Avezzano
| Avezzano | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Città di Avezzano | ||
|
19th-century etching of Avezzano Castle | ||
| ||
  Avezzano Location of Avezzano in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 42°2′28″N 13°26′23″E / 42.04111°N 13.43972°ECoordinates: 42°2′28″N 13°26′23″E / 42.04111°N 13.43972°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Abruzzo | |
| Province | L'Aquila (AQ) | |
| Frazioni | Antrosano, Castelnuovo, Cese, Paterno, San Pelino, San Giuseppe di Caruscino, Case Incile, Borgo Via Nuova[1] | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Giovanni Di Pangrazio (PD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 104.05 km2 (40.17 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 695 m (2,280 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 42,641 | |
| • Density | 410/km2 (1,100/sq mi) | |
| Demonym | Avezzanesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 67051 | |
| Dialing code | 0863 | |
| Patron saint | Bartholomew the Apostle and Madonna of Pietraquaria | |
| Saint day | 24 August and 27 April | |
Avezzano (Italian pronunciation: [avedˈdzaːno] or [avetˈtsaːno]) is a town and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the Marsica area, with high-tech industries such as a LFoundry GmbH semi-conductor plant, and a large Telespazio satellite farm.
History
There are two common etymologies for the name of the town: from "Ave Jane", an invocation to the Roman God Janus and from "Ad Vetianum" which means a "to the Vetia family", domiciled in the nearby town of Alba Fucens. The first settlements in this area began with the construction works for the lake's drainage ordered by Emperor Claudius in the first century A.D. In the 15th century Avezzano was under Gentile Virgilio Orsini, who built the castle in 1490.
Avezzano once lay on the shores of the largest lake in peninsular Italy, Lake Fucino, which was drained in the late 19th century. After the draining of the Lake, wide fields became available for cultivation and the area underwent terrific growth. It was completely destroyed by the possibly worst recorded earthquake in the history of Italy on the early morning of January 13, 1915 with only Casa dei Palazzi and a wing of Orsini Castle spared. More than 30,000 people died.
The town streets were then completely rebuilt along straight, parallel lines, with wide green areas and villas in the "Liberty" style.
Main sights
- Alba Fucens
- Fucino plain
- Monte Velino
- Telespazio satellite farm
- Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo
- Valle Roveto
- Ovindoli
- Tagliacozzo
- Piana del Cavaliere
Notable births
- Paola Concia, politician
- Gianni Letta, politician and journalist
- Mario Pescante, politician and entrepreneur, IOC Member
- Vito Taccone, cyclist
References
- ↑ "Comune di Avezzano (AQ)". Prometheo Srl. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-16.