Civitella del Tronto

Civitella del Tronto is a city in the province of Teramo, in Italy. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.

Civitella’s main claim to fame is that at the time of the Unification of Italy in 1861, it was the last city to accept unification. In 1816 it was annexed to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (see Italy-History). The fortress of Civitella was the last stand of that Kingdom after it had already surrendered in Gaeta, Naples and Sicily, being merged into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Civitella surrendered on 20 March 1861.

There are a few daily bus services from Teramo and from S.Egidio alla Vibrata. By car from Rome, take the A24 Autostrada to Teramo and then the SS81 going north in the direction of Ascoli Piceno.

• The Fortress of Civitella is the largest fortress in Italy, and the second largest in Europe. It is located on the top of a rocky cliff, and is around 500 m long and 45 m wide. It was built during Spanish domination between 1564 and 1576 and represented the northern border of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The fortress can be visited and there are some great views from the top. In Italian only.

Civitella is close to Teramo and Ascoli Piceno