L'Aquila

L'Aquila
Comune dell'Aquila
Piazza del Duomo with the L'Aquila Cathedral in the background
Piazza del Duomo with the L'Aquila Cathedral in the background
Flag of L'Aquila
Coat of arms of L'Aquila
Location of L'Aquila
Map
L'Aquila is located in Italy
L'Aquila
L'Aquila
Location of L'Aquila in Italy
L'Aquila is located in Abruzzo
L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila (Abruzzo)
Coordinates: 42°21′N 13°24′E / 42.350°N 13.400°E / 42.350; 13.400
CountryItaly
RegionAbruzzo
ProvinceL'Aquila
Frazionisee list
Government
 • MayorPierluigi Biondi (FdI)
Area
 • Total
473.91 km2 (182.98 sq mi)
Elevation
714 m (2,343 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2013)[2]
 • Total
70,967
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)
DemonymAquilani
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
67100
Dialing code0862
Patron saintSt. Maximus, St. Equitius, St. Peter Celestine, St. Bernardino of Siena
Saint dayJune 10
WebsiteOfficial website

L'Aquila (/ˈlækwɪlə/ LAK-wil-ə;[3][4] Italian: [ˈlaːkwila] ; Neapolitan: [ˈlaːkwiːlə]) is a city and comune in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. As of 2024, it has a population of 69,902 inhabitants.[5] Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river, it is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, with the Gran Sasso d'Italia to the north-east.

L'Aquila sits upon a hillside in the middle of a narrow valley; tall snow-capped mountains of the Gran Sasso massif flank the town. A maze of narrow streets, lined with Baroque and Renaissance buildings and churches, open onto elegant piazzas. Home to the University of L'Aquila, it is a lively college town and, as such, has many cultural institutions: a repertory theatre, a symphony orchestra, a fine-arts academy, a state conservatory, a film institute. There are several ski resorts in the surrounding province (Campo Imperatore, Ovindoli, Pescasseroli, Roccaraso, Scanno).

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ Population data from Istat
  3. ^ "L'Aquila". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "L'Aquila" (US) and "L'Aquila". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  5. ^ "Abruzzo (Italy): Provinces, Major Cities & Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2023-06-26.