffic limitations and the limited number of parking lots.

Ancient Roman ruins
There are some archeological ruins of ancient Teate Marrucinorum, including a theatre, an amphitheatre, thermae and a temple (which was used as a church with the name of SS. Pietro e Paolo). However people are rarely allowed to see also the interior spaces of these monuments.

Do
Under the church of SS. Pietro e Paolo and the adjoining houses are extensive substructures (in opus reticulatum and brickwork) of the 1st century CE, belonging to a building erected by M. Vectius Marcellus (probably mentioned by Pliny, H.N., II., 199) and Helvidia Priscilla. There are also remains of large reservoirs and of an ancient theatre. New excavations are under way on the site of the former Campo Sportivo.



Buy
The ideal place for shopping and visiting the authentic character of the town is the town center, in particular Corso Marrucino.

Eat
Among the local plates there are sagne a pezze, tajarìll fasciule e cotiche, 'ngrecciata, pallotte cace e ove.

Stay safe
The chances of your experiencing an act of violence in Chieti are among the lowest in the nation, so using common sense is more than adequate. The main natural hazards are earthquakes (the risk is moderate), floods (in some areas in close proximity to Pescara River), landslides and wildfires (especially in some areas surrounding the town center).

It is important to follow all the street rules walking or driving, and, in the town center, respect the restricted traffic areas, in which only the residents are permitted to enter by car.

If you need to contact the emergency services, call 112 (police), 118 (ambulance) or 115 (firefighters).

Stay healthy
The climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers and sometimes consistent snowfall in the winter, so be prepared.

The most important hospitals in Chieti are:
 * Ospedale "Santissima Annunziata", via dei Vestini: public hospital with emergency department
 * Casa di cura "Giovanni Spatocco", via Giovanni Amendola 93: private clinic

Go next

 * The beach tourism is developed in the seaside resorts of coastal towns, such as Francavilla Al Mare, where a lot of inhabitants of Chieti have their vacation properties.
 * In Abruzzo some old villages, places of worship and castles are well-known touristic attractions.
 * Abruzzo is appreciated for the mountain tourism and the ecotourism. In the region there are 17 active ski resorts, three national parks, a regional park and 38 protected areas.