Abbateggio is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' and

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in the

province of Pescara The province of Pescara (; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pescara, which has a population of 119,483 inhabitants. As of 2017, it has a total population of 319,936 inhabitants over an area o ...

in the

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

region of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

The first documents about the village's existence date back to the 10th century, which suggest the area became populated around 871 CE. In 1929, under the prime ministership of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

, the village was amalgamated with Roccamorice under the jurisdiction of San Valentino. It became a separate municipality once again in 1947, under the mayoralty of Gino Di Benedetto.

Economy

The economy of Abbateggio is based on mixed agriculture. Livestock are kept and crops including grain (particularly

farro Farro is a grain of any of three species of wheat, namely einkorn, emmer, or spelt, sold dried and cooked in water until soft. It is used as a side dish and added to salads, soups and stews. Etymology The English word is borrowed direct ...

), olives, vines and fruit trees are grown. Cheese and honey are also produced.

Tourism and culture

The Cusano district of the comune is home to the ruins of an ancient

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

and other early medieval buildings. Abbateggio has been named one of

I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the a ...

("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Festivals in the town include: * San Lorenzo (10 August) - Grain feast * 7–9 September - Patron festival * Last Sunday in July - Majella Park Literary Award.

Notable people

Angelo Tomasso Sr, founder of the

Tomasso Group The Tomasso Group is a family-run conglomerate focused on the construction and real estate industries based in New Britain, Connecticut. History Angelo Tomasso Sr. Angelo Tomasso immigrated to America from Abbateggio, Italy in 1910. Ange ...

, grew up in Abbateggio and immigrated to the United States of America in 1910.

Honorary citizen Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

s include Grazia Francescato, politician and environmental activist; writer

Dacia Maraini Dacia Maraini (; born November 13, 1936) is an Italian writer. Maraini's work focuses on women's issues, and she has written numerous plays and novels. She has won awards for her work, including the Formentor Prize for ''L'età del malessere'' ...

; and Luciano D'Alfonso, president of

and former mayor of

Pescara Pescara (; ; ) is the capital city of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 118,657 (January 1, 2023) residents (and approximately 350,000 including the surround ...

References

External links

* — article about food in Abbateggio and nearby towns Cities and towns in Abruzzo Borghi più belli d'Italia {{Abruzzo-geo-stub