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Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo. The city, 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of Appenini (Gran Sasso d’Italia) and the Adriatic coast. It is indeed one of the few places where you can reach, both the sunny beaches of the Adriatic sea and the 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) covered by snow Appenine peaks, in less than half an hour from the city centre. The town is by the confluence of the Vezzola and Tordino rivers.
The economy of the town is mostly based on activities connected with agriculture and commerce, as well as a sound industrial sector: textiles, foods, engineering, building materials and ceramics. Teramo can easily be reached from the A14 autostrada and in very less than two hours by car from Rome via the A24 autostrada.
In ancient times the name referred to the two rivers Vezzola and Tordino, between which it lies.
The name is already corrupted in extant manuscripts of the Liber Coloniarum into Teramne, whence its modern form of Teramo. But in the Middle Ages it appears to have been known also by the name of Aprutium, supposed to be a corruption of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied (as was so often the case in Gaul) to their chief city. Thus the name Abrutium is present among the cities of Picenum enumerated by the Geographer of Ravenna and under the Lombards a comes Aprutii is mentioned. The name has been retained in that of Abruzzo, now a region of Italy.
Interamna was founded by the Praetutii (who according to some ancient legends were possibly connected to the Phoenicians, although most scholars consider them related to another nearby Italic tribe, the Piceni) as their capital. The name is omitted by Pliny, but is found in Ptolemy, who distinctly assigns it to the Praetutii; and it is mentioned also in the Liber Coloniarum among the Civitates Piceni (cities of Picenum). It there bears the epithet of “Palestina” or, as the name is elsewhere written, “Paletina”; the origin and meaning of which are wholly unknown but may be related to legendary associations between the Praetutii and the Phoenicians. In the genuine fragments of Frontinus, on the other hand, the citizens are correctly designated as Interamnates Praetutiani.
It was conquered by consul Manius Curius Dentatus in 290 BCE, and made a Municipium. During the Social War (91-88 BCE) it sided against Sulla, who deprived it of its municipium status. The latter was restored by Julius Caesar. Being situated in the interior of the country, at a distance from the highroads, the name is not found in the Itineraries, but we know that it was an episcopal see and a place of some importance under the Roman Empire. Vestiges of the ancient theatre, of baths and other buildings of Roman date, as well as statues, altars, and other ancient remains, have been discovered on the site: numerous inscriptions have been also found, in one of which the citizens are designated as Interamnites Praetutiani.[4]
The city rapidly declined after the fall of the Western Empire and, following Goth and Byzantine domination, became part of the territories of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto. In 1156 it was put on fire by Norman Count Robert of Loretello and then rebuilt thanks to Bishop Guido II. In the 14th- and 15th centuries it was plagued by feuds between local families which finally ended under the Aragonese dominion. After that it shared the fortunes of the Kingdom of Naples – under which it was the capital of the province of Abruzzo Ulteriore – until in 1860 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. For a long period of time, Teramo was a border place between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States, and therefore acquired a distinct identity.
During World War II the people of Teramo rebelled against the German occupation. This deed earned the province of Teramo the Gold Medal for Civil Valour, assigned by Carlo Azeglio Ciampi on September 15, 2005. The town was liberated from forces of the Nazis and fascists of Salò on June 14, 1944.
The main monuments of the city are:
the majestic Cathedral of San Berardo, built in 1158 by bishop Guido II, in Romanesque style. Noteworthy is the great portal in Gothic style, finished in 1332 by the Roman master Deodato di Cosma. It houses a precious silver paliotto by Nicola of Guardagriele (with 35 scenes of the life of Jesus) and a polyptych by the Venetian artist Jacobello del Fiore depicting the Incoronation of the Virgin. Annexed is a 50 m bell tower.
the Romanesque church of Sant’Antonio (1127), with a fine portal. The interior, with a single nave, was renovated along Baroque lines.
An art exhibit, Maggio Festeggiante, is held each May. The summer calendar of events is very rich, with the Teramo Literary Prize and the Interamnia Handball Cup, an international event with athletes coming from all over the world. A week in October is also dedicated to an important international photography of film show. The region of Teramo also houses an important astronomical observatory, entitled to Vincenzo Cerulli.
People born in or around Teramo include:
Berardo da Pagliara, (?-1123), bishop and patron saint of the city and diocese
Melchiorre Delfico, (1744-1835), Enlightenment philosopher
Giacinto Pannella, (1847-1927), author
Vincenzo Cerulli (1859-1927), astronomer
Ivan Graziani, (1945-1997), singer-songwriter
Marco Pannella (1930-now), europolitician
Francesco Possenti, (1838-1861), also known as Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Patron saint of Abruzzo
Marco Reginelli, (1897-1956) underworld boss
Felice Centofanti, (1969-present), a former soccer player
Marco Mordente, (1979-present), Basketball player
Gianni Di Venanzo, (1920-1966), cinematographer
[edit]Neighborhoods of Teramo
Il Castello
Colleparco
Gammarana
Madonna della Cona
San Berardo
San Benedetto
San Leonardo
Santa Maria a Bitetto
Santo Spirito
Villa Mosca
Villa Pavone
Piano della Lenta
Colleatterrato
Frazioni (suburbs) include:
Cannelli, Caprafico, Castagneto, Castrogno, Cavuccio, Cerreto, Chiareto, Colle Caruno, Colleatterrato Alto, Colleminuccio, Colle Santa Maria, Forcella (located about 11 kilometers from Teramo and dominating the Vomano Valley, Frondarola, Galeotti, Garrano, Garrano Basso, Magnanella, Miano, Monticelli, Nepezzano, Pantaneto, Poggio Cono, Piano D’Accio, Piano della Lenta, Poggio San Vittorino, Ponzano, Putignano, Rapino, Rocciano, Rupo, Sardinara, Saccoccia, San Nicolò a Tordino (important industrial zone located along the axis joining Teramo to the sea), San Pietro ad Lacum, Sant’Atto, Scapriano, Sciusciano, Sorrenti, Spiano, Tofo Sant’Eleuterio, Tordinia, Turri, Valle San Giovanni, Valle Soprana, Varano, Villa Falchini, Villa Gesso, Villa Ripa, Villa Romita, Villa Stanghieri, Villa Taraschi, Villa Viola, Villa Vomano (located in the Vomano valley and an important link to the autostrada).
The Scapriano center during a match.
Teramo Basket is a young but established basketball team playing in Serie A, the Italian professional basketball league. It ranked #3 in 2009 Italian league and it is playing the Eurocup in 2010. Teramo has been an important launch pad for both Italian and American players such as Bobby Jones, Clay Tucker, Jaycee Carroll, Roger Powell, Hassan Adams and more…
H.C. Teramo Handball are two handball teams (male and female) playing in in the Serie A division: the major handball championship in Italy. The city hosts the Interamnia World Cup every July[2], the handball world cup with more than 30 teams from all over the world.
Teramo Calcio is the local professional football team, established in 1913, and currently playing in Eccellenza. Many famous players wore Teramo Calcio shirt in the past. We can mention Enrico Chiesa, Julio César de León, Simone Pepe and even though for 1 month only, the world-champion Fabio Grosso. The “Comunale stadium” has a capacity of 8,000 and it hosts concerts and football matches.
At the municipal level, the City of Teramo has a council made up of the mayor and councilmen that are elected every 5 years. In Italy every citizen over 18 has the right to vote.
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