L'Aquila | |
---|---|
Comune dell'Aquila | |
Coordinates: 42°21′N 13°24′E / 42.350°N 13.400°E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | Abruzzo |
Province | L'Aquila |
Frazioni | see list |
Government | |
• Mayor | Pierluigi 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 |
• Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
Demonym | Aquilani |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 67100 |
Dialing code | 0862 |
Patron saint | St. Maximus, St. Equitius, St. Peter Celestine, St. Bernardino of Siena |
Saint day | June 10 |
Website | Official 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[update], 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).