Abruzzi

Region: Abruzzi/Abruzzo

Province: L'Aquila (AQ), Chieti (CH), Pescara (PE) and Teramo (TE)

Area: 10,794 sq.km/4,152 sq.mi

Population: 1,200,000

The Abruzzi, the wildest and highest part of the Apennines in the east of Central Italy extend from the watershed of the Central Apennines to the Adriatic and take in the four provinces of L'Aquila, Pescara, Chieti and Teramo. On the north they are bounded by the Marche, on the west by Latium and on the Southeast by Molise, with which they have been combined since 1963 to form the administrative unit of Abruzzi e Molise.

The heart of the Abruzzi is formed by three mighty mountain chains, the most easterly and highest of which contains the highest peaks in the peninsula, in the Gran Sasso d'Italia group (Corno Grande 2,912m/9,610ft).