Province of Teramo - Culture

Culture

The Province of Teramo holds a great many art treasures including several very early Christian-era temples. Dotted among the countryside are hilltop towns which once served as watchpoints and guardians of the deep and rocky valleys below. Connecting these treasures are important roads and trails that cut from the east to the west. Many of these follow shepherding routes that once dominated the area. Two important towns in the Province of Teramo are Civitella del Tronto and Atri. The first stood as the northernmost protective point of the Bourbon Empire. It was the last fortress to fall into the hands of the conquering French forces of Savoy. Still today, this fortress and the thriving town at its base testify to the power that the Bourbon Empire of Napes once possessed. In Atri there is an extraordinary Roman Catholic cathedral and an imposing theatre. The town's grandeur speaks of the importance of the once powerful Counts of Acquaviva who laid claim to this region. The provincial capital of Teramo hosts a majestic cathedral and has for centuries served all of Abruzzo as a main administrative and economic center.

An historical event took place in the Province of Teramo on 15 September 2005. On that day the President of Italy, Azeglio Ciampi, came to the city of Teramo to make a special presentation in honour of the resistance movement that arose in this town against the Nazi forces during the Second World War. A special note was made of the young Italian partisans who gathered in the village of Bosco Martese. There they risked deportation, severe reprisals, and other barbarous acts. Several of them, most famously Mario Capuani, gave their lives during these struggles.