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ABRUZZI E MOLISE , a See also: group of provinces (compartimento) of See also: Southern See also: Italy, bounded N. by the province of Ascoli, N.W. and
W. by See also: Perugia, S.W. by See also: Rome and See also: Caserta, S. by See also: Benevento, E. by See also: Foggia and N.E. by the Adriatic See also: Sea
.
It comprises the provinces of See also: Teramo (population in 1901, 307,444), Aquila (396,629), See also: Chieti (370,907) and See also: Campobasso (366,571), which, under the See also: kingdom of Naples, respectively See also: bore the names Abruzzo Uiteriore I., Abruzzo Uiteriore II., Abruzzo Citeriore (the reference being to their distance from the capital) and Molise
.
The See also: total See also: area is 6567 sq. m. and the population (1901) 1,441,551
.
The See also: district is mainly mountainous in the interior, including as it does the central portion of the whole See also: system of the Apennines and their culminating point, the Gran Sasso d'Italia
.
Towards the sea the See also: elevation is less considerable, the hills consisting mainly of somewhat unstable See also: clay and See also: sand, but the zone of level ground along the See also: coast is quite inconsiderable
.
The coast See also: line itself, though over See also: loo See also: miles in length, has not a single harbour of importance
.
The See also: climate varies considerably with the altitude, the highest peaks being covered with snow for the greater See also: part of the See also: year, while the valleys See also: running N.E. towards the sea are fertile and well watered by several small See also: rivers, the chief of which are the Tronto, Vomano, Pescara, Sangro, Trigno and Biferno
.
These are fed by less important streams, such as the Aterno and Gizio, which See also: water the valleys between the See also: main chains of the Apennines
.
They are liable to be suddenly swollen by rains, and floods and See also: land-slips often cause considerable damage
.
This danger has been increased, as elsewhere in Italy, by indiscriminate See also: timber-See also: felling on the higher mountains without See also: provision for re-afforestation, though considerable See also: oak, See also: beech, See also: elm and See also: pine forests still exist and are the home of wolves, See also: wild boars and even bears
.
They also afford feeding-ground for large herds of See also: swine, and the hams and sausages of the Abruzzi enjoy a high reputation
.
The rearing of cattle and See also: sheep was at one See also: time the chief occupation of the inhabitants, and many of them still drive their flocks down to the Campagna di See also: Roma for the winter months and back again in the summer, but more See also: attention is now devoted to cultivation
.
This flourishes especially in the valleys and in the now drained See also: bed of the Lago See also: Fucino
.
The See also: industries are various, but none of them is of See also: great importance
.
Arms and cutlery are produced at Campobasso and Agnone
.
At the See also: exhibition of Abruzzese See also: art, held at Chieti in 1905, See also: fine specimens of goldsmiths' See also: work of the 15th and 16th centuries, of See also: majolica of the 17th and 18th centuries, and of tapestries and laces were brought together; and the See also: reproduction of some of these is still carried on, the small See also: town of See also: Castelli being the centre of the manufacture
.
The See also: river Pescara and its tributary the Tirino See also: form an important source of power for generating See also: electricity
.
The chief towns are (r) Teramo, See also: Atri, Campli, See also: Penne, Castellammare Adriatico; (2) Aquila, See also: Avezzano, See also: Celano, See also: Tagliacozzo, See also: Sulmona; (3) Chieti, See also: Lanciano, Ortona, See also: Vasto; (4) Campobasso, Agnone, Isernia
.
Owing to the nature of the country, communications are not easy
.
See also: Railways are (1) the coast railway (a part of the Bologna–Gallipoli line), with branches from Giulianova to Teramo and from Termoli to Campobasso; (2) a line diverging S.E. from this at Pescara and running via Sulmona (whence there are branches via Aquila and See also: Rieti to See also: Terni, and via Carpinone to (a) Isernia and Caianello, on the line from Rome to Naples, and (b) Campobasso and Benevento), and Avezzano (whence there is a branch to Roccasecca) to Rome
.
The name Abruzzi is conjectured to be a See also: medieval corruption of Praetuttii
.
The district was, in Lombard times, part of the duchy of See also: Spoleto, and, under the See also: Normans, a part of that of Apulia; it was first formed into a single province in 1240 by See also: Frederick II., who placed the Justiciarius Aprutii at Solmona and founded the city of Aquila
.
After the Hohenstauffen lost their See also: Italian dominions, the Abruzzi became a province of the Angevin kingdom of Naples, to which it was of great strategic importance
.
The division into three parts was not made until the 17th century
.
The Molise, on the other See also: hand, formed part of the Lombard duchy of Benevento, and was,placed under the Justiciarius of Terra di Lavoro by Frederick II.: after various changes it became part of the Capitanata, and was only formed
See also: ABSALON 73
into an See also: independent province in 1811
.
The See also: people are remark, ably conservative in beliefs, superstitions and traditions
.
See V
.
Bindi, Monumenti storici ed artistici degli Abruzzi (Naples, 1889); A. de Nino, Usi e costumi Abruzzesi (Florence, 1879-1883)
.
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