L'Aquila

L'Aquila is the capital of Abruzzo, a mountain city set at around 720 metres of altitude in the valley of the river Aterno, at the foot of the Gran Sasso, the highest massif in the Apennines. Founded in the 13th century, it preserves a notable historical and religious heritage — with the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio as its emblem — which was severely damaged by the 2009 earthquake, after which the city embarked on a long reconstruction. Its high-mountain setting links it naturally to outdoor sport, from skiing at Campo Imperatore to hiking in the Gran Sasso National Park. L'Aquila was recognised by ACES Europe as European City of Sport 2022, a title that added to the city's recovery drive and places it within the broad Italian representation of the ACES network, one of the largest in Europe.