What to see in L'Aquila, one-day itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the Fountain of the 99 spouts, the Basilica of San Bernardino and the Castle.
Tourist information
The origins of the city date back to the thirteenth century, when the various castles of that geographical area were unified.
Tradition has it that there were 99 castles, intended as villages, from whose union the first urban nucleus was born, even this number is repeated also for churches, wards, squares and fountains.
There are even 99 spouts of the famous Fountain built by Tancredi da Pentima in 1272, in addition to this the bell of the Civic Tower strikes 99 peals at sunset to keep this tradition now rooted alive.
The name Aquila was given to the city, inspired by the definition of the place "Accula" on which it was founded and by the banner of the Hohenstaufen, which was precisely an eagle.
Later it became first Aquila degli Abruzzi, then, in 1939, it took the current name of L'Aquila.
What see
The historic center, located on a plateau, is located in a central position with respect to the basin, there are many villages located on the slope or on the top of the surrounding hills, including Aragno, Roio, Pianola, Bagno, San Giacomo and Collebrincioni .
After the war, the urban expansion was concentrated mainly in the flat western suburbs of the city, the current urban fabric extends unevenly following the course of the river.
Over the centuries, L'Aquila has kept intact its appearance as a medieval and Renaissance city, the main places of interest to visit are the Basilica of San Bernardino, built in 1454 with the annexed Franciscan Convent, and the basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, erected in 1287.
Certainly worth a visit is the Spanish Fort, also known as Castello, a fortress built by the Spaniards in 1534, following the plans of Pirro Luis Escriba, now home to the National Museum of Abruzzo.
