L'Aquila

L'Aquila is the capital of the province of the same name in the region of Abruzzo in Italy and is located in the northern part of the province. It is a small, pleasant city that is surrounded by high mountains. The city was established by the German Emperor Corrado IV in 1254. According to legend, the town gathered the population from 99 local villages into the one city. Each group of villagers in-turn created their own church, resulting in a city of 99 churches and squares.

Understand
L'Aquila (Italian for "the Eagle") has come to tragic fame due to a 2009 earthquake but it is also a charming town with many historic buildings and home to the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, one of the biggest underground works of any kind in the world. The town was also the last home of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, an early gay rights activist who died here and is buried at the local cemetery, making the town something of a "gay pilgrimage" site.

By motorcar
You can travel by car taking (the motorway connecting Rome and Teramo) that passes to the north of the city. L'Aquila can also be reached by other, smaller provincial highways.

By bus
There is an intercity bus (pullman) that travels directly from the Rome Tiburtina Railway Station to the main bus terminal found at the northern end of the city. There is also flixbus to/from FCO Airport.

By plane
The city has no airport so it is usually most convenient to fly to either the Ciampino or Fiumicino airports in Rome before traveling on to L'Aquila.

Get around
L'Aquila is small enough that it is quite easy to walk from one end to the other, but the station and the fountain of 99 are down a considerable hill from the city so you might prefer to ride a local bus up.

Churches
There are at least six churches to visit including the Duomo (the city’s main church), located on the Piazza del Duomo, and Santa Maria di Collemaggio (located outside the city walls), a Templar church with beautiful rose windows.. The final confrontation scene in the move Ladyhawke was filmed in this church.

Secular buildings
Other places to see include the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo, which is located in the sixteenth century Castello located in the north end of the city. The castle was designed by the Spanish architect "Don Pirro Aloisio Escriva" and is one of the most impressive castles in central Italy and possibly one of the earliest types of this type constructed. The Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo has several different sections including paintings, Roman finds, but its most famous feature is the skeleton of a mammoth that was found in the local area.

Fountains
Finally, there is the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, which is located outside the western walls. The fountain has 99 fountains that represent the 99 churches that were originally in the city.

Do
Besides the sites inside L'Aquila, there are many places to visit outside of the city including the churches of San Pelligrino and Santa Maria dell'Assunta in Bominaco, the medieval castle at Calascio, and the Gran Sasso National Park. In wintertime, Because of the nearby mountains there are several ski resorts throughout the region. Many of these skiers stay in L’Aquila which, could cause problems finding a hotel room in the winter season.

Markets
There is also a daily market that is held each day (except Sunday) in the Piazza del Doumo. There you can find a wide variety of goods including clothing on sale by small vendors. The market is open from 8AM-2PM.

Eat




Go next

 * There are local buses to and from Pescara, Sulmona and Teramo. See ARPA for timetables.
 * Bus 6D/6S/M6 to fonte cerreto funivia (cable car to campo imperatore / gran sasso)