Barrea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di Barrea | |
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 Municipal coat of arms |
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| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Province | L'Aquila (AQ) |
| Mayor | Andrea Scarnecchia |
| Elevation | 1,060 m (3,478 ft) |
| Area | 87.05 km² (34 sq mi) |
| Population (as of 2005) | |
| - Total | 771 |
| - Density | 9/km² (23/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Balsoranesi |
| Dialing code | 0863 |
| Postal code | 67052 |
| Patron | St. George Martyr |
| - Day | April 23 |
| Website: www.comune.balsorano.aq.it | |
Barrea is a comune in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
It is located on the shore of the Lake of Barrea, a lake created after World War II due to the building of a dam on the River Sangro.
[edit] History
The comune was established in 1067 under the protectorate of the Duke of Spoleto. One side of the original, central castle was protected from invaders by natural means, utilizing the impassably steep slope of the mountain; two stone castle gates afforded other protection to the castle and the homes that were built within its walls, dug into the slides of the mountain and giving out through front entrances facing on narrow, twisting, steep stone alleys.
Its location surrounded by the Appennines prevented Barrea's development into an industrial area; historically, residents existed by tending small farms in plots on the mountainside, but that ended with the development of the lake. Today, Barrea is at the center of the National Park of Abruzzo, a natural area rich in wildlife and recreation and lacking any aspect of urban commercialization. There are fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, but its location on the brow of a mountainside, giving out over the Sangro valley, contributes to its popularity as a vacation spot.
[edit] Gallery
 Lake of Barrea. |
 Church of the Purgatory. |
 An alley/street in the Old City. |
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