L’Aquila

The current capital of the Abruzzo region, L’Aquila was founded in the thirteenth century under Frederick II of Swabia. The monument which is the symbol of the city, the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, was constructed at the end of the same century at the behest of Pietro da Morrone, in which he was crowned pope, taking the name of Celestine V, on 29 August 1294. In the early modern period L’Aquila was subject, like all of the south of Italy, to Aragonese then Spanish domination. In 1527, the Viceroy Philibert of Chalon punished the attempt at revolt of the city very harshly, devastating it and imposing a heavy fine. After the episode the Spanish fort was built which is another symbol of the city, which bears the inscription Ad reprimendam aquilanorum audaciam on its portal as a warning for the future. The history of L’Aquila has been constantly marked by numerous and destructive earthquakes, like those of 1349, 1461, 1646, 1703 and, the latest one, that of 6 April 2009, which inflicted serious harm on the artistic heritage of the city.